The Car Buying Journey: We’ve Come So Far, But There’s More Ahead

Earlier this year, we unveiled the 15th edition of the Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey Study. For 15 years, we’ve been tracking the twists and turns in the car buying journey focusing on new- and used- vehicle buyers.

From the get-go, we’ve invested in this annual study not just to guide our strategy here at Cox Automotive, but also to serve you – our awesome industry partners. Over the years, we’ve heard from dealers, lenders, and OEM partners about how valuable these insights are for your business. As your trusted partner, we take pride in delivering research like this to help shape the future of the automotive industry.

Fifteen years is quite the milestone, and I have found myself reflecting on how the automotive industry has changed since we first kicked off this study.

Let’s rewind to 2010. It was the year Apple introduced the iPad, Instagram launched, and Uber hit the road for the first time. In pop culture, Part 1 of the last Harry Potter movie was released, and Lady Gaga was Billboard’s #1 artist (who remembers the infamous meat dress?).

In our industry, it was the beginning of the digital revolution as third-party sites like Autotrader and KBB gained traction. Autotrader hit more than 1M unique visitors in one day for the first time in May 2010. The Toyota Camry was the #1 selling vehicle, Nissan introduced the LEAF, and Tesla was a little-known brand. At Cox, we also evolved significantly with the industry. Fifteen years ago, Cox Automotive didn’t even exist! It wasn’t until 2014 that all of our automotive brands came together as one business.

The vehicle buyer has changed too! Back then, less than 20% of buyers used a mobile device while shopping for a car. Over the years, we’ve reported on how the rise of the Internet, smartphones, and online retailing have all shaped the car buyer’s journey. Fast forward to today, and new technologies like artificial intelligence are fueling personalized, faster, and easier experiences in all aspects of our lives – including automotive.

Today, consumer expectations are higher than ever before. But, we’ve made a lot of progress in keeping up!

In 2024, we recorded the highest level of new-car buyer satisfaction in the study’s history, driven by advancements in digital tools that seamlessly integrate online and in-dealership activities.

But that’s not all! Over the years, we’ve seen other significant improvements:

• Satisfaction with the car buying process increased from 60% (in 2016) to 67% (metric not asked prior to 2016)
• Satisfaction with the dealership experience increased to 73% vs. 67% in 2016
• The shopping process became more efficient, shaving 4 hours for consumers – 14 hours down from 18 hours in 2010
• Dealers have better insights into shoppers because more buyers are establishing contact with the dealership before visiting in-store (from 20% in 2009 to 65% in 2024)

And this is only the beginning! At Cox Automotive, we’re all in on enabling an omnichannel future with our Retail360 ecosystem.

We are as committed as we were 15 years ago to helping you deliver the journey consumers have always wanted – one that is efficient, transparent, easy, and convenient. At the end of this journey, all consumers want is to walk away feeling confident and in control of their purchase decision.

Fifteen years ago, this meant enabling online research, allowing shoppers to compare vehicles and pricing before ever setting foot in the dealership. Today, it means enabling all paths to purchase, treating online and in-store as one seamlessly connected experience, and leveraging technology to automate and personalize the process.

The Car Buyer Journey is the longest running study of its kind and one of my favorites in the automotive industry. Every year, I always look forward to unpacking its findings and uncovering something new about consumers. Reach out to your Cox Automotive representative if you’d like to learn more.

Isabelle Helms

 Vice President of Research & Market Intelligence

Isabelle Helms leads the enterprise marketing, communications, and research and market intelligence teams at Cox Automotive. Helms’ research and market intelligence team works to uncover, understand and deliver the voice of consumers, dealers, OEMs, and lenders, while also keeping a pulse on market trends impacting the automotive industry. Her team provides thought leadership to Cox Automotive clients and the automotive industry at large, aiming to help transform the way the world buys, sells, owns and uses cars.