Do we really know which vehicle attributes are important for customers?

The automotive industry is facing multiple challenges. Moving towards more environmentally friendly vehicles, new models of vehicle ownership, and associated changes in consumers' expectations and attitudes are amongst the most significant ones. Understanding how these trends are affecting customers' expectations is fundamental for attracting and retaining consumers. Although researchers have explored automotive purchase factors for many years, there appears to be little agreement regarding the relative importance of these factors, and often incomplete and contradicting findings are observed. This paper reports preliminary findings from two studies designed to better understand vehicle attributes influencing customers' purchase decisions and satisfaction. The first study consisted of a review of sources to develop a comprehensive overview of relevant and clearly defined vehicle attributes describing the automotive product. The resulting list was applied in a second study to evaluate in an automotive context the idea that the importance of product attributes varies throughout the customer journey. Results indicated that the relative importance of vehicle attributes dramatically differed depending on the stage within the customer journey. The findings are discussed in the context of managing the product evaluation and development process.