Among new-vehicle buyers who use the Internet to research their purchase, a new study shows that one in five are using tablets and smartphones to find the information they need — and more than half of them do so at the dealership.

The J.D. Power and Associates 2012 New Autoshopper Study, released this week, analyzes how new-vehicle buyers use digital devices including computers, smartphones and tablets in the shopping process, and which websites and apps are used to gather information prior to purchase.

The results of the study show that 79 percent of new-vehicle buyers overall use the Internet in their auto research and shopping, with tablets and smartphones being used by one in five among them.

While 99 percent of “Automotive Internet Users,” as shoppers were dubbed by J.D. Power for the study, use a desktop or laptop computer during their shopping process, nearly 30 percent use multiple devices, including smartphones, at 20 percent, and tablets, at 18 percent.

Arianne Walker, senior director of automotive media and marketing solutions at J.D. Power and Associates, said, “Access to new-vehicle information through the Internet and apps — obtained via personal computers, smartphones and tablets — is having a greater impact on many aspects of the purchase decision than ever before.

“It is important for brands and websites to provide consistency across their sites and apps, no matter what device is being used to access the information. The shopping experience should be equally usable and the shopping information equally complete, no matter the device,” she explained.

In further study results, it seems the majority of auto shopping among AIUs takes place at home. Most tablet users were also found to shop for cars at home, while those who use a smartphone were more likely than tablet users to do so outside of the home.

And among AIUs who use a smartphone, 59 percent did so at the dealership, to access vehicle price, model and inventory information, and to compare vehicles.

“This interplay between the dealership experience and digital information has become more intertwined with the availability of shopping content on mobile devices,” Walker said. “Now that buyers can easily access information right from their pockets, it is essential that the dealer body is as well versed as the shoppers in order to provide consistent information both online and in the dealership.”

Further indicating the need for a positive digital experience and dealer interaction, the study found that buyers go online nearly as soon as they decide to buy a new vehicle, with 59 percent of AIUs narrowing their consideration list to one model during the final week before they actually buy.

Ninety-eight percent of AIUs visited manufacturer websites during their shopping process, the study found, followed by third-party websites at 81 percent, dealer websites at 73 percent and social media sites at 5 percent.

AIUs seemed to rely heavily on OEM sites for researching specific models and utilizing build tools, and then on third-party sites for comparing vehicles, reading vehicle ratings and reviews, and learning about trade-in values.

The shoppers used dealer sites primarily for inventory and dealer-specific information including directions, hours and contacts.

Walker added, “With such a wide range of information available digitally, it’s important for OEMs to partner with automotive sites, not only to drive traffic to the brand and dealer sites, but also to offer consistency in the information and tools shoppers rely on. Manufacturers and automotive third-party sites need to think about synchronization across their properties in order to help provide consistency throughout the automotive shopping experience for their target audience.”

Finally, the study showed that digital automotive research continues to have the most impact on brand and model selection, followed by price, which is relatively unchanged from four years ago.

The study was based on responses from 12,289 purchasers and lessees of 2010–2012 model-year new vehicles who gathered information digitally during their shopping process.

Changing Habits

In related news, the Pew Research Center, citing its own recent study in collaboration with The Economist Group on the news use of mobile devices, reports that half of all U.S. adults now have a mobile connection to the web through a smartphone or tablet.

The number of U.S. adults who own a tablet device has doubled from 2011, to 22 percent, with another 23 percent of respondents reporting they plan to get a tablet within the next six months.

Forty-four percent of U.S. adults have smartphones, according to the Pew survey, an increase from 35 percent in May 2011.

Among other findings, the study showed that people notice ads more on mobile devices than on other digital platforms, and may be more likely to click on them.

The report is based on a survey of 9,513 U.S. adults, and was conducted from June through August 2012.