There are all kinds of people out there.
Different personality types, the place in which we are raised, the family environment in which we grow up, and many other factors all have different effects on how we make decisions and see the world.
The purchase of a vehicle is one of those decisions, and everybody does it a little differently.
My wife and I are complete opposites when it comes to purchasing a vehicle. I won’t go into details of that right now, but we both fit into different categories of car buyers, just like everyone else.
So, to try and see where everybody falls, I’ve broken down a number of different types of car buyers, both for your information and hopefully, your enjoyment too.
The Uninformed Buyer:
The uninformed buyer category contains the most number of people. Another word for this type of car buyer would be the “Average Joe.”
Many don’t consider themselves uninformed simply because purchasing a vehicle is a large expense. Most want to get the most bang for their buck, plus a great deal to boot, and even the average buyer is going to do a little research into what is recommended.
As great as research is, it takes quite a bit more than “a little research” to determine every aspect of a good vehicle purchase, especially when it comes to used cars.
We have so much at our disposal today with Carfax, automotive publications, and even our local mechanics to help us out, which is a wonderful thing.
Knowing details about each specific model, knowing how a vehicle works, and not understanding the true short and long term costs of a specific vehicle all factor into what a true informed vehicle purchase actually is.
The Shrewd Purchaser:
The shrewd purchaser often does conduct more in-depth research about a specific potential purchase than the average Joe. These types of buyers are often patient, laid back, and sometimes even a little lucky.
They often take into account every little detail of a vehicle purchase, which often involves a five or ten year future plan for the vehicle in question.
Ownership costs, depreciation, trade-in value, and initial purchase price are all carefully calculated, and deals are often the norm. These buyers often have a plan even before a car purchase is necessary or imminent.
Many have a set number of vehicles on their radar and, as an example, will find the random weekend sales which combine higher trade-in values with $4000 off a specific model.
This is dying breed of buyer, especially since higher initial vehicle costs are forcing more people to purchase older, more affordable, higher mileage vehicles.
The “Just in Case” Buyer:
The “just in case” buyers can almost be filtered into two distinct categories with a few stragglers in between.
The first of two groups are older in age. They buy three row SUVs and minivans for the one time of year they might see their grandchildren and inevitably have to take them somewhere. Some in this group are younger buyers who don’t have any kids but are planning to have them “soon.”
The other main group is the majority of pickup truck and SUV buyers, many of which will never actually use the bed of the truck or the extra cargo space an SUV provides. At least, they won’t be using any more space which the trunk of a car or hatchback can provide for 364 days out of the year.
Of course, being prepared is a really good thing. It’s always great to be prepared for any situation, even if it is only for one or two days of the year.
“Just in case” buyers often leak into uninformed buyer category.
The Collector:
The Collector is a different breed of buyer. These buyers often know exactly what they want, are privy to the market as a whole, and are often born from the enthusiast buyer group.
The main difference between the collector and enthusiast buyer is that the collectors are usually much older and have the money to spend on vehicles they want.
Another big difference is that traditional car dealerships are not the only place where collectors buy their vehicles. At least, they won’t buy vehicles specifically for their collection from dealerships, more often than not.
The “Financially Conscious” Buyer:
The “financially conscious” buyer is a step below the shrewd purchaser. The main difference is that this type of buyer is less concerned with overall value and more concerned with low initial costs with the potential for the low initial costs to pay off in the long run.
The shrewd purchaser, for example, may be perfectly fine with buying a new vehicle for $30,000 with 0% APR Financing for five years. The “financially conscious” buyer might buy the same vehicle for $10,000 with 100,000 miles and 3.9% APR financing for 3 years.
The difference is pretty large, but as long as the used vehicle was well-kept, this type of buyer will have no issues, even though running and maintenance costs, plus financing, may end up costing five times as much as the new vehicle’s ownership costs. After all, $25,000 over five years of ownership is cheaper than $35,000 over five years of ownership at the end of the day.
The “As Long as it Runs” Buyer:
The “as long as it runs” buyer is a step below the “financially conscious” buyer.
A Craigslist $300 Honda Civic with 420,000 miles which runs is so much better than the $3000 Honda Civic with 150,000 miles which runs much better. And, why wouldn’t it be?!? It runs!
Spending at least ten times more than the actual value of the cheaper vehicle to perform a full engine and transmission rebuild is the mark of a truly great purchase.
The Brand Loyalist:
We all know this type of buyer…
It’s the type of buyer who will get into a heated “discussion” about how his or her Ford is better than the neighbor’s Chevy.
This is the person who will shop exclusively at a specific dealership, because they have the brand that has gotten them through the past 30 years of driving, and they aren’t about to switch now.
Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevrolet, BMW, and Jeep typically have the most brand loyalist buyers.
The Family Man:
The family man has three priorities: Space, value, and reliability. All three are vital to the daily transport of a spouse and two to five children.
Minivans are always a good choice here, and three row SUV are, of course, becoming more of a go-to.
A midsize three row SUV will do just fine for a smaller family of four. Examples include the Toyota Highlander, Kia Sorento, Honda Pilot, and Subaru Ascent.
Larger three row SUVs such as the Chevrolet Suburban, Ford Expedition, and Toyota Sequoia are usually reserved for those who have more than two children.
Minivans, though not as popular as they once were, are the underdog nowadays but still remain valuable.
The Truck Guy:
The truck guy is another type of buyer who is almost universally recognized.
The Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tundra, and even the Toyota Tacoma are not always welcomed as viable purchase options by the truck guy, but provisions can usually be made in the form of lift kits, off-road lighting, exhaust system, and a trailer hitch to bring these vehicles to an acceptable standard.
Most truck guys prefer the classics such as the Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, and RAM. The most hardcore truck guys will go for the diesels, making everyone else aware of the fact that they have made it.
The Honda Ridgeline is never an acceptable option for the traditional truck guy.
The Enthusiast:
The enthusiast is an interesting buyer. They function within a wide range, starting just outside the “as long as it runs” buyer and stopping where the collector picks up.
There is generally no room for minivans, and trucks are fair game as long as modifications are on the table. Family sedans are acceptable but only within certain “car guy” parameters.
Many enthusiasts leave little room for financial flexibility. Some will briefly function as the “financially conscious” buyer, purchase a vehicle at a much cheaper price than their budget allows, then spend the rest of their budget fixing and modifying whatever needs to be fixed and modified themselves.
If they don’t do that, you bet the enthusiast will buy the most amount of car the budget will allow with the knowledge that it will break next week and cost more than the car itself to repair.
A small amount of enthusiast will be able to purchase a third or even a fourth vehicle but will usually rotate vehicles often enough to avoid the collector label.
Almost all enthusiasts know what vehicle they want when they walk on the lot.
The Un-Car Buyer:
The un-car buyer is the type of buyer who is almost constantly looking but never fully committing to one particular vehicle.
As a consequence, the un-buyer is always aware of each dealership’s inventory, but will never really seriously consider buying a car, even if they visit the lot and inform the salesperson that they are in the market.
Eventually, the un-car buyer will usually become an uninformed buyer, a “financially conscious” buyer, a shrewd purchaser, or a family man, but only after a minimum of five years of deep thought and contemplation.
Most people fall into one or several of these types of car buyers. Of course, there are arguments to be made that there are more than just the aforementioned types of buyers, but that will be for you to work out.
So what do you think?
Under which type of buyer category do you fit?
Let us know in the comments below!
