There are countless benefits to buying cars online. Aside from skipping the dreaded dealership exchange, car buyers are able to thoughtfully prepare for their large purchase from the comfort of their own home. The ability to trade hours at the dealership for a seamless buying experience at home, is just one of the reasons why new car buyers are heading online to buy their new car.

The trend in the automotive marketplace has shifted drastically in recent years. Moving from a traditional dealership to largely online, new car buyers are changing the automotive industry with their influential new trends.

With the advent of the internet, consumers were given the opportunity to head online and learn from each other, prior to making a big purchase. Now more than ever before, car shoppers have been heading online to research their new vehicle and read reviews, before heading into a dealership. In fact, 97% of car buyers in the United States are researching their purchase online, prior to signing on the dotted line. What may seem like a minute change, has actually transformed the way many dealerships conduct business.

BMW Launches First Online Purchase Option from a Manufacturer

Just this week, BMW has opened a new system to car buyers, allowing them to complete their entire new car purchase online. Prior to this new car buying method, BMW buyers could only conduct part of their new car purchase online, before heading into a dealership to finalize the deal.

This little bit of news is a big deal for the automotive industry. BMW is the first manufacturer to offer an online sales platform for their entire product line. From picking out trim levels, colors, and options - all the way to securing financing for the vehicle - BMW is pioneering online car shopping from the car manufacturing side of things.

Changes in the Way We Buy Cars

Up until now, the online platform for purchasing a new car has been limited. A few dealerships offer the option, but buyers still need to head into a dealership to sign on the dotted line. The “online car buying” option is more of a masked version of what dealerships already do. Third party sites offer what seems to be an online car buying option, but buyers are still made to visit a dealership. And then, there are the innovators, who listen to customers and growing market trends. They are the companies that take action, and do something about it.

At NowCar, we realized that if given the chance, consumers would rather purchase their new vehicle online, and skip the dealership experience entirely. Our goal has always been the convenience of our customer - which is why we do what we do -offer a way to purchase a vehicle entirely online. We aren’t the only ones who are seeing the trend move away from physical dealerships and onto the world wide web.

With BMW taking major steps in the evolution of the new car market, we are sure that other automotive manufacturers will follow suit. In an industry that has been defined by never staying the same for too long, we can’t wait to see where these changes take the car buying process, next.