The cost of car insurance was the deciding factor for young drivers in choosing which vehicle to buy, revealed a survey from the AA.
It said that for more than 80% of young drives, the cost of insuring their new vehicles was the make-or-break decider.
“With fuel prices rocketing and the high cost of insurance for young drivers, this is clearly understandable,” said AA Insurance director Neale Phillips.
“The cost of running an average family car is now over £5,000 per year, so finding ways to cut this cost is high on a typical buyer's list of priorities.”
The survey also found that women were more concerned about running costs than men.
Of the top three economic factors, the survey found that 85% of women were influenced by how far they could go on a tank of petrol, compared with 80% of men; 77% of women were influenced by the insurance group, compared with 66% of men; and 57% of women were influenced by the tax band, compared with 42% of men.
Phillips said: “Our research clearly shows that the cost of fuel and insurance are major factors in car choice, which points to smaller, more economic cars that hold their value well.”
