According to a new study measuring the usefulness of U.S. automotive third-party websites during the process of shopping for a new or used vehicle, Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book rank highest in a tie in the desktop segment, with a score of 790 out of 1,000.

But according to the J.D. Power 2020 Automotive Website Evaluation Study released on Thursday, a gap of only nine points on a 1,000-point scale separates the top six websites on desktop.

Carfax, at 829 on a 1,000-point scale, is the highest-ranked site in the smartphone segment.

J.D. Power examined four key measures, in order of importance: information/content; appearance; navigation; and speed.

Smartphone satisfaction continues to outpace desktop satisfaction. The study shows overall satisfaction averaging 773 for desktop. The smartphone averages 795.

J.D. Power senior manager of digital solutions Jon Sundberg said J.D. Power redesigned this year’s study to analyze various recent trends seen in automotive third-party websites.

“New digital functionality has been implemented by many third-party websites, such as personalization and digital retailing, which enhance the shopping experience for the consumer, and we want to ensure the shopper’s voice is included in these areas,” Sundberg said in a news release.

J.D. Power initially released the Automotive Website Evaluation Study in 2013. The company fielded this year’s study in January.

It is based on responses from 4,236 vehicle shoppers, on desktop and smartphone, who indicate they will be in the market for a new or used vehicle within the next 24 months.

J.D. Power disclosed that its own consumer automotive websites compete with the websites in the Automotive Website Evaluation Study, but they are not included in the study.

Overall customer index satisfaction index ranking
(Based on a 1,000-point scale)

Desktop website

Smartphone website

SOURCE: Charts from J.D. Power/J.D. Power 2020 Automotive Website Evaluation Study,