Consumer Reports National Research Center

Consumer Reports

Fuel Economy Poll 

November 2011

CU Project #2012. 51

Final Report
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Methodology

z Telephone surveys utilizing a random probability sample of telephone households we

among 1,008 adults to assess their behaviors and attitudes regarding fuel economy.

9 Additionally, an augment of 438 California adult residents were surveyed to ass

behaviors and attitudes regarding California specific fuel economy policies.

z Interviewing took place over October 28- October 31, 2011.

9 California resident interviewing was conducted October 27- November 7, 2011

z The questionnaire was fielded via Opinion Research Corporation’s Caravan twice-we

telephone omnibus survey. 

9 ORC used a probability sample of telephone households to achieve a nationally 

probability sample and weighted completed interviews by age, sex, geographic 

z The results of this study are intended for external communications. Methodology stat

release:

9 The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a telephone surve

representative probability sample of telephone households. 1,008 interviews we

among adults aged 18+. Interviewing took place over October 28- October 31, 2

Ö The margin of error is +/- 3.1% points at a 95% confidence level.
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Household Car Ownership

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEa

Unweighted Base--> (1,008) (513) (495) (95) (326) (574) (401) (277) (160) (18

% % % % % % % % % % 

Yes 84 85 83 81 86 84 74 91 95 80 No 16 15 17 19 14 16 26 9 5 20 

K1 - Does your household own one or more cars?

GENDER AGE INCOME 

z Consistent with our findings in April 2011, most (84%) consumers indicate that they cu

households with at least one vehicle.

9 As would be expected those with higher income levels are more likely to live in a 

at least one vehicle.

9 Those who live in the West region are significantly more likely to live in a househo

one vehicle.
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Type of Vehicle Driven Most Often

z Sedans (24%) and small cars (19%) are the most popular types of cars driven. Small c

especially prominent among:

9 Age 18-34 and Age 55+ 9 HH income < $40k

z Over one quarter (26%) of consumers drive an SUV most often, particularly:

9 Women9 Age 35-549 HH income >$75k

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South Wes

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) (207

% % % % % % % % % % % % % 

Sedan 24 25 23 23 22 27 25 24 25 24 27 22 26 Small car 19 15 23 29 12 19 25 15 11 16 17 23 16 

Pickup 13 17 9 5 14 18 14 16 8 7 15 14 14 Small SUV 9 6 13 10 10 8 6 7 14 11 10 11 6 Midsize SUV 9 7 11 5 13 8 6 10 17 10 8 8 12 Minivan 9 11 8 6 12 8 11 9 7 13 8 7 11 Large SUV 7 7 7 9 7 6 5 7 8 8 5 8 5 Sporty car 4 5 3 10 2 3 3 7 2 7 5 1 5 Wagon 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 3 2 2 3 1 Convertible 1 2 1 1 3 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 2 Don't drive 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 3 1 1 3 

K2 - What type is the car that you drive most often?

Base: Consumers who live in households with at least one car

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Average Number of Miles Driven Per Day

z On average car owners drive 31.7 miles per day with 21% who indicate they drive 50 o

day.

z Those who drive the most miles per day are:

9 Males – 25% drive 50+ miles per day9 Age 18-34 – 29% drive 50+ miles per day9 Age 35-54 – 24% drive 50+ miles per day9 HH Income $75k+ – 33% drive 50+ miles per day

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South We

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) (20

% % % % % % % % % % % % % 

Average # of miles 31.7 32.8 30.6 41.6 33.1 22.8 28.1 34.6 38.5 28.8 32.4 31.5 33.

None 5 4 6 5 5 6 7 5 3 8 4 5 5 1-9 14 11 16 7 14 18 17 11 5 13 18 11 13 10-19 22 22 22 22 15 29 21 20 25 20 22 21 25 20-29 16 14 17 7 20 18 15 17 16 19 15 15 15 30-49 18 20 17 27 19 11 19 21 18 12 18 22 18 50-99 15 17 12 19 17 9 11 16 23 17 13 15 13 100+ 6 8 5 10 7 3 4 6 10 4 8 6 7 

Don't know 4 3 4 4 3 6 5 3 1 6 2 4 4

K3 - How many miles do you drive in a typical day?

Base: Consumers who live in households with at least one car

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Amount of Driving Compared to Last Year

z Consumers are cutting down on the amount of driving they are doing with nearly one q

who indicate they are driving less, compared with only 14% who report driving more th

9 Those who are most likely to have cut back are:

Ö Age 35-54 (26%)Ö Age 55+ (33%)

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South We

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) (20

% % % % % % % % % % % % % 

Driving more 14 16 13 34 12 3 16 13 14 14 17 12 16 Driving less 24 25 24 13 26 33 28 21 21 27 23 25 23 Driving the same amount 59 58 61 53 60 62 55 64 64 56 59 62 59 Don't drive 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 3 1 1 3 Don't know 0 0 0 0 0 0

GENDER AGE INCOME 

K4 - Compared to a year ago, are you driving more, less or the same amount in a typical day?

