Gasta News: Would you buy a car from this website? Car sales up on the Internet.

The internet is the main influence which determines a consumer's car purchase as the majority believe they'll locate a better deal online, according to research from Microsoft.

A sample of 622 people found just two out of 10 people planning to buy a car in the next six months might delay the purchase due to the economic climate, and 65% believe this landscape will provide them with a better deal.

in the decision making process, with online shaping decisions about which make and model consumers choose.

Some 39% of people intending to buy said they had not decided on the category of car before coming online, with 55% still undecided over the brand and 61% over the model.

Furthermore, 69% of people said they used the web specifically for deciding which extras they wanted.

The report also said internet research empowered consumers, with 70% saying they feel more confident walking into a dealership if they have researched online first.

Jacqueline O'Sullivan, head of marketing communications at Microsoft Advertising, said, "The internet has now become the most important influence in a car buyers' decision-making process. Also, as less decisions are made before going online car brands have multiple opportunities to demonstrate why theirs should be the one that should be bought."