On the Dash:
- CDK report says buyers rated ease of purchase at 80% in Q3, down from 85% in Q1.
- Gas prices made 65% of buyers more open to hybrids, plug-in hybrids or EVs.
- Many buyers misjudge costs, and 53% delayed purchases because of interest rates.
Car buyers are still showing up at dealerships in 2026, but the purchasing process is getting harder as consumers contend with higher fuel costs, elevated interest rates and uncertainty about vehicle affordability. CDK Global’s State of the Car Buyer 2026 report examines how those pressures are influencing vehicle preferences, ownership-cost perceptions and the way consumers complete their purchase.
CDK surveyed more than 1,200 car buyers, divided among gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and EV shoppers. The company’s quarterly Ease of Purchase score fell from 85% in Q1 to 82% in Q2 and 80% in Q3. The Q3 average also fell below the averages recorded over the previous three years, pointing to growing friction throughout the buying process.
Gas prices push buyers toward hybrids and EVs
Higher gas prices are changing which vehicles shoppers consider.
- 65% of all buyers said high gas prices made them more likely to consider a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or EV.
- 64% of non-EV buyers said high gas prices made them more open to hybrids or plug-in hybrids.
- 53% of all buyers said high interest rates forced them to delay a purchase.
Driving habits stayed mostly the same, although the share of gas buyers who drive 10,000 miles or less a year rose slightly from 49% to 51%.
Buyers misjudge what their vehicles cost
Many buyers have the wrong idea about purchase and ownership costs, according to CDK.
- 60% of gas buyers believe gas and hybrid vehicles cost more to buy than plug-in hybrids and EVs. That share was 25% last year.
- 41% of EV buyers believe EVs cost more to maintain than other vehicle types.
- Each group believes its own vehicle will hold its value best after five years.
Industry data shows the opposite on purchase price and maintenance, the report found. Lowering the monthly payment was the top reason for buying a new car, cited by 54% of buyers. New vehicle prices have trailed inflation, which may help explain why buyers find the process harder.
More buyers finish the purchase online
Far more buyers in this survey bought entirely online than in CDK’s monthly scorecard, where the share often sits near 0% or 1%. Here is how buyers of each powertrain completed the purchase.
- Gas: 54% dealership, 35% both, 11% online
- Hybrid: 45% dealership, 49% both, 6% online
- Plug-in hybrid: 46% dealership, 48% both, 7% online
- EV: 43% dealership, 50% both, 6% online
Gas buyers represented the largest online retailing, with more than one in 10 completing the transactions digitally. CDK suggested that the expansion of online vehicle retailing, including Carvana’s move into new-vehicle sales and platforms such as Amazon Autos and Autotrader, could be contributing to the shift. However, the survey doesn’t establish those platforms as the direct cause of the increase.