Base: Consumers who live in households with at least one car

REGION
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Next Vehicle Purchase

z Small cars (21%) and Sedans (18%) continue to lead the list in terms of the next car p

cars are a particularly popular consideration among:

9 Females (26%) 9 Households with income <$40k (29%)

z Males are equally considering Sedans (21%) and Pick-ups (20%).

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South Wes

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) (207

% % % % % % % % % % % % % 

Small car 21 17 26 28 18 20 29 23 6 23 26 21 16 

Sedan 18 21 16 19 16 19 18 18 22 21 23 14 19 Pickup 13 20 7 7 14 18 16 12 12 9 13 14 15 Midsize SUV 12 9 14 12 12 10 8 14 18 9 8 16 10 Small SUV 10 7 13 7 13 9 7 10 15 11 6 11 11 Minivan 8 8 8 7 9 7 10 9 2 12 6 7 7 Don't know 8 8 7 1 8 10 7 3 6 5 8 7 10 Large SUV 5 5 5 11 5 2 2 7 10 6 5 6 4 Sporty car 3 4 2 5 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 5 Convertible 1 1 1 2 1 0 2 2 0 1 1 2 Wagon 1 1 1 1 0 1 3 0 1 1 Don't know 8 8 7 1 8 10 7 3 6 5 8 7 10 

K5 - Thinking about your NEXT vehicle purchase, what type are you most likely to buy?

Base: Consumers who live in households with at least one car

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Better Fuel Economy in Future

z Nearly two-thirds of consumers who have at least one car expect their next vehicle pur

better fuel economy.

9 Few consumers expect to have worse fuel economy on their next vehicle.

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South We

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) (20

% % % % % % % % % % % % % 

BETTER FUEL ECONOMY (NET) 64 67 61 70 64 62 71 60 56 67 63 59 70 Much better fuel economy 40 40 39 43 42 35 52 33 26 45 34 39 42 

Somewhat better fuel economy 24 27 22 26 21 27 19 28 29 22 29 20 28 About the same fuel economy 29 26 32 21 31 32 24 34 35 27 30 33 23 WORSE FUEL ECONOMY (NET) 4 4 4 7 4 2 2 5 7 3 4 4 4 

Somewhat worse fuel economy 3 2 4 7 1 1 1 4 4 3 2 3 4 Much worse fuel economy 1 2 0 20 1 1 3 3 1 0 

Don't know 3 3 3 2 1 5 3 1 3 3 2 3 2 

K6 - Relative to your current vehicle, for this next car do you expect to choose a model with...

Base: Consumers who live in households with at least one car

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Motivations for a More Fuel Efficient Vehic

z Lower fuel cost (89%) is the primary motivation among those who plan to purchase a m

efficient vehicle.

9 Environmentally friendly or green (72%) is also a strong motivator.

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South W

Unweighted Base--> (556) (289) (267) (53) (187) (311) (220) (156) (85) (100) (118) (190) (1

% % % % % % % % % % % % 

Lower fuel costs 89 89 89 84 92 90 88 90 88 94 92 94 7Environmentally friendly or green 

72 70 75 71 74 71 75 68 73 65 68 76 7

Newer technology 65 69 60 57 66 69 60 70 75 75 58 66 6

Concern about dependence on foreign oil 55 51 60 43 58 61 55 59 51 47 61 58 5

Higher resale value 49 52 45 46 47 52 48 50 44 51 52 48 4

Other 3 1 4 1 5 3 1 3 3 1 4 Don't know/none of these 1 1 0 1 1 0 3 1 1 

K7_01 - Which of the following are your motivations for choosing a more fuel efficient vehicle? - 

Base: Consumers who expect their vehicle to have better fuel economy then current vehicle

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Willing to Do to Save Amount Spent on Fu

z Reducing the amount spent of fuel is on the minds of most car owners as 87% are will

something in order to decrease their consumption.

9 Nearly three quarters (74%) would be willing to change their car purchasing beha

54% who are willing to pay more for a more fuel-efficient vehicle.

9 Two-thirds are willing to change their driving behavior with over half (52%) who a

less. 

Ö Those most likely to change their driving behavior are those Age 18-34 (79%

households with income < $40k (76%).

