To guzzle or to save?

Holden has just recorded record sales of V8s, while NRMA Insurance claims more than 40 per cent of southeast Queensland drivers are deliberately downsizing to a more fuel-efficient car.

Meanwhile, the VFACTS industry figures show Queenslanders bought fewer light cars than the national average, but more medium and large cars and more large and luxury SUVs.

Holden claims strong sales of its top-end VE Commodore models, such as SS, SS V and Calais V, pushed V8 Commodore numbers past the 2003 record of 10,982 by almost 500.

Sales of V6 and V8 Commodores to private buyers were also up 35 per cent on 2006.

However, NRMA Insurance Queensland manager Brett Robinson said drivers aged 45 and over were the most likely in southeast Queensland to have bought a greener model.

The company released a study conducted by Woolcott Research in August-September of 400 southeast Queensland households, which showed only 28 per cent of people aged 25-34 would buy a more fuel-efficient car.

That figures rose to 38 per cent in the 35-44 years category and 46 per cent over 44.

The southeast Queensland region with the highest percentage of fuel-efficient car ownership was the Sunshine Coast with 52 per cent, followed by Gold Coast with 47 per cent, Brisbane on 31 per cent, compared with southeast Queensland's average of 40 per cent.

Those figures include used cars, not just new cars.

If you look at the VFACTS figures for 2007 new vehicle sales, it shows that Queenslanders love a big SUV and a commercial vehicle, reflecting the business growth of the state.

While the national rise in light car sales was 10.2 per cent, they rose only 8.4 in Queensland.

Small cars grew at the same 5.9 per cent rate as nationally, but medium cars grew 9.3 per cent in Queensland compared with 5.6 and large cars were slightly more enticing here with a 2.9 per cent increase compared with 2.3 nationally.

While large SUV sales were down across the nation by 13.6 per cent, they dropped only 5 per cent in Queensland and luxury SUV sales grew at twice the rate of the 9 per cent national growth rate.

Tradies' rides, such as two-wheel-drive utes and light commercial vehicles, grew 6.5 per cent in Queensland against a national rate of 15 per cent, while 4WD versions were only slightly up at 23.3 per cent compared with 22.3 nationally.