May 2nd, 2023, Janice Fernandes
In a recent YouGov survey more than half of British consumers (57%) say they check written consumer reviews as research before buying a car. But among consumers who research online which websites do they use?
Data from YouGov Profiles shows that Autotrader is the most commonly used website for car research in Britain, with over half of respondents (60%) using it. The figure is nearly halved for the next most popular choice – car manufacturers’ websites (31%). Cazoo (15%), Carwow (13%) and Whatcar (12%) round up the top five websites Britons rely on when researching a car.
When looking at the distribution by fuel type, Autotrader continues to dominate across all engine types, with 70% of consumers considering purchasing a diesel car saying they use this site.
It is interesting to note that the use of car manufacturer websites increases to nearly two in five consumers for full hybrid (39%), plug-in hybrid (39%) and electric (37%) vehicles.
Around three in ten of plug-in hybrid consumers (29%) say they use Carwow for research. eBay Motors is a popular choice for consumers considering purchase of diesel vehicles (19%), while Auto Express is popular among full hybrid considering Britons (15%).
Which websites do consumers use when considering buying a new car vs a used or certified pre-owned car in the next 12 months?
Consumers who are looking to buy a certified pre-owned car in the next 12 months indicate that they are most likely to use Autotrader (69%). Around a third of these consumers use the car manufacturer’s website (33%). Cazoo (21%), Auto Express (15%) and Cinch (14%) are some of the other websites used by consumers considering buying a certified pre-owned car.
Among those who indicated interest in buying a used car, Autotrader is still the most popular website used (69%). But websites like eBay Motors (17%), Cazoo (15%), Gumtree (15%) and CarGurus (14%) are also popular choices for consumers buying a used car.
A car manufacturer's website is the top choice for new car buyers, with nearly half of respondents saying that’s what they use (49%). Autotrader is not far behind registering more than two in five new car considerers who use the website (43%).
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Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for Great Britain is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.
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