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South W

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) (2

% % % % % % % % % % % % 

Purchasing Behavior (NET) 74 70 78 77 80 67 78 73 77 80 69 74 Pay extra to purchase a more fuel-efficent vehicle 54 52 56 58 58 46 52 55 62 58 49 53 Purchase a smaller car 46 41 51 50 48 43 54 44 38 48 41 49 Purchase a vehicle that doesn't require gasoline 39 42 35 45 44 28 39 40 44 47 31 34 Change Driving Behavior (NET) 66 62 71 79 63 62 76 62 54 68 67 65 

Drive less 52 48 55 65 46 49 63 48 35 52 50 55 Carpool 36 34 37 54 37 19 41 29 34 40 36 32 Walk or bike more often 35 33 38 51 35 25 40 34 26 40 37 29 Take public transit 25 29 21 38 24 16 29 20 25 29 17 25 

Other 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 4 0 Don't know/None of these 13 16 10 11 12 16 10 16 14 12 13 15 

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 

K8_01 - When choosing your next car, what would you be willing to do in order to reduce the amount you spen

Base: Consumers who live in households with at least one car
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Power Types Considered for Next Vehicle

z Over half of car owners indicate they would consider alternative power types including 

for their next vehicle. 

9 Those who are most likely to consider these types are:

Ö Younger: Age 18-34 (64%) and Age 35-54 (60%)Ö West Region (64%)Ö Northeast Region (63%)

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South 

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) 

% % % % % % % % % % % % 

Conventional gasoline 76 74 77 76 77 75 76 79 77 72 82 77 Hybrid/Electric/Hydrogen Fuel (NET) 56 59 52 64 60 45 57 58 60 63 48 51  Hybrid 46 46 46 48 53 37 43 50 53 53 36 42  Electric 32 37 26 41 34 21 34 31 37 31 31 30  Hydrogen fuel cell 24 31 16 35 24 15 25 26 22 24 19 22 Flex-fuel, runs on gasoline or ethanol fuel 46 49 43 51 48 40 53 45 40 46 41 52 Natural gas or propane 25 29 21 26 25 26 26 29 21 19 21 27 Diesel 16 25 7 23 17 11 15 15 24 14 11 18 Don't know 4 3 5 3 3 6 4 2 2 4 3 3 

Base: Consumers who live in households with at least one car

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 

K9_01 - What power types are you considering for your next vehicle?
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Type of Hybrid or Electric Vehicle Being Co

z A Traditional hybrid (41%) is the most common hybrid being considered, particularly a

(53%).

9 One quarter of males indicate that they would most likely consider purchasing a h

vehicle.

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ 

Unweighted Base--> (463) (246) (217) (51) (178) (231) (162) (139) (91) 

% % % % % % % % % 

Traditional hybrid (such as a Toyota Prius) 41 32 53 36 47 38 42 36 42 Plug-in hybrid (such as a Chevrolet Volt) 22 24 20 23 19 27 26 24 16 Hydrogen fuel cell, an electric car that is fueled with hydrogen 17 25 7 19 17 14 9 17 27 Pure electric, all electric without a gasoline engine (such as a Nissan Leaf) 12 11 13 17 10 10 16 11 10 Don't know 8 8 8 5 8 11 8 11 5 

Base: Consumers who would be interested in purcahsing a hybrid or electric vehicle

K11 - What type of hybrid or electric vehicle are you MOST LIKELY to consider purchasing?

GENDER AGE INCOME 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Motivations for Choosing Alternative Fuel 

z The most popular motivations among those who are considering an alternative fuel ve

9 Lower fuel costs9 Lower emissions/pollutants9 Environmentally friendly or green

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South W

Unweighted Base--> (463) (246) (217) (51) (178) (231) (162) (139) (91) (82) (93) (157) (1

% % % % % % % % % % % % 

Lower fuel costs 89 87 93 81 95 90 90 89 87 87 94 93 Lower emissions/pollutants 86 88 84 83 87 86 85 84 85 84 85 89 Environmentally friendly or green 85 83 87 88 86 83 85 87 84 85 85 87 Investing in clean energy 84 82 86 82 86 84 89 82 82 77 86 87 Stable fuel costs 83 84 82 75 87 84 83 80 84 85 84 87 Ability to refuel at home 76 77 75 71 80 76 81 79 67 68 78 83 New technology 75 78 73 70 79 76 76 78 68 72 77 80 Concern about dependence on foreign oil 71 68 73 57 80 70 66 72 72 64 75 75 Smooth acceleration and quiet operation 69 66 73 62 74 72 74 68 63 62 68 79 Higher resale value 59 59 59 58 61 59 66 57 51 64 67 58 Other 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 Don't know 1 0 2 3 0 2 3 

K12_01 - Which of the following are your motivations for choosing an alternative fuel vehicle?

Base: Consumers who indicated they are considering hybrid, electric or hydrogen fuel cell for their next veh

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Power Types Considered if Availability Imp

z If availability improves over the next 15 years, consumers are even more likely (72%) t

hybrid, electric or hydrogen fuel vehicle.

