As sales of 4x4s plummet, how are motorists reacting?

News this week revealed sales of 4x4s are plummeting as motorists start to feel the pinch as the price of filling a petrol tank soars. According to comparethemarket.com, 4x4s will not be the only cars affected by the credit crunch as motorists look for ways to cut costs.

According to YouGov research commissioned by comparethemarket.com, 58% of motorists would consider buying a more environmentally friendly car for their next car purchase. However while 30% are concerned about the environment, 28% would purchase a greener model purely because they are assumed to be cheaper to run compared to less green models. The different attitudes of male and female drivers revealed:

The research also identified some regional variances including:

• Londoners are least likely to purchase a car for environmental reasons - just a quarter (26%) would consider it
• In contrast, 41% of Scots would buy a greener car to help the environment, the highest in the UK

In addition, over a third (35%) of drivers say they are consciously driving less - however the majority are doing so to keep costs down (29%) and not because of environmental reasons (6%).

Further research from comparethemarket.com revealed that the average share of insurance quotes for green cars increased by a massive 51% from Jan 07/Feb 08 to Mar 08/April 08. Considering the timeframe, this could be as a direct result of the budget announcement where the government proposed substantial price increases for 'gas-guzzling' cars.

Reducing the amount of petrol used is not the only way to cut motoring costs. According to comparethemarket.com, on average, motorists can save up to £680 a year on their insurance policy if they drive a Toyota Prius in comparison to a gas guzzling Land Rover Discovery.

For further information please contact:

Faith McMath
comparethemarket.com
01733 374668
faith.mcmath@comparethemarket.com

Notes to Editors:

Survey of 2,000 respondents carried out by YouGov, May 2008.

Further results and regional data available on request.

About comparethemarket.com

comparethemarket.com was launched in 2006 as a car insurance comparison site, offering customers a wide range of competitively priced insurance quotes instantly online, from over 400 insurance policies.

In addition to motor insurance, comparethemarket.com also offers van, home, bike, travel, life and pet insurance.

comparethemarket.com has secured key partnerships with PriceRunner, The Motley Fool and other online retailers who have similar customer profiles or are looking to expand their offering to provide insurance services to the customer.

In June 2007, comparethemarket.com started a year-long sponsorship of Channel 4 drama as part of a significant brand investment. comparethemarket.com is a trading name of BISL Limited. BISL Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

Registered Address: Pegasus House, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, PE2 6YS. Registered in England number 3231094.