CINCINNATI—A new study shows that Democrats and Republicans are–surprise–split on how the presidential election will impact their car-buying habits.
The survey, comprised of a greater number of Republicans than Democrats, also shows that more drivers are voting for Donald Trump.
Most Democrats in the survey said the election outcome would have no bearing on when they shop for their next car. However, a quarter of Republicans (25%) said it could.
Swapalease.com released results of its 2016 Election & Cars survey, revealing interesting differences in how the two parties view the automotive market.
Swapalease.com presented the online survey in front of 2,500 drivers across the U.S. during September. Of those, approximately 41% said they are registered Republicans, 27% Democrats. While 68% were male (32% female), the majority of survey-takers (39%) said they were planning to vote for Trump (36% for Hillary Clinton).
When asked which vehicle matches their personality type, most Democrats (and also women) named Tesla; most Republicans (and also men) named a Chevrolet Corvette.
When asked how long they typically keep their cars, both Republicans and Democrats said between 21-36 months. However, when filtered between genders, most women said longer than five years (32%); and most men said between 21-36 months (34%).
The majority of Democrat drivers (60%) said they’re most worried about high repair and/or maintenance costs when it comes to their car. Most Republican drivers (58%) cited escalating costs of cars and trucks as their biggest concern.
The majority of both Republican and Democrat drivers both said Volkswagen should be ashamed of itself over the emissions scandal. However, nearly two-to-one, Democrats said they will never get another Volkswagen again; whereas more than twice as many Republicans said they wouldn’t want to fix the car’s issue. Interestingly, when analyzed by gender, most men (42%) said Volkswagen should be ashamed of itself. Most women (36%) weren’t aware of any scandal associated with the brand.