CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -

Cutting sedans from the lineup could put automakers at risk of losing “sedan loyalists,” but the pre-owned market is one potential way to keep those buyers in the fold.

Among a deep set of data in the second annual CarGurus Sedan Survey was this nugget:

Almost a third (32%) of current sedan owners who want to purchase another new sedan say they would consider purchasing a new vehicle in a different body style from the same brand, should that automaker discontinue sedan production.

However, CarGurus said in the report, 67% would consider shopping the competition for a new sedan, instead.

There’s opportunity in used, as CarGurus points out that “there are some sedan owners that are especially brand loyal and would consider buying their current brand as used, despite the fact that they typically like to buy cars as new.”

Specifically, 37% of sedan owners who want to purchase another new sedan say they’d consider going pre-owned in the same brand, if it came to that, according to the data.

Perhaps not surprisingly so, given the size of the used-car market compared to new, 60% of sedan owners say bought their respective vehicle as a pre-owned model, CarGurus said.

Overall, sedans continue to have the greatest share of ownership on today's roads at 38%, but those numbers are falling. A year ago, it was at 42%, according to CarGurus.

Meanwhile, the SUV/CUV ownership share continues to climb. Twenty-nine percent of vehicle owners had utility vehicles in 2018; in the most recent study, that had increased to 34%, CarGurus said.

What’s more, 39% of vehicle owners plan on going the SUV/CUV route next time they’re in market, according to the study.

But there were some bright spots for sedans, including this: 92% of their owners enjoy the segment.

And while 25% of sedan owners plan on going with an SUV/CUV next time, half intend on sticking with sedans, CarGurus found.

And amid an affordability crunch in the new-car market, price appears to have become more important to sedan owners.

Sixty-two percent of folks who chose sedans did so due to a “favorable” price. A year earlier, it was 56%.

Getting a low price was the top priority for 60% of sedan owners, CarGurus said.

“Price has always been a main priority when people shop for a car, and that continues to be the case as vehicles become more expensive,” CarGurus director of consumer insights Madison Gross said in a news release.

“Our study shows that sedans are purchased largely due to their affordability, and until automakers are able to offer comparable prices on new SUV models, sedans will still draw buyers despite the appeal of other body styles,” she said.