CAR BUYERS FIND WEB CRUCIAL SURVEY: CONSUMERS USING MANUFACTURERS' SITES.

Byline: JULIA M. SCOTT Staff Writer

WESTLAKE VILLAGE -- Web sites are becoming a crucial part of the car-buying process, especially those hosted by auto manufacturers, according to a survey released Tuesday by J.D. Power and Associates.

The survey showed a shift in the focus of online shopping from finding the right price to finding the right vehicle.

And consumers are visiting several manufacturing sites during the shopping process.

Two out of every three people research cars and trucks online before they buy, and, of those, 87percent check out the manufacturer's homepage during the process, according to the study.

Five years ago, 73percent of online auto buyers visited the maker's Web site.

``What's happening is the manufacturer sites have gotten very good over the past few years,'' said George Peterson, president of the consulting firm Auto Pacific in Tustin. ``They are really coming to the party. They have made more information available, and many of them have car comparisons with other brands.''

Browsing a manufacturer's Web site first, before visiting other sites, greatly increases the chance that shoppers will buy that brand, the Power study showed.

In a study of drivers who had not previously owned a Chevrolet, about 64percent of shoppers who looked at the company's homepage first ended up buying a Chevrolet.

But if shoppers stopped by other Web sites first, that figure dropped to 26percent. Just 2percent of Chevrolet buyers did not visit the company's Web site before purchasing one of their models.

But buyers should be aware that data on a manufacturer's site is mixed with spin.

``It's hard to twist specifications, power ratings, dimensions,'' Peterson said. ``Those are measurable facts. But when ... you see the flowery adjectives, you know you're in the spin zone.''

Buyers are visiting more manufacturers in their search, on average 3.2 sites up from 2.1 in 2001.

The flip side of those increases is that visits to independent Web sites have slipped to 77percent in 2006 from 80percent in 2004.

Sites such as carsdirect.com and autobytel.com are not getting as many visits by people purchasing new wheels while consumer focused sites such as cars.com, consumerreports.org and edmunds.com, are holding steady or getting more visits.

Some indie sites might not be as popular as manufacturers' are, but they have another aspect of the market cornered, said Jim Riesenbach, chief executive officer of autobytel.com.

Two out of every three online requests to dealers for auto quotes come through independent sites, he said. Autobytel.com has a network with 6,000 dealers that can respond to offers.

Indies losing visitors should focus on helping potential buyers who don't know what type of car is right for them, Power executive Dennis Galbraith said.

``Many independent sites start by asking the shopper, `What make and model are you looking for?' in exchange for pricing information,'' Galbraith said. ``The problem is that many shoppers need help determining which vehicle is right for them.''

julia.scott(at)dailynews.com

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