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A study released today by the Polk Center for Automotive Studies shows that traditional mass media has been rendered nearly obsolete among first-time vehicle buyers. According to the study thirty-five percent of first-time vehicle buyers considered the Interent to be their most important information tool, compared to 8.2 percent for television, 4.4 percent for magazines, 3.6 percent for newspapers, and 1.1 percent for radio.

"First-time buyers' dependence on Web-based media validates the need for an aggressive interactive strategy to court them on the manufacturer and retail level," said Lonnie Miller, managing director for the Polk Center for Automotive Studies. "The Internet's relevance in the 18-30 year age group has reached critical mass and is completely reconfiguring how car companies need to reach out to first-time buyers."