Nearly one-half of new-vehicle buyers using the Internet in their shopping
process visit an independent Web site when starting research on a new vehicle,
while 46% go to a manufacturer site first, according to J.D. Power and Associates’ "2007
New Autoshopper.com" study.

In 2003, 62% of new-vehicle online shoppers went to independent sites first,
compared with only 36% who started at automaker sites.

"As automotive manufacturers have steadily pulled advertising dollars out of
traditional media and redirected them toward digital media and search engine
marketing, manufacturer Web site visitation has increased," said Steve Witten,
executive director of marketing and media research at J.D. Power and Associates,
in a statement.

Nearly 69% of new-vehicle buyers who used the Internet in their shopping
process used one or more types of consumer-generated content. Nearly two-thirds
of those shoppers used consumer ratings and reviews.

J.D. Power surveyed nearly 30,000 new-vehicle buyers in May and July of 2007.

Via eMarketer