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South W

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) (

% % % % % % % % % % % % 

Hybrid/Electric/Hydrogen Fuel (NET) 72 78 67 76 80 63 68 77 84 81 71 66  Hybrid 58 58 58 57 67 49 52 65 67 64 56 54  Electric 51 55 46 57 57 40 50 51 60 54 54 47  Hydrogen fuel cell 43 54 32 55 46 32 39 45 55 40 43 40 Conventional gasoline 65 63 68 65 69 63 69 67 67 66 66 69 Flex-fuel, runs on gasoline or ethanol fuel 54 55 53 62 59 44 57 53 55 56 57 54 Natural gas or propane 40 47 33 40 42 40 37 42 49 35 37 46 Diesel 25 33 17 34 26 17 21 28 35 20 24 28 Don't know 4 4 5 4 3 6 3 2 5 6 5 4 

K10_01 - If the availability of various power types improves over the next 15 years, which power train would you be intereste

Base: Consumers who live in households with at least one car

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

TOP 2 BOX CONCERNED

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South 

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) 

% % % % % % % % % % % % 

Price of Gasoline 79 75 83 80 79 78 84 77 68 81 78 80 American Reliance on Foreign Oil 72 67 77 64 72 77 70 72 72 76 77 74 Air Pollution 66 60 72 65 67 66 71 67 55 59 65 68 Amount of Oil Consumption in the U.S. 62 58 67 53 67 65 63 71 49 63 64 66 Lack of Public Transportation Options 41 40 43 42 43 40 44 38 39 36 36 46 

K13 - On a scale of 1 to 5, please rate your level of concern for each of the following

Base: Consumers who live in households with at least one car

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 

Level of ConcernTop 2 Box – 5 Point Scale

Boxes indicates parity with top scoring at 95% confidence level.z Consumers who have at least one car indicate that the Price of Gasoline (79%) is their 

concern followed closely by America’s Reliance on Foreign Oil (72%).

9 Consumers Age 55+ and those living in the North Central region are equally conc

Price of Gasoline and America's Reliance on Foreign Oil.
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Agreement with Policies

Top 2 Box – 4 Point Scale

TOP 2 BOX AGREEMENT

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South 

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) 

% % % % % % % % % % % % 

Fuel efficiency standards for all vehicles should be improved 93 90 95 90 95 93 95 92 92 96 91 92 Auto manufacturers should offer a greater variety of cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles in the near future

91 89 93 94 93 87 93 88 89 90 92 92 

Fuel economy standards should require auto manufacturers to increase the overall fleet average to at least 35 miles 

86 82 90 87 86 86 90 89 80 86 85 85 

I am willing to pay extra for a more fuel efficient vehicle if I can recover the additional cost through lower fuel costs 

83 81 85 85 83 82 79 86 86 90 82 81 

The U.S. should adopt a national goal of dramatically reducing oil consumption 81 79 83 80 84 78 83 82 75 87 78 78 I am willing to pay extra for a more fuel efficient vehicle if it will lower my 81 78 83 76 85 78 78 83 80 83 79 77 Fuel economy standards should require auto manufacturers to increase the overall fleet average to at least 55 miles 

80 75 85 83 81 76 85 83 67 80 80 77 

Consumers should receive incentives like rebates or tax credits to buy more fuel efficient or alternative fuel vehicles

80 75 85 87 80 75 85 82 72 82 78 80 

Car manufacturers should produce more fuel efficient vehicles, and the government should increase standards 

77 71 83 82 79 72 81 79 70 77 78 74 

K14 - Level of agreement with each of the following statements 

Base: Consumers who live in households with at least one car

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 

Boxes indicates parity with top scoring at 95% confidence level.
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Agreement with Policies – CA RESIDENTS 

Top 2 Box – 4 Point Scale

Boxes indicates parity with top scoring at 95% confidence level.

TOP 2 BOX AGREEMENT

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ 

Unweighted Base--> (438) (216) (222) (62) (137) (232) 

% % % % % % 

California should require all automakers to reduce significantly the emissions of greenhouse gases from new cars, light-duty trucks and SUVs

81 76 85 86 77 77 

California should require oil companies to make cleaner fuels like hydrogen or electricity available for public consumption when there are enough cars in the area that need that fuel

77 71 83 82 79 72 

California should require automakers to build fleets that include increasing numbers of Zero Emission Vehicles

75 75 74 74 76 74 

K15 - Level of agreement with each of the following statements 

Base: Consumers who live in CALIFORNIA

GENDER AGE 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

Full Data Tables

K13-K15
Consumer Reports National Research Center

K13 A-C: On a scale of 1 to 5, please rate yoof concern for each of the following issues

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South 

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) 

