New Car Demographics

New Cars are targeted to a range of demographics however car companies seem to be driving a couple of demographics away from the market.

You used to be able to purchase a car and still have a smallish car with a large boot space; you could purchase a station wagon for a little more space, however now you are alienating the older market who want small cars with a large boot to carry a walker or wheelchair. Some people look after grandchildren and still want a small car however now the market is very limited.  People want SUV’s as they are higher and easier to get in and out of, which isn’t always the case in question.  Some people have knee injuries that struggle to lift their legs in and out of the car, or others have a wheelchair to fit into the car however some wheelchairs weigh 20kgs and have to be lifted high to get in and out, which isn’t always easy and practical, especially when you have someone parked right up on top of you and you have to try and slip in between the two cars and place the wheelchair in the boot space.  Not all wheelchairs have removable wheels and even if they do you don’t always remove the wheels especially if you are going to need the wheelchair soon.  Often it is bad enough that you have to remove the footplates to fit the wheelchair into the boot space.

I am one that often has three adults in the car and the possibility of a dog and you certainly cannot place the seats forward when someone is sitting in the back to accommodate a wheelchair. However when looking for a new vehicle and I will open the boot and say that is not possible some sales people will then say oh you can move the seat forward like it is so simple, however then I have to say no well actually not when someone is sitting there and the looks on their faces are like you have an answer for everything, when in fact you are actually the one who has thought one step ahead of them.

It would be great if cars were designed to fit a wheelchair or walker into the boot space. As people are ageing these things should be considered to better accommodate for wheelchairs and walkers.  Even small SUV’s are often too small to accommodate a wheelchair or walker pushing up the price bracket for purchasing a vehicle and often the larger SUV’s are not what is wanted or needed by people in this age group.

I however do not fit into this age group however as a carer and someone who likes a small car for economical purposes, would have loved to be able to go and purchase a new small low budget car for myself. I however am not as worried about the size of purchasing a new vehicle I would in fact love a large vehicle however cannot justify the cost for the amount of use the vehicle would be getting used for, especially when going somewhere and finding that parking spaces are actually getting smaller, meanwhile vehicles are getting bigger and higher.  However have found that purchasing a car that is suitable and is available on the market, not advertised as being available however ringing around the dealerships being told they haven’t been around for months or are a rare car and they are unable to get stock in isn’t what you want to hear.

So start thinking about your market and the lower end of the market not forcing people into vehicles that are too large for them to handle and within budgets. I know that some car dealers want to push finance arrangements onto people and not interested in people who can actually afford and have saved for this large purchase, as they are not making as much money on them.

People shouldn’t be treated differently however they wish to purchase a vehicle, however the credibility of some dealerships should be looked into as they are complaining that they are not getting customers buying should take a long hard look at themselves, as well as if potential customers ask for a test drive and a car brought out to their homes they shouldn’t be objecting to this as people may not feel comfortable and nervous in an unfamiliar vehicle and not within the area that they know well.

I in hindsight should have become a person who reviews new cars and can look at the vehicles from a perspective of a carer, and how accessible vehicles are for people with disabilities and also from the prospective of how ease of use the vehicle is and accessible when accommodating items like wheelchairs and walkers.