Cars.com Survey: Only $4 Gas Moves Car Demand Immediately

In a survey conducted by Cars.com, 40% of car shoppers said they would consider purchasing a new fuel-efficient car right away if gas were over $4 a gallon. Another 41% said they would pick a more efficient car the next time they were ready to buy a car.

When the price was just slightly less, between $3.75 and $4 a gallon, the number of those willing to upgrade right away dropped to 29%.

These numbers may not seem huge, but compared with last year, when gas prices actually were $4 a gallon, only 28% of respondents said they would make the switch right away at $4, and only 16% said they would do so at $3.75-$4.

On the other end of the spectrum, asked what they would do with gas prices at their current rate — between $2.50 and $2.75 — an overwhelming majority, 64%, said they wouldn’t consider a more fuel-efficient vehicle at all. Only 28% said they would pick a more efficient model the next time they were ready to buy a new car.

The survey was conducted online in June 2009 with a random sample of 1,088 men and women more than 18 years of age. The margin of error is +/- 3%.