KBB survey finds diesels are on the minds of more buyers

Increasingly stringent corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) requirements have moved more and more automakers to consider adding diesel alternatives to their corporate lineups. The latest research by Kelley Blue Book indicates that a certain portion of the buying public is also becoming more inclined than ever before to select one of these clean turbo-diesel models to be their personal rides — but only if the right vehicle were available.

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To be fair, the Consumer Sentiment Survey group of both new and used vehicle intenders still favored vehicles with gasoline engines on the whole. In the case of passenger cars and SUVs, an overwhelming 80 percent of respondents said they still had no intention of defecting to diesel country. However, that margin dropped to a razor thin 51 percent of would-be truck purchasers. Among those who did admit diesel ownership might be in their future, 56 percent of potential car/SUV buyers said they would consider a diesel-powered version of their chosen model if one was available, while 36 percent of truck buyers voiced a parallel opinion.

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Both car and truck shoppers were in agreement on one key item: The main reason preventing consideration of any diesel-powered vehicle was the relatively high perceived price of fuel. Some 48 percent of those pondering a car/SUV cited that factor while it headed the "no-way" list for 62 percent of truck intenders. Rounding out the top three would-not-consider reasons for car/SUV respondents were the lack of an acceptable brand or make of vehicle (35 percent) and excessive engine noise (24 percent). On the truck side, those same two rationales appeared in reverse order, garnering 24 percent and 23 percent poll numbers, respectively.