Lexus RX400h Voted 'Most Anticipated Hybrid'

IRVINE, Calif., March 22 -- Automotive.com, a leading Internet automotive marketing company, announced Lexus RX400h as the winner of the "Most Anticipated Hybrid" car of 2005. After months of voting and tallying over 200,000 votes submitted by consumers in the Automotive.com 2nd annual Consumer Choice Awards, Lexus was number one.

"With a flurry of new hybrid models being introduced this year this is a market segment that is really heating up," said Jason Phillips, vice-president of Automotive.com. "The demand for alternative fuel vehicles keeps doubling year after year."

Voted as the most anticipated hybrid of 2005, the new Lexus RX400h represents an advancement of hybrid technology to its highest level, befitting Lexus' claim of having the world's first luxury hybrid. Thanks to three electric motors and a high-capacity battery, the 268-horsepower RX400h can claim 30 MPG in city driving while accelerating to 60 MPH in under seven seconds -- an impossible combination for a conventional SUV. The sophistication of Lexus' hybrid technology allows the RX400h to be driven without the gas engine for long periods of time, ensuring silent, gas-free operation. Fast, frugal, and friendly to the Earth all at once, the new RX400h is the most noteworthy hybrid to receive this award.

"What makes these awards meaningful is the wide range of car buyers who voted," said Phillips. "We're very proud of the trust placed in our site by our visitors and the automobile industry."

Consumers visiting Automotive.com voted for last years consumer "best" in 15 vehicle categories, from sports cars to minivans, picking the automobile that they felt best represented exceptional value, superiority in its class, and overall customer satisfaction.

The following models were included in the voting for 2005 consumer "Most Anticipated Hybrid": Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, Ford Escape, Chevy Silverado and Lexus RX400h. Additional information on Automotive.com Award winners can be found at http://awards.automotive.com/ .

The Award Voting Process

The Automotive.com Awards are based solely on votes from consumers placed online at http://www.automotive.com/. Voting information is used to compile the rankings and standard industry vehicle categories are used to group vehicles for voting purposes. The number of automotive award categories is aligned with the number of model-level segments within the automotive industry. The top 5 vehicles in each category are influenced by the millions of consumers across the U.S. who utilized Automotive.com for their new car buying services during the year. Rankings are in no way influenced by the opinion of Automotive.com or its staff.

About Automotive.com

Automotive.com, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Irvine, Ca., is the Internet's leading auto buying portal and consumer information website. Automotive.com has helped more than 30 million consumers research and price new cars, http://www.automotive.com/new-cars/, and used cars, http://www.automotive.com/used-cars/, leading to more than 3 million vehicle sales. Automotive.com unites the new car buyer with a local new car dealer, large dealer group or direct with the manufacturer online -- dramatically improving the way consumers research, locate and buy new vehicles. Automotive.com is a privately held corporation. For more information, visit http://www.automotive.com/ or call 1-888-446-8742.