Almost one in 10 motorists intends changing their car before July 2017, with more than 20 per cent planning a change before the end of the year, according to research carried out by AA Ireland.
More than 9 per cent of the over 7,000 respondents to an AA Motor Insurance survey stated they intend to change their car in the first half of the year. A further 13 per cent of those surveyed said they were likely to change their car before 2018 while the survey found that the majority of motorists are planning a longer wait before heading to the forecourt.
Almost a third of those surveyed (32.21 per cent) stated that would wait 1-2 years before changing their car, with more than a quarter (25.44 per cent) planning to retain their current car for 3-5 years.
"New car sales are very slightly down at the start of the year but that is not the full story," says director of consumer affairs Conor Faughnan. "The second-hand market is strong and there is a lot of interest in bringing cars in from the UK. The relative weakness of sterling is certainly being felt."
While the majority of motorists intend purchasing directly from a dealer when the time to change car comes, just 28 per cent of those surveyed stated that they intend buying a brand new car.
Over half of those surveyed stated they are would most likely buy a second-hand car from a dealer when they opt to replace their current vehicle, with some 7.5 per cent hoping to avoid a dealer and buy a secondhand car elsewhere. Meanwhile, it appears that the increase in vehicles being imported from the UK seen in 2016 is set to continue, with 8 per cent of respondents planning to purchase a UK car when they opt to make a change.
