Cox Automotive Inc.
Marketing 10 min read

Shopper insights

2017 Car Buyer Journey Study

Monday January 23, 2017

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Article Highlights

  1. Car buyers spend 60% of the total time spent getting a vehicle researching & shopping online with third-party sites being the most-used sites for the online car shopping process.
  2. 53% of car buyers use multiple devices during the shopping process. The prevalence of a multi-screen car-shopping experience gives automotive marketers substantial opportunities to target and effectively influence shoppers at any time or any place.
  3. Purchase of F&I products is much higher among consumers who are already aware of the products before going to the dealership. Since 1 in 3 buyers are not already aware of F&I products prior to going to the dealership, dealers should offer F&I educational resources on the dealership website.

The 2017 Car Buyer Journey Study explores how consumers shop, conduct research, make vehicle purchase decisions, and allocate their time along the car buying journey.

This study reveals insights like the top activities car buyers conduct online:

Top 5 Car Buying Activities Online - 2017 Car Buyer Journey Study

And, a wealth of other compelling new data including:

  • How dealer websites drive dealership visits.
  • Why shoppers didn’t buy from the first dealership they visited.
  • How prior consumer awareness is critical to F&I sales.
  • The importance of maintenance & repair services and how to optimize fixed ops.
  • Which differentiators have the biggest impact on customer satisfaction.
About This Study

The 2017 Car Buyer Journey, commissioned by Cox Automotive through IHS Markit, was conducted to gain an understanding of consumer car-shopping behavior and perception of the dealer experience. A total of 2,175 car buyers who purchased a vehicle within the 12 months prior to August 6, 2016 completed a survey.

2017 Car Buyer Journey Study

Check out this year’s compelling new data.

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