Buying a car was slightly tougher for consumers last month

Even in a market where inventory is abundant, subtle disruptions like stop sales, model-year turnovers, and natural events are collectively impacting the availability of specific models – and making the car buying process a little tougher.

Digging in: CDK Global’s most recent Ease of Purchase study revealed that 87% of car buyers said buying a car was easy in Oct., compared to 89% in Sept. – spotlighting some key trends that impact the ease of purchasing a vehicle. 

• According to CDK, the number of people who were able to buy the vehicle they wanted in stock dropped to 49% last month, down from 54% in Sept.

• Even more, only 78% of car shoppers said it was easier to take a test drive, a response that seldom dips under 80%, according to CDK.    

A deeper take: The report revealed that the ease of other routes (aside from dealership inventory) that consumers had to take to purchase their vehicles remained the same from Sept. to Oct., at 76%. However, there were a few notable shifts in those other routes when comparing the two months.

• 25% of people had to buy their vehicle in transit, up from 24% in Sept.

• 19% of car buyers had to order their vehicle from the factory, compared to 15% in Sept.

There were minimal if any changes in other key steps of the car purchase process, when it comes to the ease of buying a vehicle, according to the CDK report.

• 67% of car buyers said it was easy when discussing and agreeing on a final price, compared to 68% in Sept.

• 60% of those purchasing a vehicle said it was easy when coming to an agreement on trade-in value in Oct., a drop of only 1% from Sept.

• 67% of car buyers said it was easy applying for credit, compared to 65% the previous month. 

Why it matters: “Available inventory” doesn’t always mean “accessible inventory” for buyers. Even minor pain points — from missing test drives to longer waits — are now rippling through the buying process and chipping away at the straightforward experience consumers have come to expect.

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