Have the changes in gas prices made an impact on car buyers decisions?

By comparison (according to USA Today) in 2012…65% of who bought considered gas-powered models and 35% were interested in a hybrid. James Mulcrone, Director of Research Services for Maritz-CX says, “this is a consequence of what we’re seeing with low fuel prices. Consideration for them has done down.”

And that was obvious from certain models. Sales data tracker (Autodata) reported that sales of the Camry Hybrid were down 34.2% during the first three months of the year compared to the same quarter a year ago. Prius was down 20.2% and Honda Civic Hybrid sales fell 54.3%.

Despite buyers shifting preferences, USA Today says many of the top reasons for purchase remain the same. Last year, buyers said “value for the money” was their top issue, followed by quality, price, reliability and styling. Gas mileage was still high on the list, the survey found.