Consumer Preferences
Consumers in older age groups reportedly preferred sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
According to the analysis of 2,871 lifestyles selected by users through LIFEencar by used-car shopping website SK Encar on May 19, semi-mid-sized sedans are most preferred by those who are in their 20s, mid-sized sedans by those who are in their 30s, and SUVs by those who are in their 40s.
As for 20-something respondents, the weight of semi-mid-sized sedans was the highest with 23.2 percent, followed by compact and mini-cars (20 percent), mid-sized cars (18.1 percent), and SUVs (13.0 percent). 19.7 percent of respondents who are in their 30s said that they prefer mid-sized cars, with the next most popular response of 18.3 percent saying SUVs, 17.2 percent with semi-mid-sized sedans, and 15.9 percent saying recreational vehicles (RVs). SUVs are most preferred by those who are in their 40s (22.7 percent), followed by RVs (20.0 percent), mid-sized sedans (19.8 percent), and large cars (15.2 percent). It shows that the older respondents are, the stronger their preferences for multi-purpose vehicles with large space becomes.
Choi Hyun-seok, head of the marketing division at SK Encar, said, “Consumer preferences for car types differ, since the purposes of buying cars or the types of fellow passengers are different for each age group.” The official added, “With the summer holiday season approaching, consumers with long-distance traveling in mind are expected to show much more interest in buying used cars.”
In the meantime, LIFEencar, an app released last July, provides services for recommending used-cars that meet the lifestyle criteria specified by users, including sex, age, residential areas, preferred vehicle types, budget, and engine types. Anyone can download the app for free on Google Play or the App Store.