RALEIGH, N.C. -

While a survey showed more than 20 percent of Millennial consumers — professionals ages 22 to 30 — plan to buy a used or new vehicle within the next year, sources of information used to determine what to buy vary between the men and women questioned.

The survey orchestrated by Capstrat, a marketing, public relations and public affairs company located in North Carolina’s capital city, discovered both men and women predominantly will seek out information on the Web to gauge what kind of vehicle to buy.

All told, 60 percent of respondents said they plan to go online for information. The penetration among men was 55 percent, and for women it was 66 percent.

The source that came next on the respondents’ list deviated tremendously.

After the Web sources, men predominantly will seek guidance from dealers (46 percent). Meanwhile, women surveyed look to their spouse or partner (63 percent) after exhausting online avenues.

How many fewer men would seek spousal input on the vehicle decision? Capstrat determined the level dropped to 41 percent, a level below parents and slightly above friends and co-workers.

Women turn to dealers for information and guidance at a rate of 53 percent, according to the survey report.

Whether the information comes from a website or store personnel, the survey indicated both men and women trust that the details are valid. A total of 58 percent of those surveyed trust this information.

However, Capstrat’s survey also showed a majority of both men and women want input that comes from first-hand accounts from people they know when making a purchase decision. For men, the level was 52 percent, and for women it was 68 percent.

Why do Millennial women want the first-hand account information more? Capstrat discovered that more women (64 percent) than men (44 percent) surveyed already have made at least one vehicle purchase previously.

Capstrat also shared percentages connected with a host of other factors that sway Millennials’ purchase decision:

 Topic  Men  Women  Total
 Consider New and Used Vehicles  85 %  83%  84 %
 Vehicle Should Dictate Status in Life  82 %  69 %  76 %
 Will Need a Co-Signer to Buy Vehicle  72 %  76 %  74 %
 Vehicle Purchase Is a Serious Undertaking  57 %  36 %  47 %
 Vehicle Driven Should Indicate Personality  46 %  28 %  37 %

Capstrat explained 402 interviews were completed among adults 22 to 30 from the FGI SmartPanel of consumer panelists across the U.S. The firm said respondents qualified on age alone, and data was collected from April 6 through 12 via an online survey. Average time for completion was 16 minutes.

“It should be noted that the questions in the survey were written such that they applied to those who have already experienced milestones as well as those that expect to in the future,” Capstrat officials noted.

“When reviewing the analysis herein, it should be understood that not all respondents have had the specific experience yet, and as such, have indicated how they believe they will act in the future,” they added.