Why You Might Buy Your Next Car Online

“Easiest big purchase of my life, crazy easy,” Rachel Ryan, who lives near Los Angeles, said about her 2021 purchase of a Tesla Model Y. “I bought it while my husband was at work,” she added. “When he came home, I told him he wouldn’t be driving my minivan anymore.”

Ms. Ryan said the only service problem she had was a flat tire from a nail. “Tesla came to my house to fix it,” she said. “Any questions I have, I just email, and they are on it within minutes.”

Buying online is a must for people looking to purchase an electric car made by Tesla, Rivian or Lucid, whose customers can buy only online and directly from the manufacturer. But online car shopping appeals to a large proportion of all car buyers, even those buying combustion-engine cars through dealerships, said Michelle Krebs, an executive analyst for Cox Automotive.

“Our data shows consumers want to do more of the process online but most don’t want to eliminate the dealer visit altogether,” Ms. Krebs said. “They just wanted the dealer experience to be something else — focused on the product, the features of the product and a test drive.”