Rasmussen: GM owners unlikely to buy another

If Barack Obama thinks that a government takeover of General Motors will rebuild consumer confidence in the automaker, he’d better have a Plan B.  Rasmussen polled current owners of GM cars, and found that less than half would consider buying another.  And in the general adult population, only 16% said they’d be likely to buy from GM for their next auto:

Only 42% of those who currently own a General Motors car are even somewhat likely to buy a GM product for their next car. That figure includes just 30% who are Very Likely to do so.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 43% of current GM owners are not likely to buy another GM car, while 16% are not sure.

Democrats who own GM cars are somewhat more likely than others to buy their next car from GM.

Only six percent of non-GM owners thought it would be very likely that they would buy from the bailout recipient.  While 6% represents a healthy number of adults in the US, it does not bode well for market growth that 94% of Americans would consider something else other than a GM product first.  And since GM competes in a global market, that number has to approach statistical zero abroad.

The demos of current GM owners are interesting on this.  More women than men will consider a GM, and more singles than marrieds as well.  Only 32% of those with children at home will consider it at all.  Ninety-five percent of those who fall in the “political class” would consider GM, but only 37% of the mainstream.  Maybe that’s because the political class is getting most of the payoff from the effort.  Interestingly, though, 47% of investors would consider a GM car, while only 30% of those who work in the private sector would consider it.

Among the general population, though, overwhelming majorities refuse to consider it.  Most worrisome, Obama’s normally strong age demographics have bailed on GM.  Eighty-three percent of 18-29s won’t consider GM, while 62% of thirtysomethings reject GM as well.  Fifty-six percent of Democrats take a pass, and that number goes to 71% among Republicans.

On the other hand, 51% of Americans say they will consider a Ford, primarily because they didn’t take bailout money from the federal government.  That gives Ford a potent selling position, one that will resonate both commercially and politically — and one that may stick in the craw of the Obama administration.  Ford has already vaulted ahead of GM for the first time in decades in sales, and if this poll gives any indication, those trends will deepen.

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