3 Min ReadAugust 17, 2023

Dealers Aren’t Speeding Up Sales

Dealers Aren't Speeding Up Sales

For the past year, CDK Global has been surveying car buyers each month to gauge how easy the car buying process is. And while the average overall Ease of Purchase score remained steady, averaging 83% for the year, there were a few warning signs for dealers that the first annual tally uncovered.

One clear indicator of a car buyer having a positive experience at a dealership is the amount of time it takes to buy a car. Any transaction that takes over three hours drastically impacts the Net Promoter Score (NPS), while completing a deal in an hour or less has a tremendous positive impact on that buyer’s NPS.

Dealers Aren't Speeding Up SalesUnfortunately, after a year of asking the same questions to new car buyers, it’s clear that the time it takes to complete a transaction simply isn’t improving, even if they’re rather consistent on a quarterly basis. From the first quarter to the most recent, the number of transactions completed under two hours was not just stagnant, it fell.

Dealers Aren't Speeding Up Sales

But sometimes car buyers expect a long amount of time so they aren’t totally dismayed to see the clock tick by as they secure their new ride. But over the course of the year, the number of buyers who said the time was what they expected never breached 50%. The best result was 48% in Q2 of 2023.

Dealers concerned that buyers want an online-only experience should feel, somewhat, at ease as less than 2% of those surveyed bought a car that way on average, never going over 3%.

And while more buyers are opting for a mix of online and in-person experiences, the number of buyers relying solely on the dealership stayed steady, averaging 66% over the year. First-time buyers are even more reliant on the dealership for their purchase with 70% completing the entire process at the dealership.

Customers Still Finding Cars in Transit

How buyers found the car they eventually bought varied radically throughout the year due to inventory issues with 36% of buyers, the lowest amount, finding the vehicle in stock in January 2023 with the highest, 52%, just the following month. The average of the year came to 44%, which is still remarkably low compared to historic norms.

Dealers Aren't Speeding Up SalesBuying a car in transit seems to be a trend that’s here to stay, however. Even though that number varied between 19% and 30%, the average came much closer to the high at 26%.

Ordering cars from the factory declined steadily throughout the year with 28% of shoppers, the highest number, in our first month during June 2022 and the lowest numbers of 19% and 18% all coming in the most recent months of our survey with the average falling near the bottom at 21%.

Seeing these results play out over the course of the year illustrates that there’s extreme volatility in some areas. The most recent dip in scores confirms that. But, overall, consumers still find buying a car a relatively easy process.

Share This

David Thomas
By David Thomas
Director, Content

David Thomas is director of content marketing and automotive industry analyst at CDK Global. He champions thought leadership across all platforms, connecting CDK’s vast expertise to the broader market and trends driving our industry forward. David has spent nearly 20 years in the automotive world as a product evaluator, journalist and marketer for brands like Autoblog, Cars.com, Nissan and Harley-Davidson.

Recent Insights

How to Spot Generative A I in Automotive Retail.

How to Spot Generative AI in Automotive Retail

Every vendor in the automotive retail industry is touting artificial intelligence and innovation. From marketing tools to sales assistants, dealerships...
3 Min ReadMay 21Amber Good
How Dealership A I Tools Can Help Service Team Productivity.

How Dealership AI Tools Can Help Service Team Productivity

Eight minutes and 12 seconds may not seem like a long time, but for dealership customers stuck on hold trying...
3 Min ReadMay 14CDK Global
Make Your Entire Dealership’s Phone System Smart.

Make Your Entire Dealership’s Phone System Smart

A dealership’s phone system is integral to generating business and if it’s not up to today’s challenges it may be...
3 Min ReadMay 9Natalia Mischenko
How Your Dealership Can Prepare for Auto Parts Tariffs.

How Your Dealership Can Prepare for Auto Parts Tariffs

Navigating the world of tariffs is no easy task. It seems there’s news of changes nearly every single day. But...
3 Min ReadMay 7Adam Bigelow
Car Pros Optimizes Operations With C D K Dealership Experience.

Car Pros Optimizes Operations With CDK Dealership Xperience

Car Pros Automotive Group has a rich history, starting in the mid-'90s as a used car lot founded by CEO...
2 Min ReadMay 5CDK Global
Car Buyers Hit More Dealers Amid Tariff Turbulence

Car Buyers Hit More Dealers Amid Tariff Turbulence

If there’s any question about tariffs impacting car buyer behavior it seemed to prove out in April. While 90% of...
3 Min ReadMay 1David Thomas
The Importance of Scheduling Appointments for the Test Drive.

The Importance of Scheduling Appointments for the Test Drive

Long wait times at the dealership are a significant source of frustration for car shoppers. It’s not just an inconvenience;...
3 Min ReadApr 29CDK Global
Most EV Owners Stand By the Technology in New Study

Most EV Owners Stand By the Technology in New Study

Opinions about the political shifts and impacts on the ever-evolving electrical vehicle industry vary greatly across the automotive industry including...
1 Min ReadApr 21CDK Global
Dealership Appointments. Car Shoppers versus Service Customers.

Dealership Appointments: Car Shoppers vs. Service Customers

Whether you’re shopping for a new vehicle or looking to service your current one, going to a dealership can be...
3 Min ReadApr 18CDK Global
The Power of Online Reviews for Car Dealerships.

The Power of Online Reviews for Car Dealerships

Word-of-mouth marketing has long been heralded as the top marketing strategy. As the internet continues to shape consumer behavior, traditional...
3 Min ReadApr 11CDK Global