New research from the classifieds website DoneDeal on behalf of Coyne Research, reveals some surprising insights about drivers in Ireland.
The survey highlighted some interesting habits of Irish drivers. Listening to the radio is still the top choice for drivers in Ireland, with over three quarters of the population claiming to tune in while driving. Music streaming services, such as Spotify, have not taken off quite yet for Irish drivers, with just 2% of the population using them most. Surprisingly, 6% of the population say they do not listen to anything when driving, preferring peace and quiet. The research revealed that the majority of us are willing to give our passengers some level of control over the music choices in the car – 69% of drivers say they let their passengers choose every couple of songs, while 12% claim to let the passengers choose all the music. 18% of drivers say that passengers are absolutely not allowed choose any of the music, with this number rising to 25% amongst over 55s.
The research also found that three out of four Irish people will choose second hand with their next car purchase. This number rises to nine in ten amongst 18-24 year olds.
Toyota was chosen as the brand of car drivers would most like to drive for the rest of their lives, with 13% of the overall vote. It was the only non-German brand in the top three, with Audi and Volkswagen coming in second and third with 11% and 8% respectively. Audi also won out in the 18-24 year age bracket, with one in four saying they would choose the German manufacturers.
Commenting on the research, Cathal Cremen, Commercial Manager from DoneDeal said, “As well as revealing some very interesting habits of Irish drivers, this survey really highlights the importance of the second hand car industry in Ireland with three out of four respondents saying they would buy second hand with their next purchase. This revelation comes at a time of growth for the industry, with the latest SIMI figures showing the number of new car registrations in October has risen by 30% on last year, with 123,670 sales.”
According to the research, the top five most searched for car brands in 2015 were BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Toyota and Mercedes. The top five highest selling cars, meanwhile, were Volkswagen, Ford, Toyota, BMW and Opel.
