While older buyers who purchase domestic vehicles are more likely to avoid purchasing certain models because they are imports, younger consumers who purchase import vehicles are more likely to avoid models because they are of domestic origin, according to the recently released J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Avoider Study. The study, now in its fifth year, examines the reasons consumers fail to consider particular models when shopping for a new vehicle, and finds that pro-domestic and pro-import purchase sentiment is strongly tied to the buyer's age. Among import buyers for example, the younger the person is, the more likely they are to avoid models because they are of domestic origin. The study also finds that the North Central region of the United States contains the highest proportion (41%) of domestic vehicle buyers who do not consider import brands during the shopping process. Vehicle styling and cost are the two most frequently reported reasons that consumers give for avoiding import brands. Conversely, the Northeast and the West regions contain the highest proportions of buyers of import vehicles who say they avoid specific models because they are domestic in origin. The most frequently cited reasons given for avoiding a domestic brand are concerns about reliability, poor quality and depreciation. A greater proportion of these import buyers also mention poor gas mileage as a reason for avoiding domestic models.
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