Consumers Union:60 percent used the Internet to research new car specs.

Consumer Reports Survey: Less Than a Third of Potential Online Car Buyers Could Complete Their Auto Purchases Online...(Consumers Union) In the second annual Consumer Reports Auto Buying Survey, 64 percent of a nationally representative sample of recent car buyers and leasers said they would use the web either to make a car purchase or obtain a local dealer referral -- up from 41 percent in last year's survey. And although only 1.5 percent had bought their vehicles online, an additional 3.6 percent had tried to buy online. Among web site users surveyed, 70 percent used the Internet to research prices; 60 percent researched car specifications; 43 percent looked up available models; and 42 percent researched options/trim lines. "Car buying and the web make a potentially unbeatable combination," says Paige Amidon, chief marketing officer of New Media and Consumer Reports Car Price Services. "Users are finding a lot of very good information with a few clicks of the mouse. We think online car buying will continue to increase. But for now, there are problems. According to our survey, twice as many people tried unsuccessfully to buy online as were able to complete the transaction. That tells us that web auto merchants haven't put all the pieces together so consumers can comfortably complete a car purchase online."