Buying a Car? See This Infographic First

Charlie White

A vehicle will be one of the most expensive purchases most of us ever make. Buying a car has never been easy, but here's help: All the digital tools at our disposal make the process less complicated, and this infographic will show you how people successfully tackle that complicated task of car shopping.

Most of the time, when you want to make a difficult choice about a complicated product, the Internet is certainly the place to go. Buying a car is no exception. In fact, 83% of car buyers study various models and prices online before hitting the showroom floor. Even so, research shows that 52% have still not decided which car they'd like to purchase when they arrive at a dealership.

When you're buying a car, that friendly salesperson is not really your friend.

When you're buying a car, that friendly salesperson is not really your friend. He's a formidable adversary in a transaction that could cost you thousands of dollars more than it should. In this situation, asymmetry of information is your biggest enemy. The salesperson knows everything about that car, along with the most important fact: the price his dealership had to pay for that vehicle.

If you're armed with that number — an important piece of data you can get at sites such as Consumer Reports for a small fee — you could save yourself a pot full of money. In addition, arming yourself with key facts about the car you're considering, as well as refraining from falling in love with the car and remaining unemotional about the transaction, could make the difference between a sweet deal and a ripoff.

Don't know which car is right for you? Here's a tip: Go to a car show, where all the cars will be there in one place for you to sit in and learn about. Make a short list of your favorites, and then test drive each one later at the dealerships.

To get a handle on car buying circa 2013 and all of its attendant joys and sorrows, we turn to researchers at Lab42, who conducted a survey of the car-buying habits and frustrations of consumers. The company surveyed 500 adult car buyers in the United States between Feb. 10 - 13, 2013, and the result is the following infographic.

Infographic courtesy of Lab42, front page photo via iStockphoto, egeeksen