How Easy Is It to Buy a Car Online vs. at a Dealership?

There’s a widespread belief that every car shopper wants to avoid visiting a dealership and just purchase a new vehicle from the comfort of their homes. And while some online retailers are successful, most data doesn’t support this fully digital experience. Over more than two years of the CDK Ease of Purchase monthly scorecard, the number of people who buy a car online hovers close to zero, rarely broaching 3%.

But to understand those who do, the 2025 Friction Points survey, CDK asked 1,281 shoppers about their experiences with dealerships, with 8% of respondents purchasing their vehicles entirely online. In that study, no matter which way they chose to buy, 83% of both groups (i.e., online-only shoppers and partially or fully in-store shoppers) reported it was easy to purchase their vehicle. However, those who visited the dealership were more likely (48% versus 42%) to recommend their chosen process than those who did everything digitally.

Time Is the Only Nonrenewable Resource

Online shoppers praised the digital-only process for being quick, easy and convenient, particularly in comparison to going to the dealership.

That said, data shows that dealers as a whole are moving quicker than before. In the latest survey, three out of five in-store customers (61%) said they completed the transaction in two hours or less — the highest percentage CDK has registered and a significant improvement over last year’s tally, wherein only about half (54%) of customers were in and out in that amount of time.

Still, one in 10 buyers spent more than three hours at the dealership and few were happy about it. Patience for lengthy dealership visits is waning: On average, those who languished at the store for three-plus hours awarded the dealership a low Net Promoter Score of 32, down several points from last year.

The Test Drive Is What Brings People In

While consumers spend a considerable amount of time researching a new vehicle online, the majority of shoppers still want to test-drive their pick before they buy it. It’s among the most important steps in the process and the leading reason people go to the dealership.

There are ways to provide a test drive of sorts to online shoppers, too, and users of this tool seem to appreciate it. If your dealership isn’t offering this particular remote service to its customers, it’s worth considering, especially given that 78% of respondents said the test drive (whether in person or online) is what sold them on the vehicle.

People Want to Use Online Tools but Data Transfer Is an Issue

During the pandemic, 84% of dealers adopted digital retail methods to close deals without meeting customers in person. Though circumstances have changed and people are out and about again, many consumers still want to take advantage of these tools. According to the CDK Ease of Purchase survey in August 2024, one in four buyers wish to complete at least a portion of the transaction online.

Unfortunately, this hybrid approach doesn’t always go smoothly. One in four customers who started the car-buying process online — perhaps qualifying for financing or valuing their trade-in — had to start over when they showed up at the dealership because the data didn’t transfer properly or sync correctly.

Dealerships recognize the frustration here: In the Friction Points survey, F&I Managers and Sales staff all indicated a lack of full systems integration as a pain point.

And as it becomes clear a hybrid approach delivering the best experiences from online and in-store is preferred, dealers are spending less of their focus on digital tools, falling from 64% to 52% this year. 

The full Friction Points 2025 study fills in many of these details and you can learn more about the latest innovations in automotive digital retail technology.