In-car accessories buyers want most
The latest survey from Exchangeandmart.co.uk reveals that air conditioning is the most valued built-in vehicle feature, with 81% saying it’s essential. With so many added extras and built in features available for vehicles today, it’s important for buyers and sellers to know which ones add the most value.
When ExchangeandMart.co.uk asked customers to rate a range of features according to their importance, alarms and immobilisers came out on top with 67% saying it was extremely important and 21% saying they would prefer to have it. In contrast, 67% said a TV or DVD player for passengers isn’t important at all and 58% say the same about sub woofers. This offers sellers an important insight into what they need to highlight in their ad to draw the most interest.
Exchange and Mart has recently teamed up with CAP, the motor industry’s premier provider of used vehicle values, to provide accurate valuations to all buyers and sellers using the site.
CAP Managing Director Richard Whittles comments: “To get the most accurate valuation for a vehicle, you do need to list all accessories and add-on features, as they can often significantly alter the overall value. For example, alloy wheels can add several hundred pounds and leather even more, depending on the model. But other seemingly valuable extras might not add as much as you expect. That is why a directly relevant valuation for your specific car is so important. When placing an ad on ExchangeandMart.co.uk you can now quickly and easily carryout a CAP valuation check to make sure you list your car and all of its optional extras at a genuinely realistic and accurate price.”
After alarms, Sat Nav is the most important feature with 24% believing it is almost entirely necessary, and 44% preferring to have it. MP3 player kits also ranked highly, with 52% preferring to have one. Hands free mobile phone kits are important to 29%, while 50% would like to have speed camera detection.
“The used car market is picking up, making it a good time to sell, as people are looking for bargains,” says Michael Tang, Marketing Communications Manager at Exchange and Mart. “Our survey shows that motorists value practical features the most. When we asked respondents to name the essential items, air conditioning was the clear winner with 81% agreeing, followed by alarms and immobilisers with 68%. In contrast, TV/DVD players and sub woofers were only crucial to 9%.
“While someone who’s paid for an integrated television or boom box will highlight these add-ons in their car ad, they may overlook a feature such as air conditioning or the alarm system, but these are the ones that will sell the car to the widest audience. To make sure your ad appeals to the largest number of potential buyers you must shout about having the right features and accessories, and include pictures of items such as alloys. Also, remember to take added features into account when pricing your vehicle, rather than basing it on the most basic model.”
Top Five In-car features as Voted by ExchangeandMart.co.uk Users
Ranking Feature
1 Air conditioning
2 Alarms/immobilisers
3 Hands free kits
4 MP3 player kits
5 Parking sensors