New research from AA Cars has shown that Brits are keeping hold of their vehicles for longer even if they become unreliable, while many also show a more sentimental side.
A fifth (20%) of UK drivers say they’ve given their car a name. Even though younger drivers aged 18-24 are more likely to christen their motors (47%), older motorists have gone a little misty-eyed too with 22% of 45-54 year olds having named their motors.
The AA-Populus poll, which surveyed over 20,000 drivers, also found that a fifth (21%) of drivers count their motors as one of the most important things in their lives. A sizeable six in 10 (63%) also say they’d be lost without their car.
UK drivers, particularly younger motorists, seem to have trouble letting go of their cars – over a quarter (26%) of 18-24 year olds have bought into the ‘don’t move, improve’ mentality and have spent more money repairing a car than they paid for it originally.
This attachment to their beloved motors sometimes seems to border on the detrimental – one in 10 (7%) drivers have admitted to hanging onto their cars even though they’ve repeatedly broken down in the past.
For some, cars even take centre stage in their personal lives with 5% of Brits admitting that they’ve spent more time in their cars than with their partners.
Simon Benson of AA Cars, says: “Whether it’s giving their car a name, personalising the number plate or even holding onto that beloved banger through multiple breakdowns, UK motorists go notoriously misty-eyed when it comes to their cars.
“Even as the car buying market starts to shift away from decade-long ownership towards upgrading after shorter terms, sentimentality still seems to play a part in dictating how long Brits hold onto their motors.”
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