Aussies prefer to buy cars online

Source: news.com.au

MOST Australians believe they are better off buying a car online, research by an online car insurer says.

About 76 per cent of respondents said they can get the best deal on a car online and 64 per cent would rather go online than contend with car dealers, the survey commissioned by Bingle has found.

"When it comes to online shopping people think of easily posted items like clothing, books or CDs, but there's also real growth in sales of big-ticket items like the family car," Bingle spokeswoman Melanie Vine said.

"Growing comfort in making big purchases like these online clearly shows people trust online shopping more than ever."

Online classified sites such as Gumtree Australia have seen their car sales ads grown by 140 per cent a year, Ms Vine said.

About 74 per cent of people believed they had saved money buying the car online, while 40 per cent of respondents agreed it was easy to buy and sell a car on the internet.

But Ms Vine advised potential buyers to test-drive the car they are thinking of buying and have a reputable mechanic check the vehicle.

Bingle's research was conducted in April and is based on an independent internet survey of 602 Australians.