AIR POLLUTION % % % % % % % % % % % % 

Top 2 Box 66 60 72 65 67 66 71 67 55 59 65 68 Extremely concerned 47 42 51 43 45 52 59 40 31 49 41 49 4 19 18 20 23 23 14 13 27 24 10 24 19 3 18 19 17 16 20 17 15 17 23 24 18 19 2 6 8 5 7 7 5 7 4 9 10 6 4 Not at all concerned 9 13 6 12 6 11 7 12 14 7 10 10 Don't know 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 AMERICAN RELIANCE ON FOREIGN OIL % % % % % % % % % % % % Top 2 Box 72 67 77 64 72 77 70 72 72 76 77 74 Extremely concerned 57 51 63 39 58 68 61 57 50 57 56 65 4 15 16 15 24 14 9 10 16 22 19 20 9 3 16 18 15 18 20 12 17 15 20 8 17 15 2 5 7 3 10 4 3 6 5 4 9 2 3 Not at all concerned 6 8 4 8 4 7 8 7 4 6 4 8 Don't know 0 1 0 1 1 1 LACK OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION % % % % % % % % % % % % Top 2 Box 41 40 43 42 43 40 44 38 39 36 36 46 Extremely concerned 28 27 28 25 28 29 32 26 19 30 23 35 4 14 12 15 17 15 11 12 12 19 7 13 11 3 22 19 26 25 22 20 24 22 24 27 21 24 2 13 15 10 15 13 10 11 12 16 14 15 11 Not at all concerned 23 26 20 18 21 28 21 26 21 22 27 19 Don't know 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

K13 D-E: On a scale of 1 to 5, please rate yoof concern for each of the following issues

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South W

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) (2

PRICE OF GASOLINE % % % % % % % % % % % % 

Top 2 Box 79 75 83 80 79 78 84 77 68 81 78 80 Extremely concerned 62 57 67 58 62 64 71 60 44 67 62 65 4 17 18 16 23 17 14 13 18 23 14 16 15 3 14 16 12 10 16 14 8 16 25 10 16 11 2 3 4 3 623 3 3 5 1 3 5 Not at all concerned 3 5 2 3 2 5 5 4 2 7 3 3 Don't know 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 AMOUNT OF OIL CONSUMPTION IN US % % % % % % % % % % % % Top 2 Box 62 58 67 53 67 65 63 71 49 63 64 66 Extremely concerned 46 41 50 38 48 49 53 49 27 46 38 53 4 17 17 17 15 19 16 9 22 22 18 26 13 3 23 24 23 29 23 19 23 21 29 22 23 18 2 5 6 4 7 5 5 5 2 13 6 5 5 Not at all concerned 8 12 5 11 5 10 9 5 9 7 7 11 Don't know 1 0 1 1 2 0 1 1 2 1 0 

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

K14 A-C: Level of agreement with each of tfollowing statements

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South Wes

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) (207

The U.S. should adopt a national goal of dramatically reducing oil consumptionAGREE 81 79 83 80 84 78 83 82 75 87 78 78 83 

Strongly agree 55 57 53 51 55 56 54 58 56 60 46 55 59 Somewhat agree 26 22 30 29 28 22 29 25 19 27 32 23 24 DISAGREE 18 20 16 18 16 20 15 17 25 12 21 20 16 Somewhat disagree 8 8 9 8 10 8 9 7 13 6 6 11 9 Strongly disagree 9 12 6 11 6 12 6 10 11 6 15 9 7 Don't know 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 0 1 1 2 1 Fuel efficiency standards for all vehicles should be improvedAGREE 93 90 95 90 95 93 95 92 92 96 91 92 93 Strongly agree 70 63 76 69 70 68 76 69 65 64 67 72 72 Somewhat agree 23 27 20 20 24 24 19 23 27 32 23 20 21 DISAGREE 7 9 5 8 5 7 4 8 8 3 9 7 7 Somewhat disagree 3 2 4 4 2 3 2 3 3 1 3 4 4 Strongly disagree 4 6 1 5 3 4 1 5 5 2 7 2 4 Don't know 1 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 1 Car manufacturers should produce more fuel efficient vehicles, and the government should increase standards and enforce thAGREE 77 71 83 82 79 72 81 79 70 77 78 74 81 Strongly agree 51 52 50 53 51 49 52 56 45 58 46 48 53 Somewhat agree 26 20 33 29 28 23 28 22 26 19 32 26 28 DISAGREE 22 27 16 15 21 27 18 21 29 23 21 23 19 Somewhat disagree 7 9 6 3 8 10 6 9 12 9 6 6 9 Strongly disagree 14 18 11 13 14 16 13 12 18 14 15 17 10 Don't know 1 2 1 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 3 1 

