Are Wheels really THAT important to the sale of a vehicle?

In survey after survey a vehicle’s appearance is a key part of  the purchase decision process.  Therefore, common sense dictates since wheels are approximately 20% of the side view of a car, they must be pretty important.  Last week we published research results that indicated 98% of Audi Enthusiasts felt wheels were at least somewhat important in the buying decision.  But if wheels are so important, why do dealers line their inventory up side-by-side so you can’t see them?  And why does it seem like almost half the vehicles on the road today have steel wheels with wheel covers, the lowest of the low⁽¹⁾?  There just doesn’t seem to be a clear answer, but I’ll let you in on a little secret, the correct answer to the question “Are Wheels really THAT important to the sale of a vehicle?” is ………..   

SOMETIMES!  

Arrgh!  I know what you are thinking, what a total cop-out.  You’d think after more than 20 consumer clinics and surveys developed independently and with firms like JD Powers and AutoPacific⁽²⁾ we’d have a more definitive answer.  And actually we do, we just tend to look at the issue a bit differently.  When you read “SOMETIMES” above, I am willing to bet your initial response was “Duh! On some vehicles it’s really important and on others it’s not”.  That logic is justified when you consider some vehicles sell just fine with very basic wheels.  Our research however, indicates the ‘sometimes” does not relate to specific vehicles, but to specific people.   

Cincinnati Ohio 2008 Market Research

 Since we first asked the question in 2002, survey results have been fairly standard.  With very few exceptions 3 out of 4 people indicate that wheels are somewhat or very important considerations when purchasing a new car⁽³⁾.  The 98% figure in our recent research with Audi Enthusiasts is the highest we’ve ever seen.  On the other end of the spectrum some research we did in Cincinnati showed 13% didn’t care at all, the most negative response we’ve ever seen.  But to date we have been unable to translate the thousands of hours in research into an easy to demonstrate rule.  For example, think that the higher the income, the more important the wheels are?  Guess again.  So perhaps the real questions should be “When are wheels important to the sale of a vehicle and to who?” 

In general wheel importance is higher for buyers of import brands than domestics, and slightly higher in males than females.  But in truth these differences are so minor they can almost be contained in the margin of error.  What we haven’t seen in our research are major differences based on any typical demographic breakdown, neither income, education nor age.  Minor differences, yes, but not major.  Kind of flies in the face of common sense, doesn’t it?  The customers who are passionate about their wheels and want something special span the entire marketplace, from small economy cars to crossovers to heavy duty trucks.  In a few weeks we are going to explore this topic in much more depth.  But for now lets summarize………………

Chrysler 300 Concept in Iridium Chrome

So what does it all mean?  At the end of the day, wheels are important to a wide range of people across all demographics and income levels. Ignore this market opportunity to sell at your own peril.  Developing a new subcompact aimed at younger first-time car buyers and limiting yourself to a couple of basic wheel designs?  You’ll probably send a percentage of your prospective buyers straight to an aftermarket wheel dealer (= lost revenue opportunity).  Or worse, they may purchase your competitor that offers a nice premium wheel for a similarly nice upcharge (= lost sale and profit).  And the same goes for dealerships.  Find a couple of vehicles with the most attractive wheels you can find (either OE or aftermarket) and place them in a visible location.  A great article describing a dealer’s success with aftermarket wheels can be found here⁽⁴⁾ .

One last note, Chromtec now has a twitter feed.  Follow us as we visit dealerships around the country to see what is selling and what works.  We will also have exclusive tweets from the various auto shows and other breaking news as it happens in the world of wheels.

NEXT WEEK! Time to have some fun.  “Hot alloy chrome wheels have a lot more to offer than being chick magnets”  Folks, I cannot make this stuff up!  Its time to look at the world wide web and see what is happening in the world of wheels.

(1) Before that comment (“lowest of the low”) generates hate mail from the steel wheel industry (some of which are our friends), let me clarify that typically no one buys a steel wheel because it looks good.  Don’t believe me?  Just ask the aftermarket wheel industry how many they sell.  However, we have plenty of research that shows some people prefer steel wheels because of the way they perform.  And the truth of the matter is a steel wheel with a wheel cover may not be the lowest of the low, a steel wheel without a wheel cover is probably lower. 

(2) http://businesscenter.jdpower.com  http://www.autopacific.com

(3) Results of our Market Research are available upon request.  Over 20 reports cover wheels, grilles, bumpers and interior trim and can be filtered to your specifications based on demographic requirements.  Or we can develop and implement a survey tailored to your specific needs.

(4) Ciener-Woods’ success is customized by Alice Maddox, Automotive News