• May 2, 2011

Kelley Blue Book says that last month 84% of car shoppers said gas prices influenced vehicle considerations. KBB says 90% of respodents to its recent survey said they expect gas prices to rise more in the next 30 days.

The auto shopping and research site also says there are rising numbers of people who say that their purchase decisions are being driven foremost by a desire to get better fuel economy. The company says that the number of people who have said as much is up 12 percentage points from January. Over half of respondents said the economy is forcing them to make downgrades with engine size being the most common downgrade followed by vehicle size, less or eliminated vehicle options, and switching from new to used.