The internet is now the most common method for researching a car but buyers are resolutely turning to dealerships to actually make purchases, new research finds.

57% of used and new car buyers say they used the internet for research

The second annual ‘Britain Under the Bonnet’ report from Close Brothers Motor Finance finds that well over half (57%) of motorists used the internet to help inform their choice of new or used car – a significant increase on the figure of 40% in last year’s study – and meaning that the internet has overtaken the use of dealerships (53%) for research purposes for the first time.

However, the results show the overwhelming majority (79%) of buyers actually bought their last vehicle via a dealership, against just 2% who purchased online – this compares to 78% and 2% in last year’s report and shows that dealers are still vital to buyers for advice and support, even if they are spending more time researching online and less time in the showroom.

Motorists stated that the key reasons behind their positive experience of purchasing through a car dealer was the sense of getting a good deal/price (67%), being given good advice within the available price range (36%), and helping to finalise the decision (35%).