Super Bowl cities have divergent automotive tastes, TrueCar finds

(February 1, 2012) SANTA MONICA, Calif. — In the time-honored battle to see who is the best football team in the nation, the Super Bowl XLVI match-up of east coast powerhouses, the New England Patriots and the New York Giants, is truly represented in their divergent automotive choices.

TrueCar.com recently completed an extensive study of the differences in automotive buying habits in New York and New England and discovered that outdoorsy New Englanders and urban New Yorkers reflect their respective demographics when it comes to auto buying habits.

New England residents prefer more outdoorsy activities, such as sailing, hiking, and fishing, which translates into their preference of sport utility vehicles, while New York residents opt for smaller or more luxurious transportation.

The models with disproportionately higher sales in the New England region include the Volvo XC70, Subaru Outback, Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.  Of the top 10, only two models — the Audi A6 and Mini Cooper Hardtop — are not SUV's.

The models most chosen by New York buyers include the Suzuki SX4, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Mini Cooper Clubman, Acura RDX, and BMW X3.  Of the top 10, eight are cars and only two are SUV's, with the variety of vehicles divided fairly evenly between premium models and smaller-sized vehicles.

According to the survey, of the models most chosen in the New England states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, four are SUV's and all are import brands.  The top 10 vehicles sold in the New England area include:

Year Make Model*

MSRP

Average Price Paid

$ Savings

% Savings

2011 Volvo XC70

$35,025

$32,517

$(2,508)

-7.20%

2012 Subaru Outback

$25,070

$23,968

$(1,102)

-4.40%

2012 Audi A6

$57,655

$55,437

$(2,218)

-3.80%

2011 Toyota RAV4

$24,685

$23,635

$(1,050)

-4.30%

2011 Honda CR-V

$28,905

$27,844

$(1,061)

-3.70%

Meanwhile in New York State, preferences are also skewed toward premium sedans or crossovers at the top of the list; however, smaller, import brands are also popular. The top five in New York State include:

Year Make Model**

MSRP

Average Price Paid

$ Savings

% Savings

2012 Suzuki SX4

$18,164

$16,602

$(1,562)

-8.60%

2011 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

$93,875

$84,457

$(9,418)

-10.00%

2012 MINI Cooper Clubman

$21,900

$21,503

$(397)

-1.80%

2012 Acura RDX

$33,780

$32,258

$(1,522)

-4.50%

2012 BMW X3

$37,995

$36,684

$(1,311)

-3.40%