The Burrow
Mar 28, 2025
More than 1.2 million new vehicles were registered in Australia in 2024, out of an estimated 77 million sold globally last year.1,2
As car insurance comparison experts who encourage consumers to shop around to find a better deal, we wanted to find out the state of the car ownership landscape in 2025.
How old are the cars people own, how loyal are motorists to their car insurer, and are people looking to buy a new car?
We surveyed a sample of more than 3,000 Australians, Americans and Canadians to find out.
Based on the year a vehicle was manufactured, we sought to uncover the age of the cars that people own.
Newer vehicles are generally safer with more advanced impact-absorbing structures and active safety assistance technologies, but they also likely cost more to buy.
The tabs below reveal country-by-country results.
| Australians’ Vehicle Age (from the date of manufacture) | Proportion of Responses |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year old | 4% |
| 1 year old | 5% |
| 2 years old | 8% |
| 3 years old | 10% |
| 4 years old | 10% |
| 5 years old | 9% |
| 6 years old | 5% |
| 7 years old | 5% |
| 8 years old | 6% |
| 9 years old | 3% |
| 10 years old | 7% |
| More than 10 years old | 27% |
Note: Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add up to 100%.
Most Australians surveyed said the current vehicle they owned is more than 10 years old from the year it was made (27%), followed by three years (10%) and four years-old (10%).
The majority of cars Australians owned were six years-old or less (51%).
Almost one-in-10 own a car that has a fairly new manufacturing date stamp of one year-old or less (9%).
| Americans’ Vehicle Age (from the date of manufacture) | Proportion of Responses |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year old | 5% |
| 1 year old | 5% |
| 2 years old | 8% |
| 3 years old | 8% |
| 4 years old | 6% |
| 5 years old | 9% |
| 6 years old | 7% |
| 7 years old | 6% |
| 8 years old | 6% |
| 9 years old | 5% |
| 10 years old | 7% |
| More than 10 years old | 27% |
Note: Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add up to 100%.
In line with Australia, most American motorists said the car they currently own dates back more than 10 years (27%), followed by five years-old (9%).
Of those surveyed, the majority of cars owned by Americans are seven years-old or less (54%).
One-in-10 drivers own a car that is one-year old or less (10%).
| Canadians’ Vehicle Age (from the date of manufacture) | Proportion of Responses |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year old | 5% |
| 1 year old | 4% |
| 2 years old | 9% |
| 3 years old | 9% |
| 4 years old | 8% |
| 5 years old | 10% |
| 6 years old | 7% |
| 7 years old | 4% |
| 8 years old | 6% |
| 9 years old | 4% |
| 10 years old | 10% |
| More than 10 years old | 24% |
Note: Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add up to 100%.
Most Canadian drivers surveyed owned a car that was manufactured more than 10 years ago (24%), followed by 10 years (10%) and five years-old (10%).
The majority of Canadians have a vehicle that is six years-old or less (52%).
Similar to the United States and Australia, almost one-in-10 own a car that is one-year old or less in Canada (9%).
Staying with the same car insurance provider for multiple consecutive years often means motorists are subject to paying non-competitive premiums.
Therefore, we sought to understand how long Australian, American and Canadian households have kept loyal to their car insurer.
The tabs below reveal country-by-country results.
| Australians’ Car Insurance Loyalty | Proportion of Responses |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 6% |
| 1 year | 9% |
| 2 years | 17% |
| 3 years | 12% |
| 4 years | 10% |
| 5 years | 9% |
| 6 years | 5% |
| 7 years | 4% |
| 8 years | 3% |
| 9 years | 1% |
| 10 years | 3% |
| More than 10 years | 17% |
| Don’t currently have a car insurance policy | 3% |
Note: Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add up to 100%.
Almost one-in-four Australians surveyed have stayed loyal to the same car insurance brand for more than 10 years (17%).
Concerningly, the majority of motorists have not switched their car insurance provider for two or more years (81%).
