Automotive·Segmentation and personas
Who your users really are
Personas often stop at age, city, and spending. They rarely show how different groups of customers make decisions, or why those decisions differ.
How one study led to change
The challenge
A new SUV drew plenty of interested prospects. The team wanted to know what groups they fell into and what each cared about.
How the study ran
We interviewed recent test-drive customers about family, car use, and how they decide, then grouped them by motivation.
What we found
Families with kids care most about back-seat space
What changed
Test drives now include time in the back seat, and sales staff tailor their pitch to each customer type.
Which groups do prospects for the new SUV fall into?
Prospects fall into three groups: families, repeat buyers, and first-time buyers. Each cares about very different things, so test drives should be tailored to each type.
Key findings
- 61%Families with kids care most about back-seat space
- 34%Repeat buyers care more about driver assistance and infotainment
- 27%Young first-time buyers care more about the out-the-door price and running costs
Recommended actions
- 1Add back-seat time to test drives, with child seats ready at the dealership
- 2Offer repeat buyers a dedicated driver-assistance test drive
- 3Quote the out-the-door price and three-year running costs up front
About this study: method · sample · limitations
Method
Interviews with recent test-drive customers about their household, car use, and how they decide, grouped by motivation. 12 minutes on average.
Sample
100 prospects who test-drove in the last 30 days: 58 family buyers, 24 repeat buyers, 18 first-time buyers.
Limitations
The three groups emerged from the interviews, so their proportions don't reflect the overall market. We excluded customers who had already placed an order.
Families with kids care most about back-seat space
"The back seat's big enough. I care more about fuel economy."
Participant 160 · Family buyer · 01:50Repeat buyers care more about driver assistance and infotainment
"I don't need a fancy infotainment system. It just has to work."
Participant 165 · Repeat buyer · 01:20Young first-time buyers care more about the out-the-door price and running costs
"I don't mind paying a bit more, but I have to like the look."
Participant 180 · First-time buyer · 01:40Each recommendation maps to a finding. After it ships, check the metric on the right to see whether the finding holds.
| Recommendation | Based on | Expected impact | Validation metric | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Add back-seat time to test drives, with child seats ready at the dealership | 61 care most about the back seat | Family-buyer order rate | ConfirmedFamily-buyer order rate 14% → 19% | |
| 2Offer repeat buyers a dedicated driver-assistance test drive | 34 value infotainment and driver assistance | Repeat-buyer order rate | In progressRepeat-buyer order rate 11% → 13% | |
| 3Quote the out-the-door price and three-year running costs up front | First-time buyers care most about total price | First-time buyer conversion after a quote | Not live yet |
How many of the 100 participants mentioned each theme (one person can mention several). Darker cells mean a higher share within that group.
| Theme | Total | Family buyers58 people | Repeat buyers24 people | First-time buyers18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back seat and space | 58 | 46 | 8 | 4 |
| Driver assistance and infotainment | 36 | 12 | 18 | 6 |
| Out-the-door price and running costs | 31 | 10 | 5 | 16 |
| Exterior design | 24 | 10 | 6 | 8 |
| Brand reputation | 17 | 9 | 5 | 3 |
Families with kids care most about back-seat space
Once the car seat's in, there's basically no room for anyone else back there.
We take the grandparents out a lot on weekends, and three across the back is way too tight.
The salesperson never had us sit in the back on the test drive. It only hit us once we got home.
The back seat's big enough. I care more about fuel economy.
Repeat buyers care more about driver assistance and infotainment
We already have a car for everyday driving. With this one, I want better driver assistance.
If the infotainment's laggy, it's off the list.
I don't need a fancy infotainment system. It just has to work.
Young first-time buyers care more about the out-the-door price and running costs
It's fine as long as the total price stays reasonable and the features are good enough.
I don't mind paying a bit more, but I have to like the look.
Once the car seat's in, there's basically no room for anyone else back there.
We take the grandparents out a lot on weekends, and three across the back is way too tight.
The salesperson never had us sit in the back on the test drive. It only hit us once we got home.
We already have a car for everyday driving. With this one, I want better driver assistance.
If the infotainment's laggy, it's off the list.
It's fine as long as the total price stays reasonable and the features are good enough.
The back seat's big enough. I care more about fuel economy.
I don't need a fancy infotainment system. It just has to work.
I don't mind paying a bit more, but I have to like the look.
Interview guide
What they need a car for
Core questionWho will mainly drive this car, and for what?
Follow-upHousehold size and where they usually go
The test drive
Core questionWhat moment during the test drive gave you pause?
Follow-upSpecific road conditions or seating comfort
Alternatives
Core questionWhich other cars are you looking at?
Follow-upWhat draws them to the other option
What would close the deal
Core questionWhat would get you to place an order?
Follow-upPrice, features, or service
Participants
100 prospects who test-drove in the last 30 days: 58 family buyers, 24 repeat buyers, 18 first-time buyers.
This section needs behavior data (for example, from ThinkingAI Agentic Engine). Without it, the rest of the report works as usual.
What they said
"I don't really care about the infotainment."168
What the behavior data shows
Spent 14 minutes on the infotainment and voice system during the test drive, half of the whole drive.
What they said
"Price isn't an issue."178
What the behavior data shows
Switched between the base and mid trims in the online configurator and compared quotes 9 times.
17 of 100 participants said one thing and did another, mostly regarding how much price and infotainment mattered to them.
heari capabilities used in this study
An interview guide built around the decision
The interview guide covers household size, driving needs, and how people decide, laying the groundwork for segmentation.
Voice interviews
Customers answer by voice, and the AI follows up on the specific roads, seats, and cars they compared.
Customer types
Three customer types emerged: families, repeat buyers, and first-time buyers, each with quotes and typical stories.
Order rates by customer type
After updating the test drive, we compared order rates by customer type to see whether the segments held up.
Research examples from other industries
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What's behind low NPS scores
Who your users are, in their own words
Start with a segmentation question. We'll work with you in heari to interview different groups and build personas.
