According to new research, inflation is causing Americans to take better care of their current vehicle.<br /><br />A survey of 2,000 car owners revealed 73% of respondents have made a conscious decision to better maintain their car, due to rising vehicle costs.<br /><br />This was especially true for older respondents. While 60% of Gen Z said they’re making an active effort to better maintain their car, 75% of Gen X said the same.<br /><br />But regardless of age, car owners are considering the cost of a new vehicle as well as past maintenance mistakes (28%) when thinking about the products they choose for their cars.<br /><br />The survey, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Pennzoil, looked at the ways in which vehicle owners are taking better care of their cars — and how this connects to the products they’re buying.<br /><br />The respondents who rely on premium brand name recognition when shopping for products say premium brands work and perform better over time, compared to private-label products, and are more trustworthy than their private-label counterparts.<br /><br />Those purchasing private-label products may be having regrets.<br /><br />When asked which private-label products they most regret buying in the last month, private-label products for vehicle maintenance ranked in the top three, along with personal care items and cleaning products.<br /><br />This desire for brand name products was a consistent theme throughout the survey.<br />Respondents were shown a variety of categories and asked if they’d prefer to buy a brand name product over a private-label product in each category.<br /><br />Vehicle maintenance ranked second for most likely to buy brand names. In fact, Americans are significantly more likely to buy a brand name product (57%) to maintain their vehicle versus a private-label product (34%). <br /><br />Personal technology, like a laptop, (72%) took first place as the most likely brand name purchase. Other categories closely followed, such as small home appliances (55%) and personal care items (52%).<br /><br />The survey also asked people how maintenance is typically performed on their vehicles: Are they a “do-it-yourself” (DIY) consumer, or a “do-it-for-me” (DIFM) type?<br />Nearly 80% of consumers say they rely on someone else (DIFM) to do simple maintenance for them on their vehicle, with half of those preferring to hire a professional and 27% relying on a friend or family member to do it for them.<br />Twenty percent do their own maintenance, with over 40% of DIYers stating they enjoy maintaining their vehicle.<br /><br />For those who prefer to take their car to the shop, more than half (58%) said it’s because they don’t have the necessary knowledge to maintain it themselves.<br /><br />And the majority of “do-it-for-me” car owners (57%) also reported brand familiarity has an impact when making a purchasing decision. <br /><br />But regardless of whether they’re a DIYer or a DIFM consumer, two-thirds of the respondents (63%) said motor oil was one product they’re willing to invest more money into, to protect their car’s value over time.<br />
