Diesel chosen over hybrids as the alternative to gas-powered cars. CarGurus survey asks - what kind of car will you buy next?

46% of survey respondents chose alternative-fuel (non-gas) cars
Diesels (19% of respondents) outpace hybrids (14%) as the preferred alternative-fuel car.

Cambridge, MA – Sept. 27, 2008 - CarGurus (www.cargurus.com), a leading online automotive community, today announced the results of its survey of more than 4,200 automotive consumers worldwide. Forty-six percent of respondents said they plan to purchase an alternative-fuel car (hybrid, electric, diesel, or hydrogen) as their next car purchase. A greater percentage of consumers stated a preference for diesels (19%) than hybrid cars (14%).

Gasoline still the leader - but not by much

When asked what kind of car they intend to purchase next, 54% of respondents chose a gasoline car as their next purchase. A total of 46% of respondents stated a preference for a car other than gasoline only. In addition to diesels (19% of respondents) and hybrids (14%), 13% of respondents stated a preference for more cutting edge power sources – electric (6%) and hydrogen (7%).

Clean diesel – coming of age

"With the advent of clean diesels, consumers can now enjoy great gas mileage and not have to compromise on performance and comfort," remarked Langley Steinert, CEO/co-founder of CarGurus. "Take, for example, the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta Turbo diesel (TDI), which gets mileage figures not too far off those of the Toyota Prius (38 city/44 highway for the Jetta TDI vs. 48 city/45 highway for the Prius). For the same price as the Prius (about $22k MSRP), you get substantially better performance due to the higher torque of a diesel engine. In fact, you get about three times the amount of torque with a Jetta TDI – 236 lb-ft compared to only 82 lb-ft for the Prius. These are not your father’s diesels. They are quiet, smooth, and much cleaner than the old diesels we all remember."

Survey Results

Across the CarGurus Network, 4,200 respondents answered the question: What kind of car are you going to buy next? Respondents answered as follows:

About CarGurus LLC

Located in Harvard Square, Cambridge MA, CarGurus LLC is an online automotive community founded by Langley Steinert, formerly Chairman and co-founder TripAdvisor LLC. CarGurus' founders, board, and investors bring a wealth of experience from such leading web companies as TripAdvisor, eBay, Expedia, and Yahoo. For more information about CarGurus visit us at www.cargurus.com.