A small portion admit to not having car insurance cover altogether (3%).
| Americans’ Car Insurance Loyalty | Proportion of Responses |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 7% |
| 1 year | 9% |
| 2 years | 13% |
| 3 years | 13% |
| 4 years | 8% |
| 5 years | 8% |
| 6 years | 4% |
| 7 years | 4% |
| 8 years | 2% |
| 9 years | 1% |
| 10 years | 3% |
| More than 10 years | 26% |
| Don’t currently have a car insurance policy | 2% |
Note: Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add up to 100%.
More than a quarter of Americans surveyed admit to keeping with the same car insurance provider for more than 10 years (26%).
Most American drivers have also stayed loyal to the same car insurance brand for two or more years (82%).
Almost half haven’t switched policies for five or more years (48%).
| Canadians’ Car Insurance Loyalty | Proportion of Responses |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 7% |
| 1 year | 6% |
| 2 years | 15% |
| 3 years | 10% |
| 4 years | 9% |
| 5 years | 12% |
| 6 years | 5% |
| 7 years | 3% |
| 8 years | 3% |
| 9 years | 1% |
| 10 years | 5% |
| More than 10 years | 23% |
| Don’t currently have a car insurance policy | 1% |
Note: Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add up to 100%.
Nearly a quarter of Canadians surveyed have stayed loyal to their car insurer for more than 10 years (23%).
In line with Australians and Americans, most Canadian motorists have not switched for two or more years (86%).
Just more than half of participants admit to saying loyal to their car insurer for five or more years (52%).
Amid cost-of-living pressures, we wanted to see how many drivers across Australia and North America are considering buying a new vehicle – plus the reasons why.
The tabs below reveal country-by-country results.
| Australians’ Vehicle Buying Intentions (in the next 12 months) | Proportion of Responses |
|---|---|
| Intending to buy a new vehicle | 36% |
| Intending to buy a used vehicle | 10% |
| Unsure | 26% |
| Planning to keep current vehicle | 28% |
Note: Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add up to 100%.
Almost half of Australian drivers surveyed are considering changing their vehicle in the next 12 months (46%). The top five reasons include:
| Americans’ Vehicle Buying Intentions (in the next 12 months) | Proportion of Responses |
|---|---|
| Intending to buy a new vehicle | 28% |
| Intending to buy a used vehicle | 16% |
| Unsure | 21% |
| Planning to keep current vehicle | 35% |
Note: Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add up to 100%.
Of those surveyed, most American motorists are either considering switching to a new or used vehicle in the next 12 months (44%). Key reasons include:
| Canadians’ Vehicle Buying Intentions (in the next 12 months) | Proportion of Responses |
|---|---|
| Intending to buy a new vehicle | 35% |
| Intending to buy a used vehicle | 16% |
| Unsure | 27% |
| Planning to keep current vehicle | 22% |
Note: Percentages were rounded to the nearest whole number and may not add up to 100%.
Just more than half of Canadian drivers surveyed are considering purchasing a new or used vehicle in the next 12 months (51%). The top reasons include:
Executive General Manager of General Insurance, Adrian Taylor, said the study revealed that many Australians could be missing out on potential savings by not comparing.
“Research from the team at Compare the Market highlights that Australians still cherish their old cars and look forward to buying new ones in 2025 – with a mixed preference for bigger vehicles and better fuel efficiency,” Mr Taylor said.
“However, most admit to staying with the same car insurer year-on-year.
“Yet, we know loyalty often doesn’t pay.
“Drivers are often hit with less competitive premiums by auto-renewing and not regularly shopping around for a better deal.
“Amid cost-of-living pressures, it pays to compare what’s on offer to ensure you don’t pay more for insurance than necessary.”
Always read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) to check for the inclusions, exclusions and restrictions before purchasing.
Compare the Market commissioned PureProfile to survey a nationally representative sample of 1,010 Australians, 1,004 Americans, and 1,009 Canadians in February 2025.
Participants who said they did not own a vehicle were excluded in the results.