Around the south west, from Liverpool through to Macarthur, the Commodore still rules.
When it comes to car ownership, the mantra “bigger is better” has dominated our aspirations for decades – but does this value still hold true when our cities are becoming more built up and our homes are rising vertically?
According to data released in the carsales Quarterly Insights Report, Australians living in our wealthiest postcodes are more likely to purchase a smaller, zippier car than a large luxury SUV – toppling the Toorak Tractor from its throne.
However, looking through a national lens Australians are showing their patriotism, with the Holden Commodore the most enquired-on car on carsales.com.au, despite the wind-back in local manufacturing due to the demand for smaller, cheaper cars. This was also echoed in Victoria, NSW, the ACT and unsurprisingly, South Australia, the heart of Australian car manufacturing.
It was also echoed across the south west Sydney postcodes, from Liverpool through the Macarthur region, where the Commodore is very popular.
Delving into the hundreds of thousands of enquiries for new and used cars on its site from the past year, carsales matched its findings with the ATO’s wealthiest and poorest postcodes by income to reveal what our car choices are saying about our lives.
According to carsales CEO Greg Roebuck, “results from carsales Quarterly Insights Report certainly challenge the notion that large and lavish is a symbol of success, indicating that there’s a little more to the equation – with the size of the car, and its function all affecting the purchasing decision of buyers.”
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]”Interestingly, when looking outside of the country’s wealthiest suburbs, the majority of Australians are telling us that they’re still extremely fond of locally made large cars such as the Holden Commodore.[/social_quote]
“Sadly, this information could be a case of too little too late for Holden as they release their final, limited edition range of cars.”
With inner city drivers the most unanimous with their choice of four wheels, results reveal that seven out of 10 of Australia’s wealthiest postcodes enquired on the Volkswagen Golf, while the “Toorak Tractor” has never gone out of fashion for those living in two of the country’s wealthiest suburbs – Hunters Hill and namesake suburb, Toorak (which also shared its focus with the VW Golf).
“What’s surprising, perhaps even more so in wake of the VW sustainability scandal, is that whilst over 70 per cent of people choose the VW golf for its compact size and speed around a crowded city, their focus is not on sustainability – with less than 16 per cent of VV Golf purchases over the financial year for a diesel model,” Roebuck comments.
On the other hand, the most searched for cars in the less populated wealthy suburbs of Tasmania and Western Australia are more suited to off-road adventures, with the Subaru Forester prevalent in Tasmania’s wealthiest suburbs, and the Toyota Landcruiser dominating across WA.
Greg Roebuck says the data signals growth in Australia’s population and subsequent changes in our lifestyle preferences.
“What our data shows is that Australia’s highest income earners no longer signal their wealth with large, fancy cars.
“We’re now seeing the direct effect of one’s living situation, with the proliferation of vertical living in these wealthier, more centralised suburbs driving demand for smaller, zippier and in many respects, cheaper cars in which to get around.”
When it comes to the other states, NSW pays the most for both new and used cars, with their used cars only about $2,000 cheaper than new cars in four out of the other seven states.
