Automobile market research lives or dies on reaching the right people. For example, these include verified owners of a specific marque, buyers who are genuinely in market, and trade audiences who rarely answer surveys. Research and Metric runs automobile market research fieldwork for agencies and manufacturers. In addition, we cover recruitment, interviewing and 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 automobile market research
- Owners and intenders: verified by marque, model and purchase date. We also check 12 to 24-month purchase intent, including for premium and electric vehicle buyers.
- Fleet and transport operators: fleet manager research with bus, coach, taxi and commercial fleet decision makers, often recruited from targeted lists.
- Dealers and showroom staff: sales managers, service advisers and dealer principals for dealer research.
- 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. However, when a study needs depth and scale, we run several methods side by side.
- Online surveys for owner profiling, brand health and electric vehicle market research.
- 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
- Car owner survey 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. As a result, verification starts at the screener for all automotive data collection.
- 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. For example, our luxury car owner and intender survey is one project. In addition, there are 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. However, where clients need extra proof of ownership, we can add checks such as registration details or a photo of the vehicle.
Do you run electric vehicle market research with 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. We can also split quotas by vehicle type and price band.
Can you do fleet manager research and dealer research?
Yes. We reach fleet operators, dealer principals and service managers through targeted lists and trade networks. In addition, we usually work 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. In addition, interviewing is in the local language, with one project manager coordinating every market.
