Q01
Message
All templates
Automobile Research & Purchase Information Survey
Captures how car shoppers gather information, which sources they trust, and where they get stuck comparing vehicles, with an AI follow-up that reconstructs the exact research path behind their most recent vehicle decision.
Sample questions
A preview of what’s in the template. Every question is editable before you launch.
13 questions · ~7 min
Q02
Multiple ChoiceRequired
Are you currently researching a vehicle to buy, or have you bought one in the last 12 months?
- Currently researching, haven't bought yet
- Bought within the last 12 months
- Just browsing, no plans to buy soon
- Not currently interested in a vehicle
Q03
Multiple ChoiceRequired
Which sources have you used to research vehicles in the last 12 months?
- Manufacturer websites
- Third-party review sites
- Dealer websites or visits
- Online marketplaces or listing sites
- Social media or video reviews
- Friends or family
- Owner forums or communities
Q04
RankingRequired
Rank these pieces of information by how much they matter when comparing vehicles.
- Price and available discounts
- Fuel economy or range
- Reliability and ownership costs
- Safety ratings
- Available features and technology
- Reviews from other owners
Drag to rank
Q05
Opinion ScaleRequired
How easy was it to find the specific information you needed during your research?
Scale: 1 – 7
Min:Very difficultMax:Very easy
Q06
Matrix
How much do you trust each of these sources for accurate vehicle information?
5 rows × 5 columns
- Manufacturer websites
- Third-party review sites
- Dealer staff
- Owner forums or communities
- Social media or video reviews
Columns: Do not trust · Somewhat trust · Trust · Fully trust · Haven't used
Q07
Multiple ChoiceRequired
When comparing similar vehicles, what was the single hardest piece of information to pin down?
- True total cost of ownership
- Real-world fuel economy or range
- Trade-in or resale value
- Actual available inventory and pricing
- Reliability history
- Feature comparisons across trims
Q08
AI Interview
Reconstruct the respondent's most recent vehicle research journey step by step: which vehicles they compared, which sources they checked in what order, and where they hit a wall or gave up on finding an answer. Anchor on the specific 'hardest piece of information' they named and dig into why it was hard to find and what they eventually did instead. If they haven't researched a vehicle recently, ask them to walk through the last major purchase research they did for any product and what made it easy or hard.
Q09
Multiple Choice
If you could add one missing feature to vehicle comparison tools, what would it be?
- Side-by-side total cost comparison
- Verified owner reviews only
- Real-time local pricing and inventory
- Independent reliability data
- Personalized recommendations based on my needs
Q10
Message
Just a few quick questions about you, then we're done.
Q11
Multiple Choice
What is your age range?
- 18-24
- 25-34
- 35-44
- 45-54
- 55-64
- 65+
- Prefer not to say
Q12
Multiple Choice
How would you describe your household income?
- Under $50,000
- $50,000-$99,999
- $100,000-$149,999
- $150,000 or more
- Prefer not to say
Q13
Message
Thank you! Your answers will help us build clearer, more trustworthy tools for people researching their next vehicle.
What’s included
AI follow-ups
Adaptive probes on open-ended answers that pull out detail a static form would miss.
Attention checks
Built-in safeguards against rushed answers and low-quality respondents.
AI-drafted copy
Wording, ordering, and branching written by the AI — tuned to your research goal.
Auto report
Themes, quotes, and a plain-English summary write themselves once responses come in.
How it compares
We reviewed the closest templates from other survey tools. Here’s what they do well — and where this template goes further.
Why this template
- Includes a matrix question that captures nuanced trust levels across multiple information sources (dealer sites, reviews, forums, etc.) rather than a single trust rating
- Uses a ranking question to reveal which comparison factors (price, reliability, safety, etc.) actually matter most to each shopper, not just top-of-mind mentions
- Pairs standard multiple-choice questions on sources and pain points with an AI follow-up interview that reconstructs the respondent's actual research journey step by step, surfacing details a static form would miss
- Closes with an opinion-scale question on how easy it was to find needed information, giving a quantifiable friction score alongside the qualitative journey reconstruction
SurveyMonkey
Automobile Information Survey TemplateThis is a fielding-ready static template covering general vehicle research and ownership questions, built on SurveyMonkey's established survey infrastructure. It's a reasonable starting point for basic demographic and preference data but doesn't probe into the actual research process shoppers went through. Best suited for teams wanting quick, editable multiple-choice questions rather than a deep reconstruction of decision-making.
What it does well
- Backed by SurveyMonkey's mature survey platform with broad distribution and analysis tools
- Likely quick to deploy with pre-built, editable question sets
- Familiar interface for respondents, which may improve completion rates
Where it falls short
- No adaptive follow-up capability, so it cannot dig deeper into an individual respondent's specific research path once they answer a fixed question
- No mention of voice-based interviewing or guided screen-share tasks for observing real research behavior
- No transparent prompt methodology or automated per-response quality scoring, since it relies on static question logic
Ready to launch?
Open this template in the editor. Every part is yours to change before the first respondent sees it.