Survey Finds Slowing Economy Influencing Used Car Shoppers

  70% of Consumers Believe That Purchasing Online Could Enable Them to Buy A
                      Better Used Vehicle for Less Money

    IRVINE, Calif., April 19 Car buyers are heading to used
car lots as the American economy continues to slow.  In a recent study
conducted for Autobytel.com by Princeton, New Jersey-based Opinion Research,
39 percent of American adults feel the current state of the economy would
influence them to purchase a used vehicle rather than purchasing or leasing a
new vehicle.  Those with household incomes under $50,000 are more likely to
say that the economy would influence them to purchase a used car or truck than
adults from households with higher incomes (47% versus 29%).

    Seventy percent of adults surveyed also agree that purchasing online could
enable them to buy a better vehicle for less money.  Over one-half (52%)
indicated that the first source they would trust for objective information to
help them obtain the best price is a website (such as Autobytel.com) that
offers comparisons on multiple brands and features.  Only 13 percent of those
surveyed said they would first trust a website offering only one make of
vehicle; 23 percent indicated that they would first trust a salesperson from a
dealership or used car lot for this information.

    Eighty-one percent said, when it comes to the actual purchase of a used
vehicle, that the ability to exchange a vehicle for another vehicle after the
purchase, money back guarantees, or warranties, are important.  Almost
one-third of those surveyed stated that these options are extremely important.

    Autobytel.com, the global leader in online automotive commerce, was one of
the first Internet companies to take a stake in the $363 billion used car
market by offering used car purchasing over the Internet, and has recently
broadened its used vehicle program, CyberStore.  "We have instituted new
processes in our used car program to meet this increasing demand for used cars
and trucks," said Autobytel.com President and CEO Mark Lorimer.  "For example,
the size of payments takes on greater importance in the monthly budget when
the economy slows, so we have added a function that allows consumers to search
for cars by monthly payment."

    In addition, Autobytel's CyberStore is designed to help relieve tensions
that often accompany the purchase of a used vehicle by providing comprehensive
dealer guarantees on certified vehicle listings.  Accredited CyberStore
Dealers offer certified vehicles with three-month warranties and a 72-hour
exchange policy, as well as non-certified vehicles.  All certified vehicles in
the CyberStore must meet state requirements for inspection and emissions, and
the site provides free "lemon checks" and extra vehicle history reports.

    Autobytel.com CyberStore consumers have multiple options to help them find
the exact used car or truck they are looking for, including search by make and
model, search by vehicle type, search by geographic location as well as price
and monthly payment.  With the ability to search from thousands of certified
and non-certified used vehicles, used-car buyers can choose from vehicles of
every description, priced from as little as $1,000 to as much as $100,000.

    "When you want a used car, you can go to ten dealerships and never really
find what you're looking for," said Autobytel.com customer Mary McCoig.
"Autobytel took my criteria and matched me up with a dealer in minutes.  You
could spend two weeks on the phone trying to do that and fail.  I did it in
20 minutes on the Internet."

    The CyberStore also provides consumers with two windows of essential
car-buying information.  The top window displays the vehicle search results,
while the bottom window provides specific details on each vehicle, including a
digital picture, mileage information, pricing and other important information.
CyberStore visitors are able to research and compare listings to help them
find a used vehicle that fits their specific needs and budget.

    According to Opinion Research, of the adults surveyed, nearly two thirds
(64%) said they use the Internet.  Eighty-three percent of those living in
households earning $50,000 or more indicated they used the Internet compared
to 55 percent in households earning $50,000 or less.