More than two-thirds of U.S. car buyers conduct at least some of their shopping experience online before ever setting foot in a dealership for a test drive, according to a report by J.D. Power last year. They research cars, view listings, compare models and explore financing options, and more than half do it all using a mobile device.
Notably, this increased level of self-service coincides with improved customer satisfaction. A Cox Automotive survey released in 2021 found that 72 percent of car buyers reported being "highly satisfied" with the overall auto shopping experience, up from 60 percent in 2019. Yet those customers aren't always offered a seamless path from digital shopping to digital loan payment.