62% of 4x4 drivers NEVER get their off roader dirty
Added: (Thu Oct 25 2001)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
For release 26 October 2001
62% of urban 4x4 drivers never
get their off road vehicle dirty
Summary:
Research into the driving habits of British 4x4 owners shows a massive 65% of 4x4 owners never go off road driving. The most common use of vehicles like the BMW X5 owned by Victoria Beckham is for short urban drives including trips to the shops.
UK drivers own seven times more 4x4 vehicles than we did ten years ago. For today’s 4x4 owner, safety for the family (45%) and extra storage (35%) are the main prompts for investing in a 4x4.
Almost three in ten owners (27%) confessed they bought their 4x4 vehicle to make themselves look good, which might also explain why 40% admit that having a really dirty vehicle caused by driving off road would embarrass them. A quarter of 4x4 drivers told Fish4cars they were more likely to go for a bungee jump than drive off road.
Fish4cars publisher Russell Scott said:
“November is when many motorist decide to buy a new or used 4x4. They are large, comfortable cars ideal for all weather conditions including rain, ice and snow. Fish4cars has 25,000 searches for cars every day and we have already seen a 30% increase in searches for 4x4 vehicles. Quality pre-owned 4x4s are becoming more affordable, for example you can buy a 1998 Landrover Freelander with power steering, electric sunroof and hill descent control for as little as £11,995. Drivers are looking for a combination of security and space, so it’s no wonder that the 4x4 is becoming a family car of choice.
“For the few who are brave enough to take the plunge, a lot of the fun of owning a 4x4 comes from using it to its full potential – taking it up hills, off road and enjoying it in its natural environment.”
Rich and famous members of the 4x4 club include The Queen (Range Rover), Jude Law (Mercedes M class) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Hummer).
You can join the 4x4 club by logging on to www.fish4cars.co.uk
Best Buy “Keep it Clean” 4x4s
1. Toyota Rav4
2. Land Rover Freelander
3. Honda HR-V
4. Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin
5. Suzuki Grand Vitara
Best Buy ‘Get it Dirty’ 4x4s
1. Land Rover Discovery
2. Range Rover
3. BMW X5
4. Toyota Amazon
5. Jeep Grand Cherokee
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
About Fish4cars:
Fish4cars.co.uk carries 147,000 used vehicles (including cars, motorbikes, caravans, vans, trucks and boats) making it the largest web site of its kind in the UK. Users simply enter what type of car they are looking for in terms of price, size, fuel, economy and transmission. The ‘Fish4 Me’ option enables users to register their details so that information on relevant vehicles can be emailed to them every day for a week.
Fish4cars also features helpful information and related services including road tests, new car specifications, new car prices, best sellers, new and used car dealer listings, and online quotes for insurance, finance and warranties from leading brands.
People who are selling as well as buying can register their vehicle on the site for a fee of £5 for two weeks.
For further information please contact:
Dave Ward Daisy Turville-Petre
Fish4.co.uk Cow Communications
Tel: 020 8600 7065 Tel: 020 7360 6063
Email: dave.ward@fish4.co.uk Email: daisy.tp@cowpr.com
Summary of results
Fish4 researchers carried out in depth face-to-face interviews with 250 UK 4x4 owners.
Do you ever get this car really dirty?
%
Never 62
Once every six months 19
4-12 times a year 7
More than once a month 12
Do you ever go off-road driving?
%
Never 65%
Once every six months 23%
4-12 times a year 2%
More than once a month 9%
Do you ever engage in 4x4 mode?
%
Yes 58%
No 42%
What do you use the car most for?
%
Short drives (eg school run, shopping) 49%
Commuting 33%
Weekend driving 19%
Long distance driving 14%
Off-road driving 9%
Other 10%
Why did you choose to buy this car? (note more than one answer was possible)
%
It’s safer for me / my family 45%
Storage 36%
Status 27%
Because it’s a 4 wheel drive 16%
I like to be able to see over traffic 14%
Other 12%
Which of the following statements do you agree with? (note more than one answer was possible)
%
Driving a really dirty car embarrasses me 38%
I’m more likely to go bungee jumping than off-road 25%
I’d like to go off-road but never find the time 20%
I don’t have a clue about how to put my car into four wheel drive 13%
I don’t know what off-road driving is 7%