Product-related information has become the primary focus for new-vehicle shoppers who use the web to research car models, for the first time surpassing price information as the focus of their research, according to a new study from J.D. Power and Associates, reports InternetRetailer. The study finds that the vehicle selection of 79 percent of such shoppers is influenced by information found on the web, compared with the 78 percent influenced in how much they paid or offered for the vehicle they purchased.

A record high 67 percent of new-vehicle buyers use the internet in their vehicle shopping process - up from 64 percent in 2004. Nearly nine of then of these consumers visit a search engine or portal as part of their shopping process; 77 percent visit at least one independent web site, typically visiting such a site first in the shopping process. On average, buyers say they rely most on manufacturer-sponsored sites for product information, and on independent sites for price-related information.

Though most buyers visit a brand's website before they purchase its model, they typically visit other brands' sites before finalizing their vehicle selection. At least 80 percent of visitors to a manufacturer's site who bought a new vehicle from that manufacturer will have visited at least one other manufacturer site.