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

K14 D-F: Level of agreement with each of thfollowing statements

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South Wes

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) (207

Consumers should receive incentives like rebates or tax credits to buy more fuel efficient or alternative fuel vehiclesAGREE 80 75 85 87 80 75 85 82 72 82 78 80 79 

Strongly agree 50 46 54 51 53 45 57 52 44 50 47 51 51 Somewhat agree 30 29 31 36 26 30 28 30 28 32 31 29 28 DISAGREE 19 23 14 12 19 23 13 17 28 17 20 18 19 Somewhat disagree 6 7 6 3 6 10 5 8 8 4 5 5 10 Strongly disagree 12 16 8 9 13 14 8 9 19 13 14 13 9 Don't know 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 I am willing to pay extra for a more fuel efficient vehicle if it will lower my operating costsAGREE 81 78 83 76 85 78 78 83 80 83 79 77 86 Strongly agree 47 46 48 46 49 43 49 49 37 52 36 44 57 Somewhat agree 34 32 35 30 36 35 29 34 43 31 42 33 29 DISAGREE 18 21 16 21 15 21 19 17 20 16 21 22 12 Somewhat disagree 8 9 7 10 5 11 8 8 6 6 10 12 3 Strongly disagree 10 12 8 11 10 10 11 8 13 11 10 11 8 Don't know 1 1 1 2 0 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 2 I am willing to pay extra for a more fuel efficient vehicle if I can recover the additional cost through lower fuel costs within 5 yeaAGREE 83 81 85 85 83 82 79 86 86 90 82 81 82 Strongly agree 48 50 45 51 46 47 47 56 42 56 41 44 53 Somewhat agree 35 31 40 33 37 35 32 30 44 33 41 37 29 DISAGREE 15 17 13 12 16 18 17 13 14 9 17 17 15 Somewhat disagree 6 8 5 4 6 8 9 4 5 3 8 7 5 Strongly disagree 9 9 8 8 9 9 8 10 9 6 9 9 10 Don't know 2 2 2 4 2 1 3 1 0 1 1 2 3 

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

K14 G-I: Level of agreement with each of thfollowing statements

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ < $40k $40 -$74k $75k+ NEast NCentral South Wes

Unweighted Base--> (867) (448) (419) (78) (286) (493) (314) (252) (153) (146) (194) (320) (207

Level of agreement - Auto manufacturers should offer a greater variety of cleaner, more fuel efficient vehicles in the near future

AGREE 91 89 93 94 93 87 93 88 89 90 92 92 90 

Strongly agree 64 62 65 73 61 59 70 63 54 57 59 65 70 Somewhat agree 28 27 28 20 32 28 24 25 35 32 34 27 20 DISAGREE 8 9 6 4 7 11 5 11 11 9 6 7 10 Somewhat disagree 4 5 3 1 5 6 2 7 7 5 4 4 4 Strongly disagree 3 3 3 3 2 5 3 5 4 3 2 3 5 Don't know 1 2 1 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 1 1 Fuel economy standards should require auto manufacturers to increase the overall fleet average to at least 35 miles per gallon b

AGREE 86 82 90 87 86 86 90 89 80 86 85 85 89 Strongly agree 59 55 62 61 54 61 65 58 51 56 60 57 63 Somewhat agree 27 27 28 25 32 25 25 31 28 30 26 28 26 DISAGREE 12 16 8 11 13 12 8 11 19 13 14 13 9 Somewhat disagree 5 6 4 4 6 4 2 5 9 9 6 2 4 Strongly disagree 7 10 4 7 7 8 6 7 10 4 8 10 6 Don't know 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 0 1 1 1 2 2 Fuel economy standards should require auto manufacturers to increase the overall fleet average to at least 55 miles per gallon b

AGREE 80 75 85 83 81 76 85 83 67 80 80 77 83 Strongly agree 51 48 54 59 48 49 56 51 41 54 46 52 54 Somewhat agree 29 26 31 25 34 26 28 32 26 26 34 26 30 DISAGREE 19 24 13 17 18 23 14 16 33 19 18 21 16 Somewhat disagree 8 9 7 10 7 10 6 7 19 11 5 9 8 Strongly disagree 10 15 6 7 11 13 8 9 15 8 13 12 7 Don't know 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 

GENDER AGE INCOME REGION 
Consumer Reports National Research Center

K15 A-C: Level of agreement with each of tfollowing statements – CA RESIDENTS ON

Total

Sample Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ 

Unweighted Base--> (438) (216) (222) (62) (137) (232) 

AGREE 81 76 85 86 77 77 

Strongly agree 46 50 42 44 45 51 Somewhat agree 34 26 42 42 32 26 DISAGREE 15 21 9 8 18 20 Somewhat disagree 6 7 6 6 7 7 Strongly disagree 9 14 4 2 11 13 Don't know 4 3 6 5 5 3 California should require automakers to build fleets that include increasing numbers of Zero Emission Vehicles

