Automotive research lives or dies on reaching the right people: verified owners of a specific marque, buyers who are genuinely in market, and trade audiences who rarely answer surveys. Research and Metric runs automotive market research fieldwork for agencies and manufacturers, from recruitment through interviewing to final tables.
We work across passenger cars, premium and electric vehicles, two- and three-wheelers, buses and commercial fleets, and the aftermarket.
Who we reach in the automotive sector
- Owners and intenders: verified by marque, model, purchase date and 12 to 24-month purchase intent, including premium and electric vehicle buyers.
- Fleet and transport operators: bus, coach, taxi and commercial fleet decision makers, often recruited from targeted lists.
- Dealers and showroom staff: sales managers, service advisers and dealer principals.
- Mechanics and workshops: independent and franchised technicians for aftermarket and parts research.
- Riders and operators in emerging markets: two- and three-wheeler owners reached face to face.
Research methods we run for automotive clients
We match the method to the audience and the question, and run several methods side by side when a study needs depth and scale.
- Online surveys for owner profiling, brand health and electric vehicle consideration.
- CATI for fleet and dealer audiences who do not answer online panels.
- Face-to-face CAPI at dealerships, service centres, transport hubs and in the street.
- Qualitative recruitment for focus groups, clinics, in-depth interviews and ride-alongs.
- Data tabulation for trackers that need the same banner tables every wave.
Typical automotive research projects
- Owner and intender profiling, including the move to premium electric vehicles
- Brand health and satisfaction trackers across several markets
- Product clinics and concept tests for new models and features
- Dealer and service experience studies
- Aftermarket, parts and lubricants research with trade audiences
- Usage and attitude studies for two- and three-wheelers
How we protect data quality
Automotive samples are easy to fake and expensive to get wrong, so verification starts at the screener.
- Ownership checked against model, year and purchase details, not just a yes or no
- Trade roles confirmed by phone before interviews are booked
- Back-checks, call recording and live quota control on telephone and face-to-face work
- Digital fingerprinting and fraud checks on every online complete
Recent automotive projects
See this work in practice: our luxury car owner and intender survey, a six-market operator tracker by CATI and workshop mechanic recruitment across four markets.
Why agencies choose Research and Metric for automotive fieldwork
- One accountable team from screener to final tables
- Specialist access to fleet, dealer and workshop audiences
- Multi-market fieldwork coordinated to one timeline and one standard
- ESOMAR-aligned processes and GDPR-compliant data handling
Frequently asked questions
Can you recruit owners of a specific car model?
Yes. We screen on marque, model, model year and purchase date, and can add checks such as registration details or a photo of the vehicle where the client needs extra proof of ownership.
Do you run research with electric vehicle owners and intenders?
Yes. We recruit current electric and hybrid owners as well as people planning to buy one in the next 12 to 24 months, and can split quotas by vehicle type and price band.
Can you reach fleet managers and dealers?
Yes. We reach fleet operators, dealer principals and service managers through targeted lists and trade networks, usually by telephone, and verify each role before the interview.
Which markets do you cover for automotive fieldwork?
We run automotive fieldwork across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, with local-language interviewing and one project manager coordinating every market.
