One-third of Canadians unhappy with car purchase: survey

Have you ever had car buyer’s remorse?

A survey by Angus Reid conducted for AutoTrader.ca found 33 per cent of Canadians have regrets after buying a new vehicle.

The poll, which was conducted across Canada, asked car purchasers about their opinions on the vehicle-buying process and their buying preferences.

A majority of respondents, 66 per cent, were happy about their car purchase.

Thirty-one per cent of those polled said that they paid too much for their vehicle, while 19 per cent said the vehicle did not meet their expectations.

Some of those polled said they wished they had shopped around more, spent more time researching their driving habits, and compiled a detailed list of vehicle expenses.

“Considering that more than 1.7 million cars were purchased in 2013, if one third of those buyers walked away less than perfectly happy about their purchase, that’s over half a million drivers who would have done things differently,” Ian MacDonald, the director of marketing at AutoTrader.ca, said in a release Tuesday.

One driver told 680News said she loves her SUV, but regretted not factoring into how far she has to go to get to the dealership for warranty work.

“Except for servicing — I had to drive all the way across the city. I guess I am now more interested in watching my time and seeing how long does it take to get them serviced,” she said.

Another driver said a car buyer can avoid a lot of regret by spending some quality time behind the wheel and getting a feel for that new vehicle before buying it.

“People go in [and] buy a car on looks alone … if they do take it on a test drive, they just go around the block,” he said.

One driver told 680News he not only researched his new vehicle online, read reviews and compared prices, he took his stroller and luggage to the dealership to make sure they would fit.

The poll surveyed 1,508 Canadians from Jan. 22 to Jan. 23.

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