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Internet Shopping Up For Autos

DETROIT--Polk has found in a survey at the North American International Auto Show that the number of consumers who used the Internet while shopping for a new vehicle increased 14 percent--up from 46 percent in 2000 to 60 percent thus far this year.

Polk also found that men continued to use the Internet to shop for vehicles at a slightly higher rate than women, with men increasing from 47 percent in ‘00 to 62 percent in ‘01, and women increasing from 44 percent to 59 percent.

With regard to the effect age had on Internet vehicle shopping, Polk found that the highest increase in Internet vehicle shopping occurred in Baby Boomers (those aged 35 to 54); this segment had an increase of 21 percent. Generation X and the Mature Market increased over ‘00 by about 17 percent.

By income, Polk’s results show that the highest increase for Internet vehicle shopping occurred among those making $75,000 to $99,000 a year. The second highest increase occurred for those making $30,000 to $49,000.

“Baby Boomers and those households with average to above-average levels of income are using the Internet to shop for vehicles at an increasing rate,” said Pete Affeld, an analytic consultant at Polk. “These consumers have found that the Internet is very useful when shopping for an automobile.”

(Based on input to Polk from consumers during the first “public day” of the auto show, Chryslers and BMWs were the most popular among consumers.)

For more informatikon, contact www.polk.com.