New Research Reveals Profiles of Vehicle Shoppers by Make/Model or Segment

Monthly AutoVIBES Report Provides Demographics of Vehicle Shoppers Before Cars Hit Marketplace

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 17 -- AutoVIBES, a monthly automotive omnibus study from Harris Interactive(R) and Kelley Blue Book tracking new vehicle nameplates, now provides customized shopper profiles for vehicle and vehicle segments before the first vehicle is ever sold.

Since October of 2003, AutoVIBES has tracked car shoppers' awareness, attribute ratings, favorability and buying intentions of new vehicle nameplates before they hit the marketplace. Detailed demographic information is collected as part of the study allowing Harris Interactive and Kelley Blue Book to identify profiles of shoppers of each new vehicle. Additionally, data can be compiled and trended beginning several months before a vehicle is sold and tracked all the way through its consumer introduction and sale.

"Many marketers look at the demographics of vehicle registrations months after a car has been in the consumer marketplace to determine whether or not it's being purchased by its intended segment," said Rick Wainschel, director of marketing research at Kelley Blue Book. "Through AutoVIBES, manufacturers and vehicle marketers can see intender profiles long before the first car is ever sold."

    SAMPLE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA AVAILABLE

    Demographic Information by Make/Model
    Chevy Aveo: 41% of those considering an Aveo are age 45 or older
    Ford Freestar: 44% of Freestar considerers do not have kids under the
                   age of 18 living in the household
    Kia Amanti: 20% of those considering an Amanti are African American
    Nissan Pathfinder Armada: 52% of shoppers considering the Armada
                              are women
    Scion xA: 75% of xA intenders are male and 41% are age 45 or older

              - Above data is a compilation of results from
                AutoVIBES October 2003 through January 2004.

    DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION BY VEHICLE SEGMENT

    Among those who intend to buy a hybrid vehicle:
    61 % are men
    71 % are age 35 or older
    56 % are college graduates
    35 % have an annual household income under $50,000
    75 % are Caucasian
    83 % are considering a Toyota
    61 % are considering a Honda

              - Above data is a compilation of results from
                AutoVIBES October 2003 through December 2003.

AutoVIBES is a monthly omnibus survey of 1,500 - 2,000 in-market vehicle buyers who plan to purchase or lease a new vehicle within the next 12 months. The survey is conducted on Kelley Blue Book's Web site, (www.kbb.com) the most visited Web site among in-market vehicle buyers, and is designed and analyzed jointly by Harris Interactive and Kelley Blue Book Marketing Research. Based on the first several months of AutoVIBES, 15% of omnibus respondents are within one week of purchasing or leasing a new vehicle and 50% are between eight and 90 days of purchasing or leasing a new vehicle.

"AutoVIBES truly offers a prescient view of consumer attitudes and vehicle buying intentions in this ultra-competitive U.S. auto industry," said Scott D. Upham, senior vice president of Automotive & Transportation Research for Harris Interactive. "Not only are there standard questions regarding new nameplates, but AutoVIBES also allows manufacturers to insert any vehicle related question for proprietary marketing needs."

For more information on AutoVIBES or obtaining customized demographic intention profile reports for specific makes, models or vehicle segments, contact Harris Interactive or Kelley Blue Book at: 1-877-919-4765, autovibes@kbb.com or autovibes@harrisinteractive.com.

About Harris Interactive(R)

Harris Interactive (www.harrisinteractive.com) is a worldwide market research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll(R), and for pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, U.S.A., Harris Interactive combines proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in predictive, custom and strategic research. The Company conducts international research through wholly owned subsidiaries -- London-based HI Europe (www.hieurope.com) and Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan -- as well as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of local market- and opinion- research firms, and various U.S. offices. EOE M/F/D/V

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, visit www.harrispollonline.com.

About Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com)

Kelley Blue Book is the most trusted vehicle information resource by both consumers and the auto industry, providing research tools and up-to-date pricing on thousands of new and used vehicles, including the company's New Car Blue Book Value, which reveals what a new car is actually selling for. Since 1926, car buyers and sellers have relied upon Kelley Blue Book for authoritative and unbiased information to make well-informed automotive decisions. The company reports vehicle prices and values via products and services including the famous Blue Book Official Guide(TM), software and Internet site, kbb.com. Kbb.com has been rated the No. 1 automotive information site by Nielsen//NetRatings and No. 1 and first visited automotive site by J.D. Power and Associates five years running. No other medium reaches more in-market car-buyers than kbb.com; one in every four American car-buyers complete their research on kbb.com.