How the crisis changed car buyers' behaviour

Sales of cars (new and used ones) slipped by a mere 30% in 2010 from 2007, the boom year of the domestic car market, with the cheap used cars imported from abroad offsetting the over 70% declining sales of new cars.
Thus, in 2010, almost 310,000 new and used cars were registered in Romania, from 436,000 in 2007, with the market structure being of 30% new cars and 70% used cars, exactly the opposite situation against three years ago, according to a ZF analysis.
The second big difference between the market of 2007 and that of 2010 is the dwindling weight of diesel cars to petrol ones. In the year when the car market got to over 315,000 units, diesel vehicles held almost 44% in sales, as clients afforded ever more expensive cars. Against the overall volume, sales of diesel cars have fallen by almost 75% in the past three years, from 138,000 units in 2007 to less than 35,000 cars in 2010.
“(…) The same trend will be seen this year, too, as carmakers are launching ever smaller, more powerful and more fuel-efficient petrol engines,” said Nicolae Sorescu, head of the car unit of Rădăcini group.