As the government clamps down on 'gas-guzzling' cars in a bid to save the environment, motorists are missing out by not switching to greener vehicles, according to Alliance & Leicester.
With Gordon Brown expected to announce a green Budget later this month, the research said that UK drivers should take the opportunity to swap their cars for more environmentally-friendly alternatives.
The study found that just two per cent of motorists are planning their next car to be a hybrid, which combines a petrol engine with clean electric motoring.
Just three per cent said they will judge their next car purchase against green criteria.
"Despite all the newspaper headlines telling us that global warming is about to reach crisis point and speculation that environmentally unfriendly cars will bear the brunt of imminent tax hikes, people are still shunning the most environmentally-friendly cars," said Richard Al-Dabbagh, senior loans manager at Alliance & Leicester.
He added: "It is also apparent that we are wasteful when choosing how to finance our new motor."
Mr Al-Dabbagh said that more than half of those who borrow money to make a car purchase use finance that is "clearly not the best deal on the market".
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