A wildly unexpected piece of news: Most people who bought a new car in 2021 are happy with the experience.
2021 was a miserable year to buy a car, according to thousands of headlines, many of which we’ve written. Prices soared to new records—the average new car sold for more than $47,000 in December. That average increased by more than $6,000 in just one year. Nationwide, dealerships faced low inventory due to a microchip shortage.
Yet, 66% of new car buyers described themselves as “highly satisfied with their shopping experience” in the 12th annual Cox Automotive Car Buyer Journey Study. Cox Automotive is the parent company of Kelley Blue Book.
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The number isn’t quite a record. The record came in 2020 when 72% of buyers called themselves highly