Gas prices not likely to change buying patterns

But the large/luxury segment has also grown in the last decade, going from about eight percent of the market to about 11 percent of the market. "So some of these mid-sized owners have moved to larger and less fuel-efficient vehicles," DesRosiers says.

"They obviously are not willing to make any compromise in the size of their vehicle because of gas prices or any other reasons," he observes. DesRosiers imagines them saying, "I've worked hard all my life, I can afford a larger vehicle and I'm going to buy what I want rather than what the government or the environmental groups want me to buy."

These buyers are very "price-inelastic," he notes, "and although they may complain about higher gas prices they are not about to change their purchase habits because of higher prices."

The final group of vehicles are those primarily for commercial use, and DesRosiers says these consumers need the extra power "so are very locked into this size or type of vehicle, which is primarily large pickups and panel vans." This group year-in and year-out accounts for about 15 percent of the market and is dominated by fleet sales and "generally have no choice but to buy a less fuel efficient vehicle."

While a "vast percentage of customers are already in a fuel-efficient vehicle," DesRosiers argues, most of the mid-size buyers are "also buying for need. Tell me that you can convince a classic soccer mom who buys a minivan or midsize SUV to go buy a new compact or subcompact car."

He believes you won't be very successful, since "they need that size of vehicle and are going to buy to their needs before responding to any sense of environmental friendliness."

As for those consumers buying large/luxury vehicles, well DesRosiers thinks they "generally don't care about higher gas prices because, quite frankly, they can afford the higher costs."

And while a $1 a pack... I'm sorry, a $1 a litre might generate extra irritability, it doesn't really add that much to the cost of operating a vehicle. DesRosiers notes that even at that level insurance costs, depreciation and taxes in "our day-to-day vehicle operating budget is still higher than the cost of fuel. A typical mid-size vehicle costs about $1,200 to $1,500 a year for fuel, and these higher gas prices have "pushed that up by about $100 to $200 per year."

Will that be enough to stop someone from buying the type of vehicle they want or need? Probably not.