Would You Buy A Car Online?

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Issue #172

50% of young buyers skip the dealership. How will this impact car shopping in the future? We explain!

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In The Know

Buyers Are Skipping The Dealership: How Gen Zs Buy Cars.

Car buying is all the rage lately as the "Magic Week" approaches. Car dealers are so desperate to dump inventory that, historically, they have gone overboard with discounts. That's partially true in 2025. There are some discounts, but you should analyze each offer in depth, as this article explains.

All this car shopping got us thinking: Would you buy a car without inspecting it first? A pre-purchase inspection is considered almost sacred.

We believe so much in inspecting your car that we've created the ultimate guide for buying a car on Facebook Marketplace.

However, we might be old-fashioned. Times are changing. The revolution we're living in is so drastic that car shopping may change completely.

We're entering the era of online car shopping.

Younger buyers are turning to augmented reality and artificial intelligence to do the shopping for them. Inspections now happen virtually, as this article explains.

We might believe it's a small part of the population, but the reality is that 50% of Gen Zs globally purchased their cars online.

To make matters more interesting, it turns out that one of the biggest influences for young car buyers isn't a positive review or a brand's tradition. 85% of Gen Z car buyers choose their vehicle after viewing social media.

One would think this is only "kids' stuff", but millennials aren't far behind. They too feel comfortable using AI, AR, and online shopping to choose their next car. However, there's a difference. Millennials will perform a visit, as you can read here.

The idea of a virtual purchase will become a fixture in car shopping, and it shouldn't surprise us. After all, we've been visiting car websites for decades. You could say that's virtual shopping.

However, there's one thing that is accelerating this new tendency, and it's electric vehicles. Given that they have fewer mechanical components, there's a perception that they are less complex and that inspections aren't as necessary.

By the way, did you know that electric vehicles and dealerships don't have the best of relationships? This article highlights how brands and dealers constantly battle it out.

This situation got us thinking: what are the benefits of online car shopping? For one, it could eventually mean fewer dealership fees. Plus, the buying experience should be faster, and you don't have to interact with humans, which some people hate, as explained here.

However, there are plenty of risks. As the stats show, a visit is crucial. Test-driving your car will show you the details you often overlook at first, such as road noise, how it handles bumps, and acceleration. If you're buying a certified pre-owned vehicle, you might overlook crucial details such as scratches or dings.

The biggest question mark we see at Four Wheel Trends is service. Who will provide my car's maintenance? Who do I turn to for warranty claims?

Will I have to find it with ChatGPT?