Critical Shifts:
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Fragmented and extended buying journeys: Due to economic pressures, 31% of buyers prioritize price over brand loyalty, with many extending their research over one to three months and 59% willing to drive further for a better deal.
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Growing appetite for digital and online options: While 90% of buyers still prefer traditional dealerships, 66% would consider purchasing directly from a dealership's website, and 25% are more likely to buy entirely online compared to last year.
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Data lag challenges ROI validation: Despite dealers making heavy investments in digital media, the data they receive is often delayed, highlighting a critical need for real-time, daily sales data to accurately sync digital spend with offline sales.
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Urban Science, a global automotive consultancy and technology firm, has announced the release of its sixth annual automotive research study in collaboration with The Harris Poll. Findings from the 2026 survey highlight notable shifts across the U.S. automotive retail segment, where the purchase journey is becoming increasingly fragmented and digital.
“While affordability-related worries have begun to ease over the past year, capturing service and sales revenue across the automotive retail landscape remains challenging. Auto buyers are more willing to cross-shop across brands, dealers and marketplaces, extending the buying journey over one to three months,” said Amy Bowering, Global Marketing Director, Urban Science. “In response to these shifts, dealers are making significant investments in digital media, bringing more data to their disposal than ever before. Often delayed, this data leaves automotive firms without the real-time insights they need to sync offline sales with digital spend, accurately validate ROI and optimize future campaigns. The key to navigating this complexity lies in leveraging the power of daily sales data to sell more cars, drive efficiency and increase profitability across service and sales operations.”
Key findings from this year’s survey include:
- Dealer confidence remains high, with 74% believing they play an essential role in the new-car buying journey and 63% strongly agreeing the traditional car dealership is optimized for the future. Auto buyers, on the other hand, are less convinced, but their sentiment grew more positive year over year.
- Nine in 10 U.S. auto buyers said a traditional dealership is their top choice for purchasing a vehicle, but fully online experiences are not out of the question. Two-thirds (66%) of auto buyers indicated they would consider purchasing directly from a traditional dealership’s website.
- Economic pressures are notably shifting how consumers shop. Nearly one-third (31%) of consumers prioritize price and value over brand loyalty. As a result, 44% of auto buyers spend more time researching before contacting a dealer, and 25% are more likely to buy entirely online than they were a year ago.
- When choosing which dealership to purchase from, auto buyers consider many factors. Still, price and vehicle availability win out, with 59% saying they would drive further to get a better vehicle price. In comparison, almost half (45%) of U.S. auto buyers say they would be less willing to travel far for service as for a new-vehicle purchase.
