What Are the Most Popular Websites Used in the UK When Buying a Car?

Other than perhaps your home, purchasing a car is probably the biggest and most important item you’re likely to buy in your life. 

An integral part of your day-to-day life, it’s important that your vehicle provides you with longevity, is reliable and doesn’t cause you any problems. And of course, research to compare pricing is also essential. 

With this in mind, it’s no surprise that most consumers will do their research into what vehicle is best for them before proceeding with a purchase. 

 

 

In fact, according to leading market research company YouGov, 57% of consumers will consult written reviews of vehicles before purchasing. 

Gone are the days when ‘research’ would constitute visiting a dealership in person to inspect the vehicle. While this may still happen in some cases, a far bigger research tool is the internet. 

With so many websites available to UK consumers when it comes to purchasing a car, it can be overwhelming when it comes to knowing which to use.

YouGov has handily discovered the most popular websites used to research buying a car in the UK, and here at The Windscreen Company, we’ll take a look at the results in detail.  

How to buy a car online?

It’s never been easier to purchase a car than it is in the modern world. 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people solely making vehicle purchases online has accelerated significantly. While this was a necessity in the times of lockdown, it is something that has remained consistent since that period ended. 

But what exactly is the process of buying a car online?

Well, it really depends on the procedure of the website you’re using. For instance, some providers will offer a phone line where you can complete the purchase over the phone. Some will be online-only and simply present you with the best prices on vehicles from around the country and it will be down to you to complete the deal with the seller – meaning you may be able to haggle on price.

And if you’re buying directly from a car manufacturer’s website you’ll be presented with a non-negotiable price. 

The most popular UK websites for buying a car

There are so many different websites available to UK consumers when it comes to researching cars. YouGov recently conducted a survey to find out which are most popular. 

• And these are the results.

First Place | Autotrader [website]

The British online automotive marketplace came out on top with more than half of the study’s respondents (60%), using it for research purposes. The full breakdown of Autotrader users is as follows: 

• All car buyers-60% 
• Petrol-69%
• Diesel- 70%
• Electric-66%
• Hybrid- 65%
• Plug-in hybrid- 68%

Runner Up | Car Manufacturer’s websites 

Many people still prefer to head directly to a manufacturer’s website to find out information about a vehicle they’re potentially interested in purchasing. This is the case for 31% of consumers with the full statistics below:

• All car buyers-31% 
• Petrol-34%
• Diesel- 20%
• Electric-37%
• Hybrid- 39%
• Plug-in hybrid- 39%

 

Third Place | Cazoo [website]

Despite only being founded in 2018, a combination of catchy TV and radio adverts has seen Cazoo become one of the best-known car retailers in the UK. With 15% of people in the UK using it to research car prices, it places third in YouGov’s study.

• All car buyers-15% 
• Petrol-18%
• Diesel- 20%
• Electric-18%
• Hybrid- 23%
• Plug-in hybrid- 20%

 

Fourth Place | Carwow [website]

Online marketplace Carwow has allowed people to buy and sell cars since 2009 and is used by 13% of consumers in terms of research.

• All car buyers-13% 
• Petrol-14%
• Diesel- 14%
• Electric-18%
• Hybrid- 18%
• Plug-in hybrid- 29%

 

Fifth Place | What Car? [website]

Both an automotive magazine and website, What Car? provides its readers with information on the latest car deals, making it a great resource for researching what vehicle to buy. In the latest survey, 12% of people were found to be using it when researching purchasing a car.   

• All car buyers-12% 
• Petrol-14%
• Diesel- 13%
• Electric-20%
• Hybrid- 21%
• Plug-in hybrid- 23%

While this is the top five websites used in the UK to research cars, others that appear further down the list include the likes of eBay Motors (12%), Cinch (10%) and Gumtree (9%) amongst others.

Is there a difference between buying new or used cars?

With 7.5 million used cars sold in 2021 (the latest statistics available), it’s important to note there is a slight difference between which websites are popular when it comes to purchasing new cars in comparison to second-hand options.

Most people will go for used cars as they’re cheaper, and while Autotrader remains the most popular choice in the UK for second-hand options (69%), in terms of buying a new car, people prefer going directly to the manufacturer’s website, with 49% of people selecting this method.

At The Windscreen Company, no matter what kind of vehicle you drive we offer a leading emergency windscreen replacement and emergency windscreen repair service. Our team is committed to being by your side when you need us most, offering a mobile service that can head directly to your location to carry out the work to the highest professional standard. You can see a full list of the cars we service by visiting our website. We operate across the West Midlands and the South East, so to find out more about what we do, get in touch with our team today.