Carzone.ie has released the sixth edition of the Carzone.ie Motoring Report which reveals that 43 per cent of people in Westmeath bought a car in 2015, compared to the national average of 42.5 per cent.
The bi-annual index studies trends in the Irish motoring market by analysing data from the 111 million searches carried out on Carzone.ie in 2015, as well as an in-depth survey of 1,700 Irish motorists nationwide.
When buying a car, 15 per cent of Irish motorists claimed they bought a car to save on car running costs, while a further 13 per cent wanted a more reliable car. Some 30 per cent of married people declared they wanted a larger car to accommodate a growing family.
In terms of what cars Westmeath motorists were searching for specifically, Volkswagen topped the polls for most popular car marque, closely followed by Toyota in second and BMW in third. When it comes to the most popular model of car, the Volkswagen Golf topped the poll. The report also shows that 78 per cent of searches on Carzone.ie in 2015 were for diesel cars, while only 17 per cent were for petrol models.
Some 74 per cent of motorists in Westmeath said they are not satisfied with their current insurance premium. The research also shows that 16 per cent of people in the county are either unsure or have no knowledge of current tax bands. Research also pointed towards a lack of knowledge of car financing, with 58 per cent of Westmeath respondents not fully aware of the car finance options available to them when buying.
NCT testing is always an issue which stimulates debate amongst Irish motorists. The results show that 47 per cent of Westmeath people spend between €120 and €200 prepping their car for the NCT. The research also reveals that 37 per cent of Irish motorists do not feel the NCT system is fair.
Commenting on the findings, Warren Cray, general manager of Carzone.ie, said: “In this our sixth edition of the Carzone.ie Motoring Report we have gone deeper again to research views and gauge sentiment amongst Irish motorists. What is certainly clear from the research is that consumer confidence is continuing to rise and more and more vehicles are changing hands both through new car registrations and used car sales.”
To access a full copy of the report visit www.carzone.ie/motoringreport
