More than twice as many vehicle buyers are finding their late-model used car, truck or SUV via the internet than newspaper and magazine classifieds combined, according to a new study from J.D. Power and Associates, writes Internet Retailer. Some 16 percent of car buyers now find their vehicle via on online classifieds, compared with 7 percent via print classifieds - essentially reversing those proportions from five years ago: 8 percent vs. 14 percent, respectively.

In 2006, 59 percent of used-vehicle buyers used the internet during the shopping process, compared with 53 percent in 2005. Moreover, "buyers under the age of 35 are more than four times as likely to be led to the vehicle they purchase by information found online than by print classified ads," according to Min Cho, a senior analyst at J.D. Power.

Independent websites continue to account for the largest number of visits by used-vehicle buyers; however, dealership sites attract large numbers as well - more used-car buyers visit dealership websites than do new-car shoppers, according to the study.