1、x1How Americans Research,Buy,and Maintain CarsAbout this report2Data Source:All data in this report comes from Morning Consult Intelligence.Sample:The behavioral data from section 1 is based on surveys conducted from 05/07/25 through 03/02/26 among a national sample of 14,680 respondents.Sample size

2、s for generational cuts range from 1,451 to 4,551.The brand data from section 2 comes from surveys conducted from 1/1/25 through 12/31/25.Brand trust data covers 59 automotive and auto-adjacent brands tracked in this report,with brand-level sample sizes varying by brand and audience segment.All bran

3、ds included meet a minimum threshold of 500 respondents within each reported audience segment.Brand Trust:Trust scores reflect Morning Consults net trust measure,calculated as the share of respondents who say they trust a brand minus the share who say they distrust it.A positive score indicates more

4、 trust than distrust among the measured population;a negative score indicates the reverse.Scores can be compared directly across brands and audience segments.Audience Segments:Generational cohorts are defined as follows:Generation Z(born 19972012),Millennials(born 1981 1996),Generation X(born 196519

5、80),and Boomers(born 1946 1964).High Income refers to consumers with an income of$200k or more.1.Car buying remains a deeply in-person experience but younger generations are moving it online.Across nearly every stage of the car-buying journey,in-person activity dominates.Eight in ten Americans(83%)p

6、urchased their most recent car in person,and nearly three-quarters(73%)preferred to experience how a car drives in person rather than virtually.However,Gen Z and millennials are more likely than boomers to complete each stage from financing to purchasing online,pointing to an accelerating shift in t