Automotive Searches on cars.com Hit Record High in March
New Toyota, Dodge and Saturn Models Continue to Pique Consumer Interest
CHICAGO, April 6 -- Car searches on cars.com hit a record high in March, according to the most recent Consumer Search Index report. The search activity was driven by a record number of unique visitors to the site during the month, which exceeded 8.3 million.*
Internet generated car sales as a general category also experienced significant month over month growth: Online used-car sales in March rose more than 20 percent over February sales, according to CNW Marketing Research Inc.
Cars.com's new national television advertising campaign, which launched in the beginning of March, contributed to the rise in site traffic. The new commercials can be seen on ESPN and other top-rated cable networks, and are driving buyers to cars.com to complete the research process.
In addition to the record traffic numbers, several new car models unveiled by manufacturers at recent auto shows, along with the intense marketing efforts that typically accompany the launch, have generated significant consumer interest on cars.com. The Dodge Caliber topped the list of largest month-over-month increases for new vehicles, followed closely by the Toyota FJ Cruiser, Saturn Sky and Hyundai Azera.
"As the major market auto show season nears an end, it seems that we have some clear winners among consumers as far as new vehicle introductions are concerned," said Joe Wiesenfelder, cars.com senior editor. "It will be interesting to see if consumer interest in these vehicles is sustained into the second and third quarters."
Search Increases (February-March)
Models with the largest increase in the number of searches performed on
cars.com.
Top New-Car Search Increases Top Used-Car Search Increases
1 Dodge Caliber 229.01% 1 Dodge Caliber 295.81%
2 Toyota FJ Cruiser 148.44% 2 Saturn Sky 110.51%
3 Saturn Sky 133.97% 3 Hyundai Azera 88.18%
4 Hyundai Azera 99.02% 4 Toyota FJ Cruiser 69.89%
5 Toyota Camry 91.67% 5 Jaguar XK 56.60%
6 Subaru Forester 72.12% 6 Lincoln Zephyr 50.56%
7 Mazda Mazda3 69.07% 7 Mercury Mariner 42.28%
8 Toyota Camry Solara 66.11% 8 Pontiac Torrent 41.98%
9 Pontiac Solstice 63.88% 9 Volkswagen Cabriolet 41.03%
10 Jeep Wrangler 63.09% 10 Lexus IS 250 38.57%
Vehicle Searches (March)
Models with the most searches performed on cars.com.
Top New-Car Searches Top Used-Car Searches
1 Honda Civic 1 Honda Civic
2 Honda Accord 2 Honda Accord
3 Toyota Camry 3 Ford Mustang
4 Toyota RAV4 4 Toyota Camry
5 Ford Mustang 5 Ford F-150
6 Acura MDX 6 Toyota Corolla
7 Toyota Corolla 7 Toyota Tacoma
8 BMW 325 8 Chevrolet Corvette
9 Toyota Tacoma 9 Nissan Maxima
10 Chevrolet Silverado 10 Mitsubishi Eclipse
Top Dealer Email Inquiries (March)
New Cars Yielding the Most Used Cars Yielding the Most
Dealer Inquiries Dealer Inquiries
1 Honda Civic (2006) 1 Honda Civic (2000)
2 Honda Accord (2006) 2 Audi A4 (2004)
3 Toyota RAV4 (2006) 3 Mitsubishi Eclipse (1997)
4 Honda Odyssey (2006) 4 Subaru Impreza (2004)
5 Toyota Camry (2006) 5 Toyota Supra (1993)
6 Toyota Corolla (2006) 6 Honda Accord (2003)
7 Honda Pilot (2006) 7 Honda Civic (2002)
8 Toyota Tacoma (2006) 8 Ford Mustang (2001)
9 Toyota Sienna (2006) 9 Honda Accord (2005)
10 Toyota Highlander (2006) 10 Infiniti G35 (2003)
Top Cars Listed For Sale By Owner (March)
1 Honda Accord
2 Honda Civic
3 Ford Mustang
4 Ford Explorer
5 Jeep Grand Cherokee
6 Ford F-150
7 Volkswagen Jetta
8 Toyota Camry
9 Dodge Ram
10 BMW 325
* Search numbers are based off internal reporting.
** Due to the large number of unique visitors in March, no vehicles saw a
significant decline in search activity month over month. As a result,
the chart that typically shows the top vehicle decliners has been left
off this month's report.
About the cars.com Consumer Search Index
The cars.com Consumer Search Index offers a comprehensive look at the internet search behavior of cars.com visitors. The statistical information is compiled by tracking the more than 8.3 million unique visitors that log on to cars.com each month and the vehicles that are most popular. The lists are based off a minimum of 4,000 searches for any given vehicle. Dealer inquiries measure the volume of emails consumers send to dealers seeking information about a particular vehicle. The information is supported by expert analysis from the cars.com editorial staff.
About cars.com
Partnered with more than 200 leading metro newspapers, television stations and their websites, cars.com is the most comprehensive destination for those looking to buy or sell a new or used car. The site lists more than 1.5 million vehicles from 10,000 dealer customers, classified advertisers and private parties to offer consumers the best selection of new and used cars online, as well as the content, tools and advice to support their shopping experience. Recently selected by Forbes.com as a Best of the Web site for car shopping, cars.com combines powerful inventory search tools and new-car configuration with pricing information, photo galleries, buying guides, side-by-side comparison tools, original editorial content and reviews to help millions of car shoppers connect with sellers each month.
Launched in June 1998, cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, ( http://classifiedventures.com/ ), which is owned by six leading media companies, including Belo , Gannett Co., Inc. , Knight Ridder , The McClatchy Company , Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company .
