Car Brands - UK - July 2009

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Report scope
• Base sample for consumer questions
• Please refer to slideshow
• Source data
• Executive Summary
• The selection process in brief
  • Figure 1: The brand selection process
• "Preferred" and "impact" brands
  • Figure 2: The top preferred car brands
  • Figure 3: The top impact brands
• The fundamentals of car choice
• New car buyers
• Used car buyers
• Premium and volume
• Brand choice
• How brands compete
• Brand strengths and weaknesses
• Brand trust and differentiation
• Brand preference and ad spend
• The Brand Selection Process
• Basic economics key to initial selection
  • Figure 4: Most important considerations when choosing to buy a car
• New and used buyers have different criteria
  • Figure 5: Most important purchase considerations: new against used cars
• Some brands have stronger used appeal
  • Figure 6: Car makes considered: new or second hand
• Men and women have different criteria too
  • Figure 7: Car makes considered: new or second hand, by gender
• Premium Brands High on Preference Lists
• Men prefer premium brands; women prefer volume brands
  • Figure 8: Brands preferred; men and women
  • Figure 9: Preference demand against actual demand
• People aspire to premium but buy on value
  • Figure 10: Premium aspirations, value purchases
• The Next Car Purchase ...
• How much will they pay?
  • Figure 11: How much is your next car likely to cost?
• Most new cars bought for £10-20K
  • Figure 12: What proportion of purchases fall within which price bracket?
• How Brand Groups Compete
• Brands in unique competing groups
  • Figure 13: Competing car brand groups
• Intense competition in volume brands
• Narrow band of metrics in play
• Price the overriding feature
• Premium brands: An emotional purchase process
• Far East brands: Rational feature/benefit purchases
• French brands: Broader based competitors
• Value brands: Potential competitors to volume brands
  • Figure 14: Price and fuel consumption: Key reasons for buying value brands
• Brand Strengths and Weaknesses: Ford
• "The price leader"
  • Figure 15: Ford: brand strengths and weaknesses
• Brand Strengths and Weaknesses: Vauxhall
• "Strong on price, weak on style and design"
  • Figure 16: Vauxhall: brand strengths and weaknesses
• Brand Strengths and Weaknesses: Volkswagen
• "A reliable brand with strong resale value"
  • Figure 17: Volkswagen: brand strengths and weaknesses
• Brand Strengths and Weaknesses: Toyota
• "A dull but reliable brand with good build quality"
  • Figure 18: Toyota: brand strengths and weaknesses
• Brand Strengths and Weaknesses: Audi
• "A stylish brand but with high running costs"
  • Figure 19: Audi: brand strengths and weaknesses
• Brand Strengths and Weaknesses: Honda
• "A quality reliable brand but lacking image and style"
  • Figure 20: Honda: brand strengths and weaknesses
• Brand Strengths and Weaknesses: BMW
• "A stylish quality brand but reliability an issue"
  • Figure 21: BMW: brand strengths and weaknesses
• Brand Strengths and Weaknesses: Peugeot
• "Strong on price and safety, weak on quality and image"
  • Figure 22: Peugeot: brand strengths and weaknesses
• Brand Strengths and Weaknesses: Renault
• "A reliable and safe brand with poor image and quality"
  • Figure 23: Renault: brand strengths and weaknesses
• Brand Strengths and Weaknesses: Mercedes
• "Stylish quality image but pricey"
  • Figure 24: Mercedes: brand strengths and weaknesses
• Methodology