Cars' price and performance outweigh the persuasiveness of showroom staff

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A car's price and performance outweigh the persuasiveness of showroom staff when consumers look for a new vehicle, a survey has shown.

Of 10 key factors, the salesperson finished 10th in the car-buying process, the poll from women's car insurance company Diamond found.

Price was the most important thing, followed by make and model, performance, economy and size of vehicle.

Based on responses from more than 1,000 motorists, the research also revealed that most consumers have already decided what car they want to buy before they get anywhere near a salesperson.

Diamond's managing director, Sian Lewis, said: "It's easy to get carried away and spend more than you should but it seems that drivers avoid this temptation by thinking carefully about how much they can really afford before they step through the showroom door.

"It's possible that salespeople's hard-sell tactics are falling on deaf ears with most drivers who, it appears, prefer to make informed decisions rather than be persuaded by people working on the showroom floor."