Canadian drivers appear to be sending automakers a remarkably straightforward message: make vehicles easier to afford before making them more technologically elaborate.
A new CarGurus Vehicle Preferences Report found that 80% of Canadians would prefer manufacturers to prioritize affordable vehicles over adding new technology. At the same time, 59% said they would be comfortable buying a Chinese-brand vehicle if it met the same safety standards as other vehicles sold in Canada.
The findings arrive just as the Canadian market is opening to a limited number of Chinese electric vehicles and established manufacturers continue packing larger screens, connected services and software into new models. For buyers confronting historically high vehicle costs, however, the newest digital feature may be considerably less persuasive than a manageable price.
Affordability Beat Technology by an Overwhelming Margin
CarGurus commissioned Leger to survey 1,538 Canadian adults online from September 4 through September 7, 2026. The standout result was unusually decisive: 80% wanted automakers to place greater emphasis on making vehicles affordable rather than introducing additional technological features. Only about one person in five therefore fell outside that affordability-first position.
That finding does not mean Canadians dislike useful technology. Safety systems, navigation, smartphone connectivity and driver-assistance equipment can provide genuine benefits. Instead, the result suggests that consumers increasingly see technology through the lens of what it adds to the final bill. A family replacing an aging crossover may care much more about whether the monthly payment fits its budget than whether the dashboard contains another screen or AI-enabled function. The result is especially relevant because Canadian vehicle affordability remains strained even as prices have begun moderating. AutoTrader reported that average new-vehicle prices declined 2.2% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, yet remained historically high and unlikely to return quickly to pre-pandemic levels.
The Other Priorities Were Just as Practical
When respondents were asked what would improve vehicle ownership over the next five to 10 years, better fuel economy led the answers at 43%. More affordable vehicle choices followed at 40%, while 39% selected greater durability or reliability. Longer electric-vehicle driving range was selected by only 18%. The pattern is notably focused on expenses and practical ownership rather than futuristic features.
Those figures do not conflict with the headline 80% affordability result because the questions measured different things. The 80% finding concerned a broad choice between affordability and additional technology. The other figures asked respondents to identify particular improvements they wanted from vehicles over the coming years. Better fuel economy itself is also partly an affordability issue: reducing consumption lowers the cost of keeping a vehicle on the road. Reliability has similar financial consequences when a vehicle is kept for many years. Taken together, the responses suggest buyers are looking beyond the showroom experience. Purchase price matters, but Canadians are also thinking about what the vehicle will cost to fuel, repair and own long after the first payment has been made.
Touchscreens May Have Reached the Point of Diminishing Returns
The resistance to added technology becomes even clearer inside the cabin. The CarGurus research found that 63% of Canadians believe touchscreens have become too distracting and that manufacturers should restore more physical controls. That sentiment challenges a major automotive design trend in which climate controls, seat settings and other frequently used functions have migrated from buttons and knobs into central displays.
There is safety research behind that concern. A 2026 peer-reviewed study in Transportation Research Part F compared touchscreen and physical controls in a driving simulator. Thirty-two participants performed tasks involving systems such as climate settings, lighting, wipers and turn indicators. Researchers found greater visual distraction with touchscreens across the tested tasks. When a task required more than one interaction, touchscreen use was also associated with poorer task and driving performance. Transport Canada separately recommends that commonly used controls be readily accessible and that visual-display interactions require brief glances. The survey therefore reflects more than nostalgia for traditional dashboards. For frequently used driving functions, simplicity can have an ergonomic and safety value of its own.
Canadians Are Also Skeptical About AI Behind the Wheel
Artificial intelligence may be one of the technology sector’s largest investment themes, but Canadian drivers do not appear convinced that every vehicle needs more of it. Sixty per cent of respondents said they do not want additional AI-powered features in their vehicles. That creates an interesting split between technology used during the shopping process and technology permanently incorporated into a car.
Earlier CarGurus research found consumers increasingly willing to use AI to compare vehicles, find listings and summarize reviews. Using an AI tool before buying a car, however, is very different from paying for AI-driven functionality embedded in a vehicle that may remain in the household for a decade. Automotive software also has to work consistently in heat, cold and poor connectivity, while functions tied directly to driving carry much greater consequences when they behave unexpectedly. The latest findings suggest automakers may need to demonstrate a clear benefit rather than assuming the presence of AI automatically adds value. A feature that makes parking easier or meaningfully improves safety has an obvious purpose. An AI label added primarily for marketing may be a tougher sell.
Subscription Features Face Even Stronger Resistance
Automakers face another warning in the survey when technology is converted into recurring revenue. Seventy-one per cent of Canadians said they would not pay a monthly or annual subscription for advanced vehicle features. For an industry increasingly capable of activating software and connected functions remotely, that is a significant level of consumer resistance.
The underlying tension is easy to understand. A conventional car purchase creates an expectation that equipment paid for with the vehicle remains available throughout ownership. Software makes a different business model technically possible: hardware can be installed at the factory while access to particular functions is controlled digitally. That approach can generate recurring revenue for manufacturers, but the survey suggests many consumers see an important difference between paying for an ongoing service and continually paying to use features associated with a vehicle they already own. There may still be acceptance for services with continuing external costs, such as live connectivity or certain data-based functions. But the 71% result indicates that subscriptions are unlikely to be welcomed simply because manufacturers have developed the technical ability to offer them.
