Auto Trends

24 h “Endurance car kissing”, originally uploaded by toiouvrant

Where is the Love?
This is a big question being asked right now. On the one hand, part of the slow down of vehicle sales in undoubtedly the economy, which will one day come back. On another hand, part of the lack of sales is also rumored to have something to do with the gradual decline in the joy of owning and driving a vehicle. It is just not quite as fun as it used to be. There are more rules, more traffic, more cops, less freedom, and less wide open road.

In 2006, a Pew Social Trend survey was conducted, looking at the level of interest American’s continue to have with the automobile. What was found when this information was cross referenced with a similar poll back in 1991, was a very obvious decline in genuine infatuation.

For instance, in 1991, 79 percent of drivers actually reported they enjoyed taking their vehicle out for a spin, with 29 percent exclaiming they liked it quite a bit. In 2006, only 69 percent of those surveyed expressed a true enjoyment with driving, with only 20 percent stating it was something really special.

In 1991, the survey group was asked if they treated their vehicle as if it was something extraordinary, to which 43 percent responded with an ecstatic, yes! Move ahead some 15 years to 2006, ask the same question, and only 23 percent of the responder answered yes with the same rapturous enthusiasm.

It’s hard to Love, What Doesn’t Love you Back
Part of this decreased love affair with the automobile might be due to the increased time American’s spend in traffic jams. From 1991 to 2003, American increased their time spent in bumper to bumper traffic by as much as 56 percent. That is going from approximately 16 hours of sitting in traffic over a years time, to spending more than 25 hours.

We eat in our vehicle, take phone calls, have meetings, not to mention a few other unmentionables we are probably doing in there as well. All this would seem to have taken its toll. Add this to the huge financial loss that goes into the purchase of a new vehicle (purchase for $53,000, drive off the lot and it becomes worth $33,000), and it is easy to see why the love affair is perhaps fading a bit.

A recent Wall Street Journal article looked at the story of one particular car enthusiast who used to love to purchase brand new vehicles. He was known throughout the dealerships to purchase at least three to eight new vehicles every year. Now suddenly for the past 14 months he has found that the desire is no longer there. It isn’t that he doesn’t see vehicles that he would like to purchase, but rather the urge is not strong enough to actually go beyond the “just looking” stage.

One thing is for sure, and that is people are starting to hold onto their vehicles longer, rather than trade them off every few years. Perhaps this will help spur some of those lost loving feelings. Or perhaps people are just preparing themselves for the inevitable future, which could very well mean the end of driving as we know it (More Automation + More Restriction = Less Freedom & Enjoyment).