According to Reynolds and Reynolds, 12 percent of customers polled felt they had purchased a vehicle entirely online, though more than two-thirds of that group still had to visit a dealership for some reason. Reynolds and Reynolds concluded only 2.6 percent of all survey respondents had actually bought a vehicle completely online.
Conversely, some of the 88 percent of customers who felt they had made a physical dealership purchase described completing part of the process online.
“It’s important to note that just because these are classified as in-store buyers … doesn’t mean they didn’t have a blended experience,” Reynolds and Reynolds wrote.
For example, the survey found 33 percent of those respondents estimated their payment online, and 13 percent established their exact payment or price with the dealership virtually. More than a quarter estimated their trade-in amount online. Fourteen percent filled out a credit application, and 8 percent reviewed F&I products online.
Uland said consumer comments during the survey indicated buyers wish to move seamlessly between online shopping and the physical showroom. “That’s a struggle for a lot of dealers,” he said.
Source: https://www.autonews.com/finance-insurance/customers-want-fi-help-while-shopping-cars-online