REPORT – 4X4S ARE BEING UNDERUTILISED - JUST 4X4S

REPORT – 4x4s are being underutilised

A report on 4x4, SUV and utility usage in Australia, conducted by Pureprofile on behalf of Club 4x4, has found the capabilities of four-wheel drive vehicles are not being fully utilised by their owners. The ‘Australia Unlocked’ report that was released in June also revealed that Aussies are taking fewer road trips due to increased fuel costs and related fuel insecurity, as well as cost of living expenses.

Based on a nationally representative survey of 1,009 Australian 4x4, SUV and ute owners, Australia Unlocked found that 94% admit their rig is primarily used for the daily commute, school runs and grocery shopping, with only the occasional road trip.

Additionally, two-thirds (64%) of survey respondents said they had taken fewer trips overall this year, and almost seven in ten (67%) say the cost of fuel and general living expenses are the biggest barriers preventing them from making their dream road trip a reality.

The survey also revealed vehicle owners are more likely to stay close to home for that perfect road trips. The majority selected attractions within their state, or in an adjoining state, as a bucket list travel destination. It seems crossing the country or doing a ‘lap of the map’ travelling around Australia is no longer on most 4x4/SUV owners’ wish list.

Australia Unlocked also revealed that 4x4 owners under 30 are increasingly flying overseas for holidays instead of travelling domestically - 18% compared to just 11% for the average owner - simply because it's cheaper.

Breaking down the Australia Unlocked data state-by-state revealed the following:

New South Wales

Nearly two-thirds (68%) of 4x4, SUV and ute owners have cut back on road trips due to rising costs (fuel or general living expenses)
Fuel costs are the #1 barrier (35%) to 4x4, SUV and ute drivers driving their vehicles more often
An East Coast road trip is the #1 bucket list destination (38%)
One in five 4x4, SUV and ute drivers (20%) in the state don't have a specific bucket list destination
More than a quarter (29%) of 4x4, SUV and ute owners would take their dream road trip within three months if cost barriers were removed

Victoria

More than two thirds (67%) of 4x4, SUV and ute owners have taken fewer road trips and off-road adventures overall in the past 12 months - above the national average of 64%
The Great Ocean Road is the #1 bucket list drive (41%) for Victorians, followed by the Victorian High Country (26%) and Tasmania (26%)
One in six (16%) 4x4, SUV and ute owners in the state have cancelled all road trips this year
More than a quarter (29%) of 4x4, SUV and ute owners in Victoria would take their dream trip within three months if barriers, mainly financial, were removed

Queensland

More than one in five (22%) 4x4, SUV and ute owners in Queensland haven't taken any road trips in the past 12 months - the second highest behind WA
Cape York (21%) and Fraser Island/K'gari (19%) are the top bucket list destinations for Queenslanders, both well above the national average
Just over two-thirds (67%) of 4x4, SUV and ute owners say extra savings and financial support would help them take their dream road trip sooner - the highest of any state alongside SA (67%)
More than six in ten (63%) 4x4, SUV and ute owners in Queensland have taken fewer trips overall this year

South Australia

Despite the Great Ocean Road being located interstate, 43% of 4x4, SUV and ute owners in South Australian named it as their #1 bucket list destination - higher than Victorians (41%)
4x4, SUV and ute owners in SA also have a strong desire for the Flinders Ranges and outback (44%) - the highest of any state for that destination
Nearly a third (29%) of 4x4, SUV and ute owners would take their dream road trip within three months if barriers were removed - the most eager state
SA has the highest rate of 4x4, SUV and ute owners who have not cut back on road trips in the last 12 months (21%), suggesting SA 4x4 owners are among the most financially resilient

Western Australia

Fuel costs are the #1 barrier for 4x4, SUV and ute owners in WA doing more driving (37%) - the highest of any state and above the national average of 34%
Nearly one in five (17%) 4x4, SUV and ute owners in the state have cancelled road trips in the past 12 months - the highest cancellation rate nationally
One in four (25%) 4x4, SUV and ute owners in WA haven't taken any road trips in the past 12 months
The Coral Coast (43%) and the Kimberley (28%) dominate WA 4WD, SUV and Ute owners’ road trip bucket lists

Finally, the Australia Unlocked report collated the bucket list destinations to find the nation’s favourite. This revealed a few surprising results, but it’s perhaps more notable that the top three on the bucket list don’t really require a vehicle with four-wheel drive capability.