History is useful: demand for luxury car inspections has increased one and a half times
In Russia, requests to check the history of premium used cars for their subsequent purchase have become more frequent: the demand for information on cars up to three years old has increased by 40% compared to last year. Izvestia was informed about this by several companies providing this service. Most often luxury cars with mileage are interested in Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Moscow region.
What luxury cars want to buy
Russians' interest in checking premium cars up to three years old has increased by 40% compared to last year, Izvestia was informed by car inspection services. Due to the withdrawal of European car brands from the Russian market, new cars available for purchase in Russia are predominantly Chinese. Interest in the premium second-hand segment has increased because it is difficult and expensive to import new cars from Europe, the editorial board's interlocutors say.
Thus, the share of car history checks in this category in all requests in October 2024 amounted to 5.9%, and for the year this figure increased by 1.3%, according to analysts of the service for checking cars "Autoteka".
- The growth of interest in checking premium cars up to three years old shows that Russians still consider them as an alternative to new ones," says Andrey Tumkin, managing director of the service.
Among premium car brands by the share of requests in October 2024, the most popular was German BMW, it accounted for 1.9% of reports in this segment up to three years old. Mercedes-Benz came in second place, followed by Lexus in third place. Also in the top 5 were Audi and Land Rover, reported in "Autoteka". These brands account for more than 5% of the total number of requests to generate reports.
The demand for premium European cars is due, in particular, to the virtually no interest of potential buyers in Chinese cars with mileage, believes auto expert Ivan Volin. German and British brands are leading in the premium segment.
- Car enthusiasts have an established opinion that a Chinese car should be new, while a European or American car can be run-down," he added.
The car inspection service "Reports Auto.ru" noted that the highest demand is for used cars aged five years and older. As for the number of purchased reports on this platform - year-on-year growth in the segment of premium cars amounted to 5%.
Among the leaders in the demand for inspections were residents of Moscow with a share of reports for premium cars of 13.9%, St. Petersburg (7.5%) and the Moscow region (5.9%), reported in "Autoteka". Also in the top five were the Krasnodar region and Tatarstan.
- The search for cars of established brands, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus, may be due to the desire to find a quality car, - suggested Andrei Tumkin.
What is good used premium
Demand for premium used cars is increasing most rapidly in the two largest cities of the country due to the growing purchasing power of the population, experts noted. The situation is also influenced by the increased concentration of people willing to invest in quality and comfort. These cities are centers of economic activity, where a greater number of buyers can afford premium services and goods, said the experts interviewed.
Interest in the segment of used premium in recent years has grown significantly, said auto expert Yulia Miloslavskaya.
- In the context of a difficult economic situation and currency fluctuations, the cost of new cars has increased significantly," she believes. - This forces potential buyers to look for more affordable options, which makes fresh used cars, not older than three years, especially attractive. These models have features comparable to new cars, but cost considerably less.
The main advantage of buying a car on the "secondary market" from Europe or the USA is that the buyer knows exactly the weaknesses or strengths of such cars. He realizes that their maintenance will be expensive, but he can plan his spending - most services have specific rates for working with such cars and spare parts for them, experts explained.
- This does not work with a Chinese car: it cannot be repaired in any garage in the presence of even common malfunctions, - says Ivan Volin.
Another factor that influences interest in this segment is the increase in the status of the owner. Such cars offer a higher degree of comfort and technology compared to mass-market cars, experts explain. That is, the choice of a fresh used car becomes not only economically feasible, but also a socially significant step.
Russian buyers are often conservative in their preferences, especially in the segment of premium cars, explains Yulia Miloslavskaya. This leads to the undervaluation of some brands, such as Volvo and Lexus.
- Volvo is famous for its emphasis on safety, which has a positive impact on the company's reputation, but it gives the impression that this is a car for the family, not for those who want to emphasize their status," she said.
Chinese premium brands cannot now compete with European brands in the secondary car segment due to their relatively recent entry into the international market, experts believe. Their manufacturers are developing rapidly in the field of technologies and interior materials, but they have a long way to go in building a reliable reputation with Russian buyers.
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