The 59% Chinese-Brand Finding Comes With an Important Condition
The other striking result concerns where Canadians may be willing to buy their next vehicle. Fifty-nine per cent said they would be comfortable purchasing a Chinese-brand vehicle in Canada if it met the same safety standards as other vehicles sold in the country. The wording matters. This does not mean 59% have decided to purchase a Chinese automobile or even that they currently prefer one to an established brand.
Instead, it shows that Chinese origin alone is no longer an automatic disqualifier for a majority of respondents when safety is held constant. That distinction has major implications for new entrants competing primarily on value. A Canadian household with no previous experience of a BYD, Chery or another Chinese brand may still approach issues such as resale value, parts supply, warranty support and long-term reliability cautiously. Yet getting onto a shopping list is the first challenge any unfamiliar manufacturer faces. If price and equipment prove substantially more attractive than established alternatives, the survey indicates that a sizeable share of consumers may at least be willing to consider the proposition rather than rejecting it solely because of the badge’s country of origin.
Younger Canadians Are Even More Willing to Consider China
Openness rises substantially among younger respondents. Among Canadians aged 18 to 34, 69% said they would be comfortable purchasing a Chinese-brand vehicle under the same safety-standard condition. Quebec also stood out, with 67% expressing that level of comfort. Both results are considerably above the national figure of 59%.
Separate research points in a similar direction, although the surveys should not be treated as directly interchangeable. J.D. Power’s 2026 Canada Electric Vehicle Consideration Study found that 56% of Canadian shoppers already considering an EV would consider a Chinese EV brand, with price as the dominant attraction. Across J.D. Power’s broader new-vehicle-shopping population, the figure was lower at 31%. The difference from the CarGurus result is understandable because the studies used different questions and populations. CarGurus explicitly asked about comfort provided the vehicles met equivalent safety standards, while J.D. Power measured consideration among vehicle shoppers. Together, the findings suggest curiosity is significant, but turning general openness into an actual purchase will still require competitive pricing, trusted after-sales support and convincing reliability.
Chinese Cars Would Still Have to Meet Canadian Safety Rules
The safety condition attached to the 59% figure is not hypothetical. Transport Canada is responsible for safety standards covering new and imported vehicles. Manufacturers and importers must certify that vehicles entering the Canadian market comply with applicable Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. A new Chinese brand therefore cannot simply ship a domestic-market model to Canadian dealerships without addressing Canadian regulatory requirements.
The federal government specifically acknowledged certification when announcing its new Chinese-EV trade arrangement. Ottawa said it would work with Chinese manufacturers on timely vehicle certification to ensure compliance with Canadian motor-vehicle safety standards. Regulation, however, does not resolve every consumer concern. Government safety compliance does not tell a prospective owner how quickly an unfamiliar brand can supply a replacement body panel after a collision, what a five-year-old model will be worth as a trade-in, or how extensive the repair network will become. Those questions are commercial rather than basic regulatory issues. The survey’s condition is consequently important: Canadians appear open to unfamiliar brands, but that openness still comes with expectations that the vehicles meet the same fundamental requirements as established competitors.
Canada’s New Import Rules Make the Finding Far More Relevant
A year earlier, Canadian interest in Chinese vehicles would have been largely theoretical because a 100% federal surtax made most Chinese EV imports commercially difficult. That changed on March 1, 2026. Canada replaced the surtax with an annual country-specific quota allowing 49,000 Chinese EVs to enter at the regular 6.1% most-favoured-nation tariff rate.
The quota is scheduled to grow by 6.5% annually. Beginning in its second year, 10% is to be reserved for vehicles with a free-on-board price of $35,000 or less, with the affordable share rising to 50% by the fifth year. Ottawa says the initial 49,000 vehicles represent less than 3% of Canada’s new-vehicle market, so the policy does not create unlimited access. It nevertheless gives Chinese manufacturers something they did not previously have: a commercially plausible route into Canadian showrooms. Reuters reported in June that companies including BYD, Chery and Changan were taking steps toward Canadian entry, from regulatory work to dealer-network development. The consumer survey therefore arrives as hypothetical competition is beginning to become tangible.
Price May Decide Whether Openness Becomes Actual Sales
Chinese manufacturers still face a difficult transformation from consumer curiosity to customer loyalty. Established companies possess decades of Canadian brand recognition, dealer facilities, technicians, parts inventories and used-vehicle histories. A new entrant asking consumers to accept uncertainty in all of those areas may need to provide a compelling reason to switch. The latest research strongly suggests price could be that reason.
CarGurus’ David Undercoffler argued that automakers have shifted away from many budget-oriented vehicles during the past decade while emphasizing larger and more premium products, creating space for value-focused alternatives. AutoTrader’s market data supports the broader affordability concern: despite recent price declines, Canadian vehicle prices remain historically elevated. This is where the survey’s two headline findings converge. Canadians are not simply asking for fewer screens while independently becoming more curious about Chinese cars. They are signalling that value has become powerful enough to challenge established assumptions about both product design and brand loyalty. If an unfamiliar manufacturer can deliver a safe, reliable and meaningfully cheaper vehicle, a famous badge may no longer be enough to keep every Canadian buyer from looking elsewhere.
