Consumer Reports Offering Canada-Specific Car Pricing Tools; Canadian Consumers Can Now Negotiate with Dealers on a Level Playing Field

YONKERS, N.Y.--Sept. 19, 2006--Consumer Reports, published by Consumers Union, the largest consumer product testing organization in North America, is introducing the Canadian New Car Price Report to Canada, which will give Canadians the ability to save hundreds, even thousands, on their next new car, truck, minivan or SUV purchase. Consumer Reports' Canadian New Car Price Reports will be available online beginning Sept. 19 at http://www.crcanadacars.org.

The introduction marks the first time Consumer Reports will offer Canada-specific price and incentive information, even though the organization has been providing U.S.-based vehicle information for ten years with its Canadian Extra print supplements and online links from http://www.consumerreports.org. Pricing is US$29.95 for one report, US$39.95 for two reports and US$49.95 for four reports.

The Consumer Reports Bottom Line Price, included in the Canadian New Car Price Reports, is based on expert analysis of constantly changing, often unpublicized new-car rebates and incentives. Knowing the Bottom Line Price levels the playing field between consumers and dealers, helping car shoppers get the best price on a new vehicle. Moreover, the reports will include reliability information compiled from Consumer Reports' annual survey of U.S. car owners. This year the owners of more than one million cars responded to the survey.

"There was an information void in Canada," said Rob Gentile, director of Consumer Reports' Auto Price Service. "Canadian new- car buyers could only rely on Consumer Reports' U.S. pricing data, which did not correlate well. But now our Canadian New Car Price Reports will give Canadians the most accurate new-car price information based on local information, in addition to unparalleled testing data."

For those who want to quickly shop for substantially discounted cars that Consumer Reports rates well in terms of reliability and performance, a list of up to ten 'Canadian Best Deals' will be posted at http://www.crcanadacars.org and updated monthly.

Twenty years ago Consumer Reports was the first major information provider to give consumers a glimpse beyond the MSRP, or window sticker price. Today, Consumer Reports' APS provides consumers information on what dealers actually pay for a new car and its options and packages -- giving consumers the ability to negotiate a fair price.

About 300,000 (6 percent) of Consumer Reports' more than 6,000,000 print and online subscribers are located in Canada. "We'd like to see that number grow substantially," said Jerry Steinbrink, vice president of publishing. "Canadians are the first of what we hope to be many more international consumers to benefit from what Consumer Reports does best: Test, inform and protect."

Consumer Reports developed its Bottom Line Price as a new approach to help car shoppers cut through the confusion of buying a car. The Bottom Line Price takes into consideration what the dealer actually paid for a car, plus all incentives and rebates, to provide consumers with an accurate number at which to start negotiating.

About Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports is one of the most trusted sources for information and advice on consumer products and services. It conducts the most comprehensive auto-test program of any U.S. publication or Web site; the magazine's auto experts have decades of experience in driving, testing and reporting on cars. To subscribe to Consumer Reports, call 1-800-234-1645. Information and articles from the magazine can be accessed online at http://www.ConsumerReports.org

Consumers Union is a member of Consumers International, the London-based voice of the international consumer movement on issues such as product and food standards, health and patients' rights, the environment and sustainable consumption, and the regulation of international trade and public utilities. Learn more at http://www.consumersinternational.org.

APS CANADA 2006

(C) Consumers Union 2006. The material above is intended for legitimate news entities only; it may not be used for commercial or promotional purposes. Consumer Reports(R) is published by Consumers Union, an expert, independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. To achieve this mission, we test, inform and protect. To maintain our independence and impartiality, Consumers Union accepts no outside advertising, no free test samples and has no agenda other than the interests of consumers. Consumers Union supports itself through the sale of our information products and services, individual contributions and a few noncommercial grants. (RD 8-4-06)