Consumers 'Crossing Over' to Crossovers, According to NADAguides.com

Crossover Vehicles Gaining Ground as Car Buyers Seek Fuel Efficiency, Roominess and Style Without SUV Drawbacks

COSTA MESA, Calif., Oct. 2 -- NADAguides (www.NADAguides.com), a leading vehicle information website, today said traffic to the Crossover Vehicles section of its website increased significantly since January 1, 2006, a fact that resonates with growing consumer interest of Crossover Vehicles in the automotive marketplace.

According to Don Christy, Jr., president and CEO of NADAguides.com, traffic to the Crossover Vehicles section of the NADAguides.com website increased 37% from January 1 to August 31, 2006, making it the company's fastest growing vehicle segment during that timeframe.

Additionally, David Ingstad, NADAguides.com website analyst, said the company provided record-breaking Crossover Vehicle pricing reports in the month of August alone. "In addition to significant traffic increases to the Crossover Vehicle section of our website, we provided approximately 49,000 new Crossover Vehicle information reports from August 1 to August 31, 2006," said Ingstad, "making pricing, specification and options data for new Crossovers one of our website's most popularly researched information segments."

Combining the utility and spaciousness of an SUV with the maneuverability of a car, Crossover Vehicles (or CUVs) have been on a consistent sales growth pattern in recent years and industry analysts and auto companies alike predict that for the first time ever, sales of Crossover Vehicles will top sales of traditional SUVs in 2006. According to NADAguides.com, more than 40 Crossover models (both foreign and domestic) are now available to car buyers.

"Bottom line, car buyers love Crossovers," said Mark Perleberg, lead auto expert, NADAguides.com. "Unlike SUVs which are built on a stiffer truck platform, Crossover Vehicles are built on a softer, less truck-like chassis, making them more attractive to a wide range of drivers in a variety of driving situations. What's more, a Crossover Vehicle is more fuel efficient than its SUV cousin, which ultimately makes a CUV more affordable to own."

According to recent industry reports, sales of Crossovers were up over 4% in August while sales of SUVs were down over 13% and industry analysts predict sales of CUVs to maintain their consistent growth pattern for the remainder of the year.

While CUV popularity continues to rise, Perleberg says there will still be a portion of the car buying population -- albeit a smaller one -- loyal to SUVs. "There will always be a buyer for the Suburban and the Expedition," said Perleberg. "However, the mid-size SUV market has certainly been hardest hit. This is the first time we've seen sales of SUVs decline since they were first introduced to the market in the early '90's. I predict we'll continue to see sales of mid-size SUVs dwindle as more and more people opt for the flexibility and efficiency offered by today's Crossover Vehicle."

In addition to releasing recent CUV website statistics, NADAguides.com also published a list of the top six most researched Crossover Vehicles at its website for the timeframe beginning January 1, 2006 and ending August 31, 2006. Following are highlights.

  1.  Toyota RAV4
  2.  Ford Escape
  3.  Toyota Highlander
  4.  Saturn VUE
  5.  Nissan Murano
  6.  Dodge Caliber (Most requested Crossover information in August 2006)

  About NADAguides.com

N.A.D.A. Appraisal Guides (NADAguides.com) is the world's largest publisher of vehicle valuations and specification information for new and used cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs, as well as van conversions, limousines, classic and collectible cars, boats, RVs, motorcycles, snowmobiles, personal watercraft and manufactured housing. The company's consumer website, NADAguides.com (www.NADAguides.com), offers a variety of new and used vehicle services in addition to valuation information. Throughout its 73-year history, N.A.D.A. Appraisal Guides has earned the reputation as the recognized authority for vehicle valuations. Its website, NADAguides.com, is the most comprehensive vehicle information resource on the Internet today.