Drivers spend 42 hours picking car

UK drivers spend around 42 hours deciding on their next car according to new research from AA Cars.

Despite notable advances in the car buying markets including improvements made to online buying sites and the advent of one-stop shopping, car buyers still spend well over a day of their time (26.7 hours) on researching, reading reviews and shopping around for new vehicles alone.

Furthermore, on average, Brits spend over 15 hours of their time picking the right funding for their next vehicle – which accounts for over a third of the whole purchasing process.

The AA-Populus poll, which surveyed over 17,000 drivers, also found that over a third (35%) of Brits spend more than 48 hours choosing a car.

As the sheer quantity of financing options increases, consumers are spending more time working out which finance options are best for them. One in five (18%) say they spend over 48 hours just to decide on the most cost-effective finance to choose.

James Fairclough, CEO at AA Cars, said, ‘Over the last decade, the car buying process has changed considerably from endlessly scouring forecourts to carrying out the majority of research online before heading out to actually look at a car on a forecourt.

‘This might have streamlined the process, but car buyers can still expect to spend a considerable amount of time making sure that their next car is spot on.  And after all, if the car isn’t quite right, there will always be another one.’