AGREE 75 75 74 74 76 74 

Strongly agree 42 47 37 35 42 52 Somewhat agree 33 28 38 39 34 22 DISAGREE 18 20 17 13 19 25 Somewhat disagree 7 6 8 8 7 6 Strongly disagree 11 14 8 5 12 20 Don't know 7 5 9 13 5 1 AGREE 77 71 83 82 79 72 Strongly agree 51 52 50 53 51 49 Somewhat agree 26 20 33 29 28 23 DISAGREE 22 27 16 15 21 27 Somewhat disagree 7 9 6 3 8 10 Strongly disagree 14 18 11 13 14 16 Don't know 1 2 1 3 0 1 California should require oil companies to make cleaner fuels like hydrogen or electricity available for public consumption 

cars in the area that need that fuelCalifornia should require all automakers to reduce significantly the emissions of greenhouse gases from new cars, light-d

GENDER AGE 
FUEL ECONOMY K OCTOBER 28-31, 2011 

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On another subject... 

K1 Does your household own one or more cars? 

01 YES 

02 NO 

99 REFUSED 

IF HOUSEHOLD OWNS ONE OR MORE CARS, K1 (01), CONTINUE. 

ALL OTHERS SKIP TO NEXT SECTION 

K2 What type is the car that you drive most often? 

 (READ ENTIRE LIST BEFORE RECORDING ONE ANSWER) 

 [RANDOMIZE] 

01 Convertible 

02 Minivan 

03 Pickup 

04 Sedan 

05 Small car 

06 Sporty car 

07 Small SUV 

08 Midsize SUV 

09 Large SUV 

10 Wagon 

99 DON’T DRIVE 

IF DRIVE, K2 (01-10), CONTINUE. 

IF DON’T DRIVE, K2 (99), SKIP TO K5 

K3 How many miles do you drive in a typical day? 

 (RECORD NUMBER. RANGE IS 0-999, DON’T KNOW) 

K4 Compared to a year ago, are you driving more, less or the same amount in a typical day? 

01 DRIVING MORE 

02 DRIVING LESS 

03 DRIVING THE SAME AMOUNT 

99 DON’T KNOW 
FUEL ECONOMY K OCTOBER 28-31, 2011 

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K5 Thinking about your NEXT vehicle purchase, what type are you most likely to buy? 

 (READ ENTIRE LIST BEFORE RECORDING ONE ANSWER) 

 [RANDOMIZE] 

01 Convertible 

02 Minivan 

03 Pickup 

04 Sedan 

05 Small car 

06 Sporty car 

07 Small SUV 

08 Midsize SUV 

09 Large SUV 

10 Wagon 

99 DON’T KNOW 

K6 Relative to your current vehicle, for this next car do you expect to choose a model with . . . 

 (READ ENTIRE LIST BEFORE RECORDING ONE ANSWER) 

01 Much better fuel economy 

02 Somewhat better fuel economy 

03 About the same fuel economy 

04 Somewhat worse fuel economy 

05 Much worse fuel economy 

99 DON’T KNOW 

[ASK IF K6 (01-02)] 

K7 Which of the following are your motivations for choosing a more fuel efficient vehicle? 

 (READ LIST. RECORD AS MANY AS APPLY. WAIT FOR YES OR NO FOR EACH) 

 [RANDOMIZE] 

01 Concern about dependence on foreign oil 

02 Environmentally friendly or green 

03 Higher resale value 

04 Lower fuel costs 

05 Newer technology 

 95 OTHER (SPECIFY) 

99 DON’T KNOW/NONE OF THESE 
FUEL ECONOMY K OCTOBER 28-31, 2011 

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K8 When choosing your next car, what would you be willing to do in order to reduce the 

amount you spend on fuel? Would you . . . 

(READ LIST. RECORD AS MANY AS APPLY. WAIT FOR YES OR NO FOR EACH) 

[RANDOMIZE] 

01 Purchase a smaller car 

02 Drive less 

03 Carpool 

04 Take public transit 

05 Walk or bike more often 

06 Purchase a vehicle that doesn’t require gasoline 

07 Pay extra to purchase a more fuel-efficient vehicle 

95 OTHER (SPECIFY) 

99 DON’T KNOW/NONE OF THESE 

K9 What power types are you considering for your next vehicle? 

 (READ LIST. RECORD AS MANY AS APPLY. WAIT FOR YES OR NO FOR EACH) 

 [RANDOMIZE] 

01 Conventional gasoline 

02 Diesel 

03 Flex-fuel, runs on gasoline or ethanol fuel 

04 Hybrid 

05 Electric 

06 Hydrogen fuel cell 

07 Natural gas or propane 

99 DON’T KNOW 

K10 If the availability of various power types improves over the next 15 years, which power 

train would you be interested in purchasing? 

