Despite the overhanging fear that the Government will boost the duty on those vehicles that are the least economical and pollute the most, the new used car sales statistics from Experian have found that these cars are becoming more popular.

The news flies in the face of reports from the Detroit car show that ‘green’ vehicles were the future, and large cars were a thing of the past. Experian results indicate that larger cars became more popular during the third quarter of 2006. Economy and environmental conscience appeared to go out of the window when it came to choice of vehicle.

Despite sales of used cars slumping all over the country, larger cars with bigger engines increased sales over the quarter. Sales of SUVS, MPVs, luxury and executive cars all grew by some percentage.

The managing director of the Automotive Division of Experian, Rob Whalley, reportedly said: Higher debt repayments, dearer fuel and the possibility of further tax increases have contributed to consumers’ concerns about the cost of buying and running a car. Added to this, growing fears for the environment and negative media attention on gas-guzzlers has led many experts to predict a fall in the sale of bigger cars. So, whilst this is certainly the case with new cars, the increase in sales of older used cars that have larger engines, use more fuel and usually have higher CO2 emissions, is at odds with concerns for both the environment and the costs of running a car.

He continued: As prices of larger cars tend to fall more quickly, they have become more affordable and, with the rise in fuel prices and the threat of further tax increases, they can be bought at even lower prices. For cost conscious car buyers, it is an opportunity to buy a bigger car at a reduced price. It appears that they are focusing more on the lower initial financial outlay rather than the long-term costs, let alone the affects on the planet. It begs the question, are running costs really a big concern amongst consumers? The statistics show that sales of larger diesel cars, which are more economical to run, are also increasing but are consumers aware of the long-term running costs of a bigger car, even with a diesel engine ? And, what about the concerns about the effect on the environment?