Two thirds of motorists lack the confidence to buy a car online, according to a new survey by Manheim Auctions.

The survey was conducted by One Poll with 3,000 respondents which revealed that despite spending an average of 18 hours online researching a car before they make a purchase, taking the plunge and buying online is still a step too far for most.

A quarter 25% said that although they’d be happy to find a car and agree a price online, they wouldn’t part with any cash until they’d seen in person.

Craig Mailey, marketing director, Manheim Auctions, said: “There is no question that the internet has become the primary research tool for motorists looking for a car.

“But when it comes to actually buying online, without seeing the vehicle first, consumers are just not ready to take the plunge. Motorists are wary and despite the rise in the number of used car websites, we’ve found that consumers are not confident enough to make this sort of purchase online.”

The study also showed that motorists spend hours trawling the internet researching their next car, looking at the best deals on the market, comparing makes and models on a variety of websites and checking out insurance, tax brackets and increasingly fuel consumption for vehicles.

Over half of motorists even admitted to surfing car websites just for fun, searching for their ‘dream’.