A new study by Claria's Feedback Research suggests that most online car shoppers - 63 percent - know the type of vehicle, though not the brand, they want before they start their online research, which consist mainly of comparing brands, reports InternetRetailer. Price is the most important research topic for 58 percent of online car buyers. Others are size of the car (51 percent), the reputation of the car manufacturer (48 percent) and a vehicle's design and style (46 percent).

The study also found that 61 percent of car buyers bought a car, truck or SUV within two months of starting their web search, which on average consists of visiting five sites during the purchasing cycle.

Of the third-party vehicle comparison sites, the ones visited most were Autobytel.com, followed by Autoweb.com, Carsdirect.com, Automotive.com and Kelley Blue Book (KBB.com).