New Zealand drivers are beginning to think big again, with the latest sales figures from Turners Auctions showing an increased enthusiasm for larger cars.The auction company has seen the amount buyers were willing to pay for cars in the 3.0 litres plus ca
New Zealand drivers are beginning to think big again, with the latest sales figures from Turners Auctions showing an increased enthusiasm for larger cars.
The auction company has seen the amount buyers were willing to pay for cars in the 3.0 litres plus category increase for the second quarter in a row to reach a two-year high of $13,434.
Turners spokesman Todd Hunter said the last report showed an increase of $4000 from the second quarter of last year to around $12,000 by the third quarter.
“Since then, the average price for a large car has gone up by another $1,400, highlighting that consumers are continuing to buck the trend of cautiousness.”
The auction house has credited the drive toward more power under the hood to relatively stable petrol prices and Mr Hunter said it was also partly due to market conditions, with large cars under-supplied for much of 2009.
Predictably, the interest in larger cars has been at the expense of more compact models, with demand for cars less than 2.1 litres falling for the third consecutive quarter, although they are still the most popular category.
While cars in this category made up 60.3% of total sales during the second quarter, they now account for 57.7%.
Other figures released by Turners showed that the Subaru Legacy has dropped off in popularity, with the model falling from its normal spot in the top three brands of second hand car sales for the first time in two years and replaced by the Toyota Hiace.
Turners said this reflected an increase in trade vehicles on the market, although the Holden Commodore and Toyota Corolla remain the most popular two makes and models.
Sales of diesel-fuelled vehicles have also risen 1.6 % to 11.7%, while petrol has dropped 1% to 88.1%.
