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The car shopping landscape has changed radically over the last two years, but one thing has stayed the same – more new car shoppers consider buying a Toyota
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than any other brand. In the second quarter of 2021, 33% of nonluxury car shoppers had a Toyota on their list.
Kelley Blue Book’s quarterly Brand Watch report is a consumer perception survey that also weaves in consumer shopping behavior to determine how a brand or model stacks up with its segment competitors on a dozen factors key to consumers’ buying decisions. Kelley Blue Book has published second-quarter results for the nonluxury market.
Ford inching closer to Toyota
Toyota saw its position at the top of the list threatened in the second quarter. Fully 31% of shoppers considered a Ford
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(up from 29% in the first quarter). Chevrolet made the list at 27%.
See: These are the car brands with the most inventory
Short supplies of some popular models played a role in the results. A world-wide shortage of microchips has left automakers pausing production lines throughout 2021, limiting the supply of some cars consumers would love to buy. The Toyota RAV4, for instance, is a perennial entry among the bestselling vehicles in the U.S. Yet RAV4 consideration fell 15% in the second quarter when the model was in exceptionally short supply.
Subaru
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suffered the biggest drop in shopper consideration. Just 13% of shoppers considered a Subaru – a drop of 3 percentage points. Its Outback wagon and Forester SUV were among the 10 most considered cars, but both suffered supply problems during the quarter.
SUVs are still king
More shoppers — 64% — considered an SUV than any other type of vehicle. Passenger cars followed at 33%. But pickup truck consideration is beginning to recover, with 31% of shoppers entertaining the purchase of a truck, after falling to 29% at the beginning of 2021. Minivans brought up the rear, with 5% of shoppers considering a minivan.
Minivans, however, remain in heavy demand due to limited supplies. Dealers had a lower inventory of minivans than any other segment in the second quarter.
Also see: EV sales continue to gain ground
10 most considered models (includes ties):
1. Ford F-150
2. Chevy Silverado
3. Honda CR-V
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4. Toyota RAV4
5. Subaru Outback
6. Ford F-250/F-350 Super Duty
7. Honda Accord
7. Toyota Tacoma
9. Ford Explorer
9. Subaru Forester
9. Toyota Camry
This story originally ran on KBB.com.
