It became known how much time Russians spend choosing a car.

The process of choosing a car for a Russian consumer takes an average of four months. Experts from Avto told Izvestia about this on April 11.<url> Business" based on the results of a survey of Russians, the results of which were presented at the annual conference for dealers of the North-Western Federal District B:CONF 2025.

According to the survey, Russians consider buying a new car as their first car in 14% of cases. In 62% of cases, they choose a domestic model as their first used car. Those who already have experience buying a used car will look for a used car again in 48% of cases. And 85% of owners who purchased their previous car with a new one are also planning to purchase a new model.

46% of respondents named online reviews as the most important sources of information when choosing a new car. At the same time, 44% of respondents also trust the opinion of car dealership employees, 39% search for information on specialized resources, 38% — in video reviews, 24% — on social networks, and only 3% trust the opinion of relatives and acquaintances.

When buying a used car, 46% of respondents also study reviews on the Internet, 42% consult with relatives and friends, 37% rely on the opinion of car dealership employees. Car pickups are trusted by 10% of buyers of used cars and 20% when buying new ones.

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When choosing a new car, Russians are most often guided by its configuration (51% of respondents noted), the fact that the seller has it (46%) and the terms of purchase (41%). When choosing a used car, the most important factors for respondents are the number of past owners (54%), equipment (43%) and location of the car (42%).

For all buyers, the key factor in choosing a car dealership was the price of the car (70% of buyers are new, 68% are used cars). Next in importance for buyers of used cars are the reviews and rating of the salon, the availability of an official dealership and the courtesy of the staff.

When purchasing a used car, the majority of buyers (36%) prefer to use their own savings. 27% of respondents apply for bank loans, and 26% borrow money from their loved ones. The least popular option for buying a used car is a loan from a car dealership (14%).

On the contrary, new cars are most often bought with car loans issued directly at the showroom (44%). 30% of the respondents resort to bank loans, while they use their own funds only in 24% of cases. The least popular way to purchase a new car is to borrow from friends (15%).

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The day before, it was reported that in January—March 2025, 213 Chinese car dealerships were closed in Russia due to the loss of investors. This is more than in the whole of 2023 (187 car dealerships), and three times more than in the first quarter of last year (67 showrooms).