 (READ LIST. RECORD AS MANY AS APPLY. WAIT FOR YES OR NO FOR EACH) 

 [RANDOMIZE] 

01 Conventional gasoline 

02 Diesel 

03 Flex-fuel, runs on gasoline or ethanol fuel 

04 Hybrid 

05 Electric 

06 Hydrogen fuel cell 

07 Natural gas or propane 

 99 DON’T KNOW 
FUEL ECONOMY K OCTOBER 28-31, 2011 

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[ASK IF K9 (04-06)] 

K11 What type of hybrid or electric vehicle are you MOST LIKELY to consider purchasing? 

 (READ ENTIRE LIST BEFORE RECORDING ONE ANSWER) 

 (READ EXAMPLES ONLY IF NECESSARY) 

 [RANDOMIZE] 

01 Plug-in hybrid (such as a Chevrolet Volt) 

02 Pure electric, all electric without a gasoline engine (such as a Nissan Leaf) 

03 Traditional hybrid (such as a Toyota Prius) 

04 Hydrogen fuel cell, an electric car that is fueled with hydrogen 

99 DON’T KNOW 

K12 Which of the following are your motivations for choosing an alternative fuel vehicle? 

(READ LIST. RECORD AS MANY AS APPLY. WAIT FOR YES OR NO FOR EACH) 

[RANDOMIZE] 

01 Concern about dependence on foreign oil 

02 Environmentally friendly or green 

03 Higher resale value 

04 Lower fuel costs 

05 New technology 

06 Lower emissions/pollutants 

07 Investing in clean energy 

08 Stable fuel costs 

09 Ability to refuel at home 

10 Smooth acceleration and quiet operation 

95 OTHER (SPECIFY) 

99 DON’T KNOW 

K13 On a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is EXTREMELY CONCERNED and 1 is NOT AT ALL 

CONCERNED, please rate your level of concern with each of the following. 

[RANDOMIZE ITEMS] 

01 Not at all concerned (1) 

02 (2) 

03 (3) 

04 (4) 

05 Extremely concerned (5) 

99 DON’T KNOW 

A. Air pollution 

B. American reliance on foreign oil 

C. Lack of public transportation options 

D. Price of gasoline 

E. Amount of oil consumption in the U.S. 
FUEL ECONOMY K OCTOBER 28-31, 2011 

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K14 For each of the following statements please indicate whether you strongly agree, somewhat 

agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree. 

[RANDOMIZE STATEMENTS] 

01 Strongly agree 

02 Somewhat agree 

03 Somewhat disagree 

04 Strongly disagree 

99 DON’T KNOW 

A. The U.S. should adopt a national goal of dramatically reducing oil consumption 

B. Fuel efficiency standards for all vehicles should be improved 

C. Car manufacturers should produce more fuel efficient vehicles, and the government 

should increase standards and enforce them 

D. Consumers should receive incentives like rebates or tax credits to buy more fuel 

efficient or alternative fuel vehicles 

E. I am willing to pay extra for a more fuel efficient vehicle if it will lower my 

operating costs 

F. I am willing to pay extra for a more fuel efficient vehicle if I can recover the 

additional cost through lower fuel costs within 5 years 

G. Auto manufacturers should offer a greater variety of cleaner, more fuel efficient 

vehicles in the near future 

H. Fuel economy standards should require auto manufacturers to increase the overall 

fleet average to at least 35 miles per gallon by 2016. 

I. Fuel economy standards should require auto manufacturers to increase the overall 

fleet average to at least 55 miles per gallon by 2025 
FUEL ECONOMY K OCTOBER 28-31, 2011 

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IF RESIDENT OF CALIFORNIA CONTINUE. 

ALL OTHERS SKIP TO NEXT SECTION 

K15 According to state law, the California Air Resources Board is considering ways to address 

climate change and reduce air pollution caused by cars, light-duty trucks and SUVs. 

For each of the following statements please indicate whether you strongly agree, somewhat 

agree, somewhat disagree or strongly disagree. 

[RANDOMIZE STATEMENTS] 

01 Strongly agree 

02 Somewhat agree 

03 Somewhat disagree 

04 Strongly disagree 

99 DON’T KNOW 

A. California should require all automakers to reduce significantly the emissions of 

greenhouse gases from new cars, light-duty trucks and SUVs 

B. California should require automakers to build fleets that include increasing numbers 

of Zero Emission Vehicles 

C. California should require oil companies to make cleaner fuels like hydrogen or 

electricity available for public consumption when there are enough cars in the area 

that need that fuel