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Car Shoppers Rate Quality as Most Important Factor, According to CarMax Survey


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RICHMOND, Va.--According to a recent telephone survey conducted for CarMax, Inc. , the nation's largest retailer of used cars, more Americans say quality is the factor that most influences their car buying decision.

More than a third of Americans who have purchased a vehicle say quality has the greatest influence on their car buying decision, followed by price and safety, in that order. Men and women chose quality as their top factor individually too; women with 34 percent and men with 43 percent. Environmental or green factors were only six percent.

Women surveyed online last year responded differently. Last year, when asked the question, "Which of the following: price, reliability, fuel efficiency, safety, space, convenience options, would be most important to you when choosing what car to buy?" women chose price over reliability.

"We want consumers to get the most for their money, and buying a used vehicle is a great way to get more car for less,�?? said Rod Baker, Phoenix region vice president of service operations. "It's why we put our cars through a rigorous Certified Quality Inspection, checking more than 125-points to meet our high-quality standards."

The following are the results of the recent poll that asked adults: "Which of the following factors most influences your car-buying decision?"

Responses Percent
Quality 37%
Price 28%
Safety 22%
Environmental or green factors 6%
Resale value 4%

The survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of CarMax. The national, random sample consisted of more than 1,000 U.S. adults who were interviewed by telephone during August 19 – August 22, 2010. Of those surveyed, 3 percent had no response.

Consumers can search thousands of quality used cars on carmax.com or visit their local CarMax store to browse a large selection of vehicles. Each vehicle is reconditioned, goes through a more than 125-point inspection for quality and comes with a free online Vehicle History Report. Consumers can search vehicles from 30 top brands by fuel economy and features, read customer reviews, review reliability ratings by J.D. Power and Associates and obtain safety ratings by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, all on carmax.com. All vehicles come with a five-day, money-back guarantee and a limited 30-day warranty (60-day in Conn.).

About CarMax

CarMax, a FORTUNE 500 company, and one of the FORTUNE 2010 “100 Best Companies to Work For,�?? is the nation’s largest retailer of used cars. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., we currently operate 103 used car superstores in 49 markets. The CarMax consumer offer is structured around four customer benefits: low, no-haggle prices; a broad selection; high quality vehicles; and customer-friendly service. During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2010, the company retailed 357,129 used vehicles and sold 197,382 wholesale vehicles at our in-store auctions. For more information, access the CarMax website at www.carmax.com.