According to a new study from Dataium, more consumers than ever before are turning to mobile devices while shopping for their next vehicle.

The company found that the amount of auto buyers who accessed an automotive website via a mobile device this past July nearly doubled when compared to 2010, coming in at 8.74 percent.

"The growth in mobile usage among auto shoppers over the past year is remarkable and speaks clearly to the American consumer’s rapid and ongoing shift to mobile devices to shop for autos," stated Jason Ezell, Dataium president.

"Particularly impressive is the iPad’s dramatic rise in share among mobile users, clearly it is a significant driver in the shift to mobile, plus, the difference in shopping behavior among iPad users is enlightening, as well,” he continued.

Luxury Brands Attract Mobile-Savvy Shoppers

Looking at mobile usage of auto shoppers by brand name, research showed that ten of the top 11 automakers on the list are luxury brands.

Land Rover took the No. 1 spot at 13.6 percent, with Mini and Masarati tying for second with 12.9 percent. Jaguar (12.1 percent), Audi (11.9 percent) and BMW (11.5 percent) followed closely behind.

On the other hand, the study also found several other luxury brands ranked near the bottom of all makes for mobile usage. 

For example,  Cadillac, Lexus, Lincoln and Bentley only garnered 6.7 percent, 5.6 percent, 5.5 percent and 7.9 percent of shopper’s mobile activity, respectively.

Apple Leads the Way

Apple’s iPad currently holds the most consumers’ attention among mobile devices, with Android close on its heels.

Combining iPad and iPhone users, Apple’s mobile platform holds more than 60 percent of the share of mobile users, compared to Android, which claims 32.31 percent, according to the study.

However, these statistics can be subject to quick changes, evident through recent past trends.

Just six months ago, the tables were turned, and Android found itself out in front of Apple.

Dataium also offered the following charts, marking highlights from the study:

Mobile Usage Among In-Market Auto Shoppers By Month

Mobile Usage Among In-Market Auto Shoppers By Platform

Mobile Usage By Automotive Make

The company also noted that the new study analyzed the mobile usage trends and patterns of over 20 million auto shoppers by make, market and mobile platform.

The full report, which outlines mobile usage of in-market auto shoppers by make, model, mobile platform and website type and also looks at mobile users lead submission activity, inventory search, keyword usage and more,  is available at www.dataium.com/library.