Today's cars and trucks have evolved tremendously in quality, styling and design over the past couple of generations ? and so has the education of auto-buying consumers.

I recently spoke to one of the thousands of shoppers who visit showrooms across the GTA each week.

She was highly knowledgeable about the car she was interested in buying ? its standard features and options, how it stacked up against competitors. And she knew the value of her trade-in.

This consumer had visited the manufacturer's website and read the literature on that model. She knew what the automotive press had to say about it.  

She also was well informed about current lease and finance rates, warranty protection plans, insurance costs, buy-back options, etc.  

In dealerships across Canada, this is the new reality. Shoppers are as savvy about vehicles as the salespeople. Today, up to 77 per cent of new-car buyers spend time researching their proposed purchases online before visiting a dealership, studies indicate.  

I expect that figure only to increase over the next decade.  

Of course, the Internet is responsible for much of the information revolution hitting the retail automotive industry.  

It has empowered consumers to acquire information about cars and trucks for sale across the country as well as better understand their new-car purchases. It has been a great tool for dealerships, too, promoting communication among staffers, suppliers and customers.  

Of course, shoppers can't rely on all data posted on the Internet. They sometimes get false information from sites and make bad buying decisions.  

I've heard of customers who have chosen one model over another, based on a single review or consumer report.

Some customers approach salespeople with inaccurate information about dealer invoice costs and warranties, expecting sales managers to accept deals that clients have worked out.  

With so much information around, are auto salespeople still needed?  

The answer is, unequivocally, yes. These professionals are relied on more and more to help consumers to interpret the barrage of facts and figures, claims and counterclaims.  

The Internet can mislead because a good deal of the information it provides is biased toward whichever company, group or individual has posted it.  

A good sales rep helps consumers separate the wheat from the chaff.  

Showroom staffers are educated to a higher degree than ever before. They receive regular product updates from manufacturers and attend sales seminars to improve their selling skills. 

Another essential role of salespeople in the car-buying process concerns test drives. Despite all the information available, shoppers still want to take a vehicle on the road before they buy.  

If you plan to visit a dealership to buy a new or used car, you owe it to yourself to conduct some research beforehand.  

There is no excuse not to be informed.  

If the Internet isn't your thing, libraries, newspapers and magazines can help you make an informed choice.

The information revolution is great, but it's no substitute for getting behind the wheel and speaking, one-on-one, with a knowledgeable salesperson.