2026 Survey on 'First Car' and 'Driving with Children': Average Initial Budget of 2.575 Million Yen vs. Actual Spending (Part 1)

Sony Assurance Co., Ltd. (President: Hiroyuki Tsubota, Headquarters: Ota-ku, Tokyo, hereinafter 'Sony Assurance') conducted an internet survey titled 'Survey on First Car and Driving with Children' from February 20 to February 24, 2026, targeting 1,000 men and women aged 18-39 who purchased their first car within the last three years. This release is an excerpt from the full report published on March 31. The full survey results can be viewed at the following URL: https://from.sonysonpo.co.jp/topics/pr/2026/03/20260331.html. Key findings include: 1. Reasons for purchase: 'Found a car I wanted' (21.6%) and 'Employment' (17.1%) were top reasons. For married individuals, 'Pregnancy/Childbirth' (18.0%) was significant. 2. Challenges: 'Choosing a car' (27.3%) and 'Setting a budget' (21.7%) were the biggest hurdles. Urban residents faced more difficulty with funding and parking. 3. Budget vs. Actual: The average initial budget was 2.575 million yen, while the actual average purchase price was 2.745 million yen, exceeding the budget by 170,000 yen.