The more automotive consumers shop online, the more prepared they are to hit the road to buy their dream car or truck, at least according to a new survey of some 1,000 Canadian online shoppers carried out last month by automotive research site CarGurus.
Overall, the majority of consumers are not ready to travel a long distance to take possession of their new vehicle, but those who have spent more time researching online are more willing to do so. In fact, they are more likely to travel significant distances for a car than for any other major purchase.
A closer look at the survey results reveals that:
- 70% of respondents would not travel more than 100 km to buy a vehicle;
- 30% of those who spend more than 10 hours shopping online are prepared to travel 200 km or more to make a purchase;
- 70% of consumers who visit at least four sites to collect information say they are willing to travel farther to buy a car than to purchase furniture, appliances or electronic goods.
"Dedicating research time and using online resources can take the guess-work out car shopping and position a shopper to find their perfect deal, even if it means travelling further to get it," explained Sarah Welch, Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing at CarGurus.
The survey also reveals that just over half of consumers who spend more than 10 hours shopping online or who visit four websites or more will visit at least four dealerships before buying.
How did men and women diverge in their responses to the survey? CarGurus’ results tell us that priorities differ between the two groups: the former attach more importance to the time of year to buy a new car, while the latter are more concerned with the price of fuel.