Women Are Most Likely to Report that What Was Most Lacking in their Last Car Buying Experience Was a Quick and Easy Transaction

Other Missing Elements Include a Fair Trade-in Value; a Trustworthy Salesperson; and Low, Fair Pricing

18 November 2011

Economy

New York, NY - Thinking about the last time that they bought a car, one in four women (26%)to say that was most missing was a quick and effortless transaction, according to a new survey of over 500 women conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of CarMax. This mirrors findings from a similar study conducted in 2009, when 25% of women felt that a quick and easy transaction was what was most missing from their purchase experience.

Slightly fewer feel that a fair trade-in value (15%, down four points since 2009); a trustworthy salesperson (15%, same as 2009); or low, fair pricing (15%, up two points since 2009) was most missing from their car-buying experience.

One in eight (13%, same as in 2009) feel that a reasonable finance rate was most lacking, while only a very small proportion (3%, up one percent from 2009), report that respect was most missing from their car-buying experience.

Women residing in the South (17%) and West (15%) are more likely than those in the Northeast (6%) to say that what was most missing from the experience was a reasonable finance rate.

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos polls conducted August 17-19, 2009 and October 4-11, 2011. For the surveys, national samples of 507 and 510 women aged 18 and older from Ipsos' U.S. online panel were interviewed online, respectively. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the U.S. adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size, the results are considered accurate within 1774.3 percentage points when it comes to the entire sample 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire population of adults aged 18 and older in the United States had been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information please contact:

Rebecca Sizelove Senior Research Manager Ipsos Public Affairs 212-584-9253 [email protected]

About Ipsos Public Affairs

Ipsos Public Affairs is a non-partisan, objective, survey-based research practice made up of seasoned professionals. We conduct strategic research initiatives for a diverse number of American and international organizations, based not only on public opinion research, but elite stakeholder, corporate, and media opinion research.

Ipsos has media partnerships with the most prestigious news organizations around the world. In the U.S., UK and internationally, Ipsos Public Affairs is the media polling supplier to Reuters News, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, and the Hispanic polling partner of Telemundo Communications Group, a division of NBC Universal providing Spanish-language content to U.S. Hispanics and audiences around the world.

Ipsos Public Affairs is a member of the Ipsos Group, a leading global survey-based market research company. We provide boutique-style customer service and work closely with our clients, while also undertaking global research.

To learn more visit: www.ipsos-na.com

About Ipsos

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals that helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world. Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends to develop and test emergent or existing products or services, and build brands. They also test advertising and study audience responses to various media, and measure public opinion around the globe.

They help clients create long-term relationships with their customers, stakeholders or other constituencies. Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting and offers a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2010, Ipsos generated global revenues of e1.140 billion ($1.6 billion U.S.).