As a survey by another firm showed what factor takes top priority when Canadians are shopping for vehicles, data from autoTrader.ca showed the top 10 models potential buyers considered during the third quarter — primarily units from Ford and Honda.

Whether it was a workman-like pickup truck, a reliable import or an über-cool exotic, autoTrader.ca also found that Canadians’ taste in vehicles clearly runs the gamut.

In British Columbia, the site noticed the Ford F-150 was the No. 1 most sought-after unit with combined searches of 3.65 million.

Officials indicated five of the top 10 searches in Alberta were for trucks, reflecting the region’s established taste for rugged, larger vehicles — specifically the Ford F-150 and the F-350 with combined searches of more than 13.2 million.

Search numbers from Saskatchewan told a similar story with six of the Top 10 searches coming in the truck category, especifically the Ford F-150, the GMC Sierra 1500 and the 2010 Dodge Ram 1500.

In fact, the site determined that Ford’s F-150 was the most sought-after set of wheels in the country during the third quarter with close to 48 million total searches for the perennial top seller.

In Manitoba, the story was about Ford and Honda with Ford’s F-150 taking the top spot with 2 million searches. The Honda Civic, CR-V and Accord were all in the Top 10 with combined searches of 2.4 million.

Ontarians showed a marked difference in taste, with imports — including the Acura TL and MDX, Honda Accord and Civic, Volkswagen Jetta, Mazda 3, Audi A4 and Toyota Corolla — claiming eight of Ontario’s top 10 spots.

Officials noted the Civic alone was searched for 24.7 million times.

Searches for imports were also prevalent throughout the Maritimes with Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island all skewing heavily in favor of makes and models such as Hyundai’s Tucson, Honda’s Civic and Toyota’s Corolla.

The site noted Quebeckers, too, were most enamored by imports, specifically the Honda Civic with 8.5 million searches. Eight of Quebec’s Top 10 most searched autos were import vehicles.

Officials added that Quebec was also the only province to include luxury sports cars such as the Porsche 911 and Lamborghini Gallardo among their most sought after.

“Canada is a large and diverse country, with each province and city having its own unique identity. It's clear that this includes preference in vehicles, as Canadians have pretty eclectic taste when it comes to their cars,” said Ian MacDonald, autoTrader’s director of marketing.

“Having the most cars in one place and covering the whole of Canada, we pride ourselves on offering the largest selection of new and used cars to our customers whether it’s trucks in Calgary, imports in Ontario, or anything in between,” McDonald continued.

Below is autoTrader.ca’s Q3 Top 10 Most Searched Vehicles based on the percentage of all searches in period:

1. Ford F-150: 2.51 percent    
2. Honda Civic: 2.24 percent    
3. Ford Mustang: 1.33 percent    
4. Acura MDX: 1.27 percent    
5. Honda Accord: 1.14 percent    
6. Mazda Mazda3: 1.05 percent    
7. Volkswagen Jetta: 1.04 percent    
8. Audi A4: 1.04 percent    
9. Toyota Corolla: 1.01 percent    
10. Ford Escape: 1.00 percent   

Survey: Price Still Major Determinant of Potential Purchase

According to a Leger Marketing survey, when it comes to buying a new- or used-vehicle, Canadian drivers’ top priority is the price.

The survey of 1,260 Canadian drivers across the country commissioned by Krown Rust Control determined that Canadians’ top priorities when purchasing a new or used vehicle are:

1. Price
2. Fuel efficiency
3. Safety
4. Style/make
5. Resale value
6. Environmental impact

However, the study also revealed that 77 percent of those surveyed are driving vehicles that are less than 10 years old.

Survey results determined half of drivers surveyed in Quebec report that they drive vehicles less than five years old. Quebec takes the lead among Canadians who drive vehicles that are less than five years old:

1. Quebec: 50 percent
2. Atlantic Canada: 48 percent
3. Ontario: 41 percent
4. Alberta: 38 percent
5. British Columbia: 36 percent
6. Manitoba/Saskatchewan: 34 percent

Based on age, the Canadians who drive the newest vehicles (less than five years old) are:

1. Ages 35–44: 52 percent
2. Over 65: 46 percent
3. Ages 55–64: 41 percent
4. Ages 45–54: 38 percent
5. Ages 18–34: 35 percent