Which Used Vehicle Showed Greatest Shopping Intensity in January?

Online auto shopping activity aggregator Dataium revealed on Monday its Auto Shopper Intensity Index for January, which remained on the upswing in the midst of robust auto sales.

On an individual vehicle basis, the used vehicle with the strongest ASI was the Honda Accord, while the BMW 328 was tops on the new-car side.

Overall, the index stayed on the incline yet again after its September trough.

There were notable increases in areas like website traffic and inventory search activity, as well as lead volume, which climbed 52 percent month-over-month (on a per dealership basis, officials noted).

Shoppers are continuing to not only search for more vehicles, but a wider variety of models, as well, Dataium noted. Moreover, shoppers are “more diligent” these days when it comes to looking for cars, so the buying cycle keeps on increasing in length.

“The behavioral components of the index’s moving averages indicate desire and demand are expanding in the market place, with the BMW 328 having the highest shopping intensity for new cars, and Honda Accord, the strongest among pre-owned vehicles,” officials indicated.

“However household economics impacted by continued weak employment and increasing consumer prices threaten to trump buyer desire,” they added.

As for February, the index slowed a bit in the month’s first two weeks. But the Super Bowl — which took place Feb. 6 — had an effect on this period, and Dataium also listed extreme wintry weather and rising fuel costs as possible culprits for the downward movement, as well.

That said, Dataium stressed that the long-term effects on online shopping from gas-price hikes haven’t surfaced yet.

For example, hybrids still have a low ASI Index.

"The ASI index for January continues an encouraging upward trend," stated Eric Brown, Dataium’s chief executive officer. "However, price increases in energy, food, and other consumer goods may begin to impact the ASI Index going forward. The coming months’ ASI may prove to be a bellwether for the remainder of the year."