The 13th Carzone Motoring Report has found that car buying habits have changed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly half of dealers feeling the car buying journey has become faster. The research offers new insights into the automotive industry in Ireland and is compiled based on an in-depth survey of over 2,000 car buyers and over 150 dealerships. The key finds are:
- Nearly half (48%) of car dealerships feel that the car buying journey is faster post pandemic
- 44% of car buyers are willing to pay a premium to get a car they want sooner
- 50% of recent car buyers didn’t test drive the car before purchasing
- 55% of car buyers prefer to communicate with a seller via email or online chat rather than in person
- Half of motorists (50%) would buy a new car in full online before seeing it in person
- 56% of car buyers are willing to pay a deposit for a car online
- 75% of car buyers begin their car buying journey online
Commenting on the Carzone Motoring Report, Karl Connolly, Audience Manager Carzone said:“The results are fascinating, revealing what has changed about the car buying journey and how the industry and car buyers are adapting to those changes. Surprisingly more than half of recent car buyers that were surveyed didn’t do a test drive before purchasing their vehicle and 93% were satisfied with the the changes to the car buying journey as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our report has shown that COVID-19 has accelerated changes to the car buying journey that were perhaps already coming down the tracks, and it looks like those changes are here to stay.”
You can read the report here: https://www.carzone.ie/motoringreport/
