Within the living memory of just about every adult in the country, the car industry has witnessed a seismic shift in the way cars are purchased. Where once it was a matter of physically going to a car showroom and test-driving one or more likely candidates, the modern way of buying a new ride is as likely to take in virtual tours, online bookings and picking features from a drop-down menu. Among all of this innovation, however, some elements of car purchasing remain timeless even now.

The timeless appeal of a traditional showroom

Although it is now possible to buy a car without ever having seen it, the allure of visiting car dealers https://www.hartwell.co.uk/locations/8150/reading/

in the flesh remains a strong attraction for many motorists. There’s a sentimentality to that - it is still exciting to walk between rows of polished vehicles and smelling that new car smell, imagining yourself behind the wheel as you go. There is also a perfectly reasonable element of wanting to see the car for yourself, trying out things like legroom and ride height. Virtual platforms will always struggle to emulate the tactile satisfaction of testing the car out for the first time and sitting across from a dealer ready to negotiate.

The rise of the online car buying platform

All of the above can be true and yet there can still also be an attraction to taking the online approach to car buying, as has long been the case with groceries, jeans https://roadtestsandreviews.co.uk/articles/lfpgt7ym4afy8fda45b6skzdtfar79

and any number of other things. Buying online can mean a better deal, for one thing, and if you’re buying from home you don’t have to limit yourself to one brand, with one showroom that may be a long distance away. Listening to a salesman rattling off statistics https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/car-specs-why-theyre-important#:~:text=Weight%2C%20width%2C%20cargo%20capacity%2C,%2C%20and%200%2D60%20speed.

about the vehicle you want to drive can be intimidating, and reading the specs that you really want to know off a screen is an altogether calmer experience. If you want the flexible experience, then going online has its merits.

Why not both?

If you’ve read the previous two paragraphs, you’ll be aware that there is a lot to recommend buying a car in the traditional way, and also a lot to recommend the more modern approach. This is the 2020s, so here’s a novel idea - why not take the best of both elements? Many dealerships offer the opportunity to scout their range online, get the information you need, and then visit the showroom to get the more tactile experience which fully sells you on a particular car. You can communicate with the showroom all the while by email or phone, and when you’ve got all the details and in-person experience you want, you can then negotiate the sale and drive away on the day.

As technology gets better, there will only be more innovations in the way we buy cars. For any driver, the chance of an increase in choice can only be a good thing, and there is no need to change all that much about the way you eventually buy a car. For sure, things have changed in recent years, but for any motorist it would be hard to deny that it’s a positive change.