Edmunds Launches AutoObserver.com Featuring Michelle Krebs; Lead Story Sheds New Light on Truck Market

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--Edmunds Inc., publisher of Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers and enthusiasts, today launched its fourth Web site, AutoObserver.com.

Esteemed automotive authority Michelle Krebs serves as the new site’s Senior Editor and, in coordination with Edmunds’ Editorial Director Kevin Smith, delivers insightful must-read commentary on the automotive industry using Edmunds’ industry data, consumer Forums and other unique resources combined with traditional reporting to provide a fresh take on news stories. Feature stories and daily “blog” entries cover automotive announcements, events, executives, marketing efforts and industry buzz.

AutoObserver.com’s first feature story, Truck Wars: Toyota Takes on Detroit, explores the loyalty of the truck market. According to Edmunds.com’s data, less than 20 percent of trucks traded in for a new domestic truck are “conquests” from other automakers, except in the case of the Dodge Ram, for which 24.6 percent of trade-ins are trucks built by manufacturers other than Dodge. By comparison, of the vehicles currently traded in for a Toyota Tundra, 34.3 percent are trucks built by other companies. When the new Tundra arrives at dealer showrooms that number will climb, and the AutoObserver.com story examines the causes and effects of that shift.

“The creative integration of data is part of the unique approach our new site takes in order to provide a fresh perspective on the industry,” remarked Krebs. “Many journalists use Edmunds’ data, but working for the company I can collaborate even more closely with our analysts and help them mine our database for uncommon and compelling facts.”

Also available on AutoObserver.com is Krebs’ column that has appeared on Inside Line, Edmunds’ high-speed online car magazine and the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site, since its launch two years ago.

Edmunds’ analysts and other contributors help to round out AutoObserver.com’s insider perspective. The site aims to provide an interactive forum for high-quality discussion and dissection of automotive news and trends, and encourages participation by automotive executives and others in the know.

“AutoObserver.com reinforces Edmunds’ commitment to compelling content, transparency of information and top-notch talent--three elements of our current sites which cause them to be such popular online destinations,” explains Matthew Kumin, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Edmunds.com Media. “Edmunds.com advises automotive consumers, Inside Line entertains car enthusiasts, our social networking site CarSpace provides a forum for user-generated content and now AutoObserver.com informs and enlightens the industry.”

Comments and questions can be directed to autoobserver@edmunds.com. “Befriend” AutoObserver.com at www.carspace.com/autoobserver to subscribe to the site’s weekly newsletter. (You must be registered and logged in to CarSpace to participate.)

About Edmunds Inc. (http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/)

Edmunds Inc. publishes four Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its most popular feature, the Edmunds.com True Market Value^®, is relied upon by millions of people seeking current transaction prices for new and used vehicles. Edmunds.com was named "Best Car Research Site" by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "Most Useful Web Site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM), was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites by The Wall Street Journal and was rated "#1" in Keynote's study of third-party automotive Web sites. Inside Line launched in 2005 and is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. CarSpace launched in 2006 and is an automotive social networking Web site. AutoObserver.com launched in 2007 and provides insightful automotive industry commentary and analysis. Edmunds Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit.