YONKERS, N.Y. -

High fuel prices are making their mark on consumers, who are driving less and contemplating the move to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, according to recent survey by Consumer Reports.

And nearly three-quarters of respondents said they’d consider an alternative fuel vehicle for their next car.

The survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, also found that 37 percent of those polled said their leading consideration when shopping for their next car will be fuel economy, with approximately two-thirds of car owners saying they expect their next vehicle to get better fuel mileage than their current one.

Other factors were considerably behind that number in the survey, with quality ranked tops by 17 percent of respondents; safety by 16 percent; value by 14 percent; and performance by 6 percent.

“These results make it clear that high fuel prices are continuing to impact driver behavior and influencing future purchase considerations,” said Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports’ deputy auto editor. “While quality, safety and value are still important, this may be foreshadowing a market shift by folks seeking relief at the pump.”

Ninety percent cited gasoline costs as the number one reason for wanting a more fuel-efficient vehicle. However, more than half of respondents also had other reasons, including a desire to be more environmentally friendly, at 62 percent, and concern about dependence on foreign oil, at 56 percent.

The numbers also reflect a gender-based bias toward environmental benefit, with 65 percent of women versus 58 percent of men reporting they were motivated by the environmental benefit of better fuel economy.

Women were also more concerned about dependence on foreign oil, at 63 percent versus 49 percent of men, and impacted by changes on the home front, at 38 versus 31 percent.

Car owners are open to different ways of saving at the pump, the survey found, from downsizing to looking at hybrids, electric cars or models with diesel engines.

Nearly three quarters, or 73 percent, of participants said they would consider some type of alternatively fueled vehicle, with flex-fuel and hybrid models leading the way.

Younger buyers were more likely to consider an alternatively-fueled or purely electric vehicle than drivers over the age of 55.

Owners of large SUVs were the most open to downsizing among those who said they plan to move to a different type of vehicle; most planned to move to a smaller SUV.

Small cars were the leading category targeted by survey respondents for their next vehicle, followed by larger sedans and midsized SUVs.

And in what could mark a future market shift, larger sedans (18 percent) and minivans (7 percent) were on fewer participants’ radar relative to their current model.

With the federal government expected to finalize new fuel efficiency standards later this year that would require manufacturer’s average fuel economy to reach 54.5 mpg by 2025, some 90 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the following statement: “Auto manufacturers should offer a greater variety of cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles in the near future.”

Almost 80 percent felt the same about the statements “Fuel economy standards should require auto manufacturers to increase the overall fleet average to at least 55 miles per gallon,” (79 percent) and “I am willing to pay extra for a more fuel efficient vehicle if I can recover the additional cost through lower fuel costs” (81 percent).

“When gas prices are high, it’s always tempting to rush to trade-in for a more fuel-efficient car to save at the pump. But our research has shown that you’re often better off financially to stick it out with the vehicle you have if it’s less than three years old, because a new vehicle will cost you more in depreciation than you would save on gas,” said Bartlett.

For more information regarding Consumer Reports’ survey on fuel economy, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.