ATLANTA, Oct. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine if buying your next car took less time — Autotrader is making it a reality with the national launch of a revolutionary new experience to accelerate the car buying process for consumers. The typical car buyer in the U.S. spends more than three hours in the dealership from start to finish, and for half of new-car buyers in America^*, that's entirely too long. Accelerating your deal on Autotrader helps make car buying faster, easier and more enjoyable, and most importantly, can save consumers up to an hour at the dealership^†, thanks to a simple, more dynamic and integrated online experience.

Consumers are choosing their own purchase path when it comes to car buying —83 percent want to complete some buying steps online and 89 percent want to sign final documents in-store^‡, Autotrader starts the shopping process online and helps transition consumers from searching to buying. Once a shopper has chosen the vehicle of their choice on Autotrader, the shopper can structure their deal, including calculating a monthly payment based on their actual information, getting a Kelley Blue Book® Trade-In Value and securing financing, before entering the dealership. At the dealership, shoppers can enjoy a test drive on their prospective new ride and complete the paperwork. Car buyers especially like to sign the final paperwork in person, but for the most part, shoppers get to do the hard work at home and save the fun stuff for their trip to a local dealer. The new Autotrader experience makes prospective car buyers better informed about the vehicle they are shopping for and a much more knowledgeable, confident buyer walking onto a dealer lot.

"Today's consumer is always looking for time-savers in all areas of their life, and we know the lengthy dealership experience isn't ideal when it comes to purchasing a vehicle," said Greta Crowley, vice president of marketing for Autotrader. "By accelerating their deal on Autotrader, car buyers can now get some of that time back by getting a bulk of the process done from the comfort of their own home. Autotrader is transforming the car buying process for car shoppers and dealers, with the ultimate goal to get consumers into the cars they want quicker, through the customized purchase process they want."

Timed to the national launch of the new experience, Autotrader partnered with independent advertising agency Zambezi for its newest advertising campaign "Palm of Your Hand," which features a deconstructed virtual dealership, further illustrating the personalization, speed and convenience for car shoppers and how Autotrader is changing car buying as you know it. Targeting key demographic groups, the multimedia campaign will be supported across a variety of broadcast, digital and print, including streaming platforms and online video, along with social media and ads across digital properties. The broadcast spots will appear during morning, primetime and late-night programming, as well as NBA on TNT and across the networks of ABC, CBS, NBCUniversal. Autotrader will partner again with NBCUniversal and Andy Cohen on a custom spot that will run on select NBCUniversal networks.

With Autotrader, www.autotrader.com/accelerate, consumers now have a new way to experience car shopping and can save time at the dealership and customize their deal online. Autotrader makes it easier than ever for consumers to find the right car and now buy faster with expert guidance from Autotrader's editorial team, as well as personalized decision-making support.

For more news from Autotrader, visit press.autotrader.com, follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Autotrader_com (or @Autotrader_com), Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/autotrader_com/ (or @autotrader_com), like our page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/autotrader/, add us on Snapchat (@Autotrader_com), and get updates at Google+ at https://plus.google.com/+Autotrader.

About Autotrader
Autotrader is the most recognized third-party car listings brand, with the most engaged audience of in-market shoppers. As the foremost authority on automotive consumer insights and expert in online and mobile marketing, Autotrader makes the car shopping experience easy and fun for today's empowered consumer looking to find or sell the perfect new, used or Certified Pre-Owned car. Using technology, shopper insights and local market guidance, Autotrader's comprehensive marketing solutions guide dealers to personalized digital marketing strategies that grow brand, drive traffic and connect the online and in-store shopping experience. Autotrader is a Cox Automotive™ brand. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com.

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company's 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion. www.coxautoinc.com  

^*Cox Automotive 2018 Car Buyer Journey Study

^†Cox Automotive 2018 Car Buyer Journey Study

^‡Cox Automotive 2018 Future of Digital Retail Study

SOURCE Autotrader