A 2014 survey asked a sample of the U.S. population the question "Which one of the following attributes would be MOST important to you in your choice of your next vehicle?" The choices were fuel economy, dependability, low price, quality, and safety. This same question was asked in previous surveys and the results are compared in the graph below. Dependability was chosen most often in nearly every survey after 1980, but fuel economy surpassed it in 2011 and 2012. In 2014, 30% of the survey respondents indicated that dependability would be the most important vehicle attribute while 20% of the survey respondents chose fuel economy and another 20% chose safety.
Most Important Vehicle Attributes, 2014
Supporting Information
| Year | Fuel Economy | Dependability | Low Price | Quality | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 42% | 31% | 14% | 4% | 9% |
| 1981 | 20% | 40% | 21% | 7% | 12% |
| 1983 | 13% | 38% | 30% | 11% | 9% |
| 1985 | 8% | 41% | 29% | 12% | 10% |
| 1987 | 4% | 44% | 31% | 8% | 14% |
| 1996 | 7% | 34% | 11% | 19% | 29% |
| 1998 | 4% | 36% | 5% | 20% | 34% |
| 2000 | 11% | 33% | 11% | 22% | 24% |
| 2001 | 11% | 30% | 8% | 22% | 30% |
| 2004 | 22% | 26% | 10% | 19% | 23% |
| 2005 | 12% | 33% | 7% | 21% | 28% |
| 2006 | 20% | 28% | 7% | 20% | 26% |
| 2007 | 21% | 30% | 7% | 17% | 24% |
| 2008 | 27% | 27% | 8% | 15% | 23% |
| 2009 | 24% | 29% | 10% | 19% | 18% |
| 2011 | 30% | 22% | 8% | 18% | 22% |
| 2012 | 29% | 25% | 14% | 16% | 15% |
| 2014 | 20% | 30% | 11% | 19% | 20% |
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