Of the nearly 800 used vehicle purchasers surveyed, an all-time high of 75 percent expressed satisfaction with the dealership experience. It was a 4 percent jump from the previous year.
The results were part of Cox Automotive’s 16th annual Car Buyer Journey Study released Tuesday. More than 2,300 consumers who purchased a vehicle in the previous 12 months participated in the online survey, including 770 used vehicle buyers.
Along with the positive responses on the dealership experience, 69 percent of those consumers buying used vehicles expressed satisfaction with the overall shopping experience. Forty-one percent claimed the experience had improved from before.
A high of 74 percent of used shoppers considered both new and used vehicles and 66 percent of all vehicle buyers looked into both options.
Total purchase time, including research and online shopping, was 14 hours and 38 minutes for used buyers, a minute longer than 2024. In their online digital shopping, 17 percent of used vehicle buyers utilized AI.
More than half of used buyers, 54 percent, completed the purchase completely in person. The use of digital options saved the used vehicle buyers approximately 40 minutes.
“The used car market continues to shine. Buyers are more satisfied than ever, they’re cross-shopping widely, and they’re relying heavily on trusted digital tools to make smarter decisions,” said Jessica Stafford, Senior Vice President of Consumer Solutions at Cox Automotive. “Affordability pressures push shoppers to weigh more options. We’re seeing how modern, mostly digital experiences drive confidence and satisfaction. It’s clear that convenience, transparency, and choice are redefining how consumers navigate the used vehicle space—and the momentum is only growing, especially for third-party marketplaces and dealership websites.”
