Search the newspapers, ask your brother-in-law – or go online

When it comes to purchasing an automobile, online research is now on a par with or preferred by consumers over traditional research methods such as checking newspaper ads or seeking advice from friends and family, a new study shows. The Keynote Customer Experience Ranking for the third-party auto industry study shows that when shopping for a car, most consumers now start by browsing manufacturer or third-party sites such as Kelley Blue Book and Cars.com.

The majority of consumers surveyed, 58%, say they prefer to research vehicles online. Most, 76%, say they will at least visit a manufacturer’s web site in their evaluation process; 75% say they will visit a dealership. The percentage of those who say they will visit a third-party auto web site or ask friends and family for advice was the same, 65%. Only 53% say they will consult newspapers, a traditional medium of research for auto buyers.

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Consumers who do choose to research autos online rate a site’s search and comparison functionality more important than vehicle price in selecting one site to visit over another. The study found that for 66% of consumers, a primary reason for using a third-party auto site was the ability to compare makes and models; 65% cited the reliability of the information provided, and 63% cited the ability to obtain vehicle specs, features and options.

About one-third of consumers polled expressed potential interest in purchasing a car online, with 20% willing to submit a quote request online. The top frustration experienced by consumers about using auto sites, cited by 25%, stems from uncertainty about who receives the information they provide during the quote process, the study found.

Keynote’s research is based on the opinions and experience of 2,000 consumers as they evaluated and interacted with 10 leading third-party auto web sites. The study included the web sites of Autobytel.com, Automotive.com, AutoTrader.com, Cars.com, CarsDirect.com, Kelley Blue Book, MSN Autos, Vehix.com and Yahoo Autos.