Brand loyalty when buying a car

Brand loyalty when buying a car

Personal ties to car brands will continue to play a central role for car buyers in Austria in 2024. An Austria-wide Innofact survey of 522 women and men for AutoScout24 shows that for 55 percent the brand is a decisive factor when choosing their vehicle. The connection to the brand often goes far beyond technical advantages and is associated with a strong emotional factor for many people. For a small but particularly loyal group of four percent, changing car brands is completely unimaginable. "It is particularly exciting that the younger generations in particular show a strong bond with car brands and see them as an expression of their lifestyle and values. This loyalty shows how important brands are in different phases of life - whether through reliability or the special character of a brand. For many, the car is therefore not just a means of transport, but also a part of their identity," says Nikolaus Menches, Country Manager of AutoScout24 Austria.

Around 16 percent of those surveyed remain consistently loyal to their car brand - mostly due to positive experiences in terms of handling, equipment and reliability. The same number have once decided on a new brand, but will no longer do so in the future - this is particularly true for women (20 percent). Brand loyalty is particularly pronounced among those under 30: at 27 percent, this age group shows the strongest loyalty and particularly sticks to their preferred car brand. “For me, the car brand means more than just owning a car – it is a symbol of my lifestyle and a special attitude to life,” say 11 percent of men and 10 percent of those over 50. For 16 percent of young adults, car brands also say something about their personality: they see each brand as a certain type of person and associate them with individual characteristics and lifestyles. Across all age groups, 2 percent of those surveyed feel an exceptional level of sympathy for their car brand: For them, their brand exudes a very special charm that sets them apart from all others. Despite high brand loyalty, there are also changes: 3 percent of those surveyed plan to choose a different brand for the first time when making their next purchase, 45 percent generally make their purchasing decision independently of the brand - they attach more importance to personal demands and needs, especially in the age group over 40, where the proportion increases to 48 percent.