Nearly 70% of Vietnamese who joined a recent survey of carmaker Ford said fuel efficiency is more important than capacity when they decide to buy cars.

Ford Motor Company last week announced the survey of more than 9,500 drivers in 11 Asia Pacific countries, including 774 Vietnamese.

When asked about fuel efficiency, four in five Vietnamese respondents said they would choose fuel-efficient cars to save money. Other reasons are awareness of environmental protection (77%) and worry about high fuel prices (51%).

Up to 42% of people who currently own cars with large displacement engines said they regretted for not purchasing fuel-efficient versions.

The survey revealed that the need to save money is also reflected through the habit of fuel purchase and the way respondents drive. More than half said they would change the way of driving to consume less fuel, 42% said they plan to drive less over the next 12 months while 33% said they will use public transport more often.

By cutting fuel consumption by 20% a month, 60% of respondents said they can save more money for their other daily expenses. About 46% said they do not think fuel prices would stay stable over the next year.

The survey found as many as 53% admitted they do not carefully consider the operation costs of their cars, including those for fuel and vehicle maintenance, when buying new autos. Up to 32% said they should have purchased cars which are more expensive but more fuel efficient to save money in the long term.

People with plans to buy autos in the coming year said they will opt for vehicles that offer fuel economy, with 55% of them favoring fuel-efficient cars, 18% hybrid or electric cars and 14% smaller engine displacement cars.

However, 57% said they will weigh performance as an important factor when buying cars, and 58% of people in urban areas said they prefer cars with bigger capacities, compared to 46% in rural areas.

Saigon Times