Autobytel's 5th Annual Consumer Choice Awards Reveal Most Requested Vehicles on Autobytel Sites in 2006
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LAS VEGAS--Autobytel Inc. today announced the winners of its fifth annual Consumer Choice Awards at the 2007 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention in Las Vegas. The awards recognize the automakers who built the cars and trucks that were most often requested by Autobytel's millions of online auto shoppers during 2006,1 offering a unique look into the vehicle selection decisions that were made by online buyers.
“Every year, more and more car buyers are shopping online and more and more buying decisions are being influenced online,” said Autobytel President and CEO Jim Riesenbach. “Our awards provide insight into that dynamic by recognizing the automakers behind the vehicles that are being selected by today’s online buyers. Congratulations to all of our Consumer Choice winners for leading the way on the most powerful, influential automotive marketing medium in the world – the Internet.”
The Big Stories in ‘06
A quick look at the Most Requested vehicles overall for 2006 (below) shows that online shoppers were keenly aware of fuel efficiency during most of the year – with the Civic, Accord, Camry, Mini Cooper and Toyota Prius all finishing in the top ten. Every year, certain vehicles capture buyers’ imaginations, and this year on Autobytel’s sites, those vehicles included the Honda Civic and Toyota RAV4 – both of which soared past the competition with wildly popular redesigns. Another significant story for the year was the fact that requests for Saturn brand vehicles rose 29 percent vs. 2005 – more than any other brand on Autobytel’s network of sites. GM’s ability to generate such strong brand interest online – where buyers tend to be younger, with less brand loyalty – should come as heartening news to the company as it continues to remake the Saturn lineup of vehicles.
2006 Autobytel Consumer Choice Awards Winners
#1 Overall Most Requested New Vehicle - Honda Civic
#1 Overall Increase Vehicle Requests (vehicle brand) - Saturn
Most Requested New Truck – Toyota Tacoma
Most Requested New Passenger Car – Honda Civic
Most Requested New SUV – Toyota RAV4
Most Requested New Luxury Car – Acura MDX
Most Requested New Minivan – Honda Odyssey
Top 10 Most Requested Vehicles for 2006
| Honda Civic |
| Toyota Camry |
| Honda Accord |
| Honda Odyssey |
| Toyota RAV4 |
| Mini Cooper |
| Toyota Sienna |
| Toyota Corolla |
| Toyota Prius |
| Toyota Highlander |
The Big Trends
Hybrids Stall – Hybrids faded during Q4, but big SUVs didn’t fare much better. Online shopper preference was clearly pointed in the direction of “crossover” utility vehicles. Even the mighty Prius suffered a 12 percent decline.
Move Over RAV4, Here Comes the CR-V – The RAV4 may have been the most requested SUV for all of 2006, but the redesigned CR-V overtook the RAV4 as the Most Requested SUV in the fourth quarter – with CR-V Requests rising sharply and RAV4 Requests dipping 29 percent. Look for the CR-V to continue its success into 2007, and to be a strong challenger for Most Requested SUV in 2007.
Lifestyle in Style - A final, quirky Q4 trend was the emergence of “fun” or lifestyle vehicles. In addition to the Mini Cooper’s stronger than usual showing, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Chevrolet Avalanche and Ford Shelby Cobra GT500 were also strong performers, indicating that shoppers are perhaps becoming a little more likely to opt for aspirational vehicles instead of more practical and efficient “get to work and home” cars.
Cars to Watch in 2007 …
Here’s a look at cars and trucks that finished strong on Autobytel sites last year, and are hitting 2007 in full gear:
2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited – Jeep hit the right combination of space, utility and fun with the new 2007 Wrangler Unlimited. Not only was it a strong performer during Q4, it easily supplanted the 2006 model – despite heavy rebates on the ‘06 – and looks to be a solid mainstream performer with online shoppers. During Q4, for example, the Wrangler Unlimited ran neck-and-neck with that perpetual online darling, the Toyota Prius.
Saturn – Okay, it’s a brand, not a car…but it’s a brand that’s sharply on the rise as we head into 2007. Saturn’s 29 percent overall growth in Purchase Requests vs. 2005 was largely driven by exciting new vehicles such as the Aura, Sky and Outlook crossover. Up next: the Saturn Astra.
2007 Toyota Yaris – The Yaris is shaping up as a huge hit for Toyota, finishing Q4 ranked among the top ten Most Requested vehicles overall on Autobytel’s sites, right next to long-time dominators like the Civic, Camry and Accord, and almost beating out the venerable Corolla.
2007 Chevy Tahoe/GMC Yukon – The fourth quarter marked a strong comeback for these big SUVs in a CUV-dominated category. If combined, these sister SUVs would have been among the top five most requested SUVs in Q4. Throw in the success of the new Chevrolet Avalanche, and it's fair to say that GM's new vehicles are a hit.
