Car Shoppers Say Fuel Economy Beats Quality, Performance in ...

Just the Facts:

• Car shoppers told Consumer Reports that good fuel economy is their leading consideration, beating quality, safety, value and performance, according to a new survey.
• More than a third of car shoppers ? 37 percent ? said fuel economy is their primary concern.
• "High fuel prices are continuing to impact driver behavior and influencing future purchase considerations," said Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports deputy auto editor.

YONKERS, New York ? Car shoppers told Consumer Reports that good fuel economy is their leading consideration, beating quality, safety, value and performance, according to a new survey.

More than a third of car shoppers ? 37 percent ? said fuel economy is their primary concern. Quality was the next most important consideration at 17 percent, followed by value at 14 percent. A mere 6 percent of car shoppers cited performance as an important consideration.

"High fuel prices are continuing to impact driver behavior and influencing future purchase considerations," said Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports deputy auto editor.

The survey also found that consumers are driving less and moving to smaller vehicles.

The AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report on Tuesday pegged the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in the U.S. at $3.68 per gallon versus $3.86 a month ago.

The new survey, which was conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, found that car shoppers are in a mood to downsize. It noted that "owners of large SUVs were the most open to downsizing, frequently planning to move to a smaller SUV. Small cars were the leading category targeted by survey respondents for their next vehicle."

Presumably, the survey is good news for automakers targeting fuel economy. Among the fuel-economy leaders cited by the EPA for the 2012 model year are the 2012 Mitsubishi i, which returns 126 mpg in city driving and 99 mpg on the highway; the 2012 Nissan Leaf, which returns 106 mpg in city driving and 92 mpg on the highway, and the 2012 Chevrolet Volt, which returns 58 mpg on the highway and 62 mpg in city driving.

Inside Line says: Is good fuel economy the primary consideration on your car-shopping list?

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