Covid and a crowd of startups are forever changing how Americans buy cars

A used 2017 Chevrolet Cruze sits in a row of other used, late-model sedans at a dealership in Centennial, Colorado. The pandemic has accelerated consumers’ shift from analogue to digital when it comes to car shopping. — AP

Even before the pandemic, Laura Ratliff hated car shopping. She was hunting for a well-worn, yet dependable, Toyota SUV, but the options didn’t much impress her. When she got to a certain point with a model or two, they failed inspections with her mechanic. It didn’t help that the dealers she met fit the stereotype – unctuous and inspiring zero trust. She peeked at some listings on Craigslist, too, but those sellers were sketchier still.

By May, as the Brooklyn, New York-resident found herself in the epicenter of the virus outbreak in the US, she gave up the search. As a travel writer, Ratliff is often on the go, but for the time being, staying put seemed the best option. Her two dogs would be happy enough with their daily walks in Fort Greene Park rather than sprawling acres upstate.