Used market turns green

Almost half of shoppers in the used-car market are prepared to spend $25,000 or more on a more efficient, stylish and safer vehicle like the the BMW 320.

“Gone are the days of the used-car market being dominated by people looking for a cheap deal,” NRMA board director Wendy Machin says. “Environmental concerns are top of mind and price is no longer a primary motivator.”

Run by the CarWise website, the survey found more women than men were motivated by environmental and fuel efficiency issues.

“Almost 45 per cent of women are buying greener, more fuel efficient cars with a fuel consumption of less than nine litres per 100km in the city, compared to 26 per cent of men,” Machin says. “Buyers are more interested in value than savings. That means not buying a lemon that will cause them problems in the future.”

She says buyers are also increasingly conscious of the safety of second-hand vehicles, with almost two-thirds looking to buy a car no more than five years old.

“The newer the used car, usually the better the safety package with not only airbags and systems like ABS and ESP but advances in the inherent safety of the car's construction."

“Since new cars are cheaper there is now more — and better — choice available on the second-hand market and buyers are snapping up the options.”

According to the research, fewer than 10 per cent of buyers would spend less than $5000 on a used car, while most cruise the web investigating common problems and recalls of models they may be considering.

NRMA CarWise provides an avenue for buyers to do a background check on a specific vehicle and provides information to aid shoppers in the used car market.

“Used car buying can be daunting — CarWise makes the process simple and stress-free by providing motorists with all the information they need at their fingertips,” Machin says.