Chrome Announces Expanded Regional Automobile Rankings
9 August 2000
Technology Provides Metro Area Rankings of the Most Popular Cars Based On ZIP Code
PORTLAND, Ore. - Chrome Data Corporation, the automotive industry's most accurate independent business-to-business provider of data and software for selling cars online, today announced an expanded regional breakdown of the Chrome Top 10(TM), online shoppers' most popular cars and trucks nationwide and in 13 major metro areas: Atlanta, GA, Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, Denver, CO, Detroit, MI, Houston, TX, Los Angeles, CA, New York City, NY, Philadelphia, PA, Portland, OR, San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA.These rankings of the most popular cars and trucks are compiled from online consumers' use of Chrome's pricing and configuration tool, Chrome Carbook(TM), via more than 1,000 client Web sites during the first seven months of 2000.
Chrome Top 10(TM) Nationwide, July YTD Rank Year Make Model 1 2000 Honda Accord 2 2000 Honda Civic 3 2000 Honda Odyssey 4 2000 BMW 323 5 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser 6 2000 Nissan Xterra 7 2000 Volkswagen Jetta 8 2000 Ford Mustang 9 2000 Volkswagen Passat 10 2000 Ford Focus Chrome Top 10 Most Popular Vehicles by Metro Area, July YTD Metro Area Year Make Model Atlanta 2000 Volkswagen Jetta Boston 2000 Volkswagen Passat Chicago 2000 Honda Civic Dallas-Ft. Worth 2000 Dodge Dakota Denver 2000 Ford Super Duty F-250 Detroit 2000 Ford Focus Houston 2000 Chevrolet Suburban Los Angeles 2000 Honda Accord New York 2000 BMW 323 Philadelphia 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser Portland OR 2000 Acura Integra San Francisco 2000 BMW 323 Seattle 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
"The availability of regional automobile information is critically important to auto dealers and manufacturers," said Bob Navarre, CEO of Chrome. "Dealers can forecast near-term demand for their specific area and as it differs across the country, and manufacturers can shorten their lead times to build -- ultimately benefiting the consumer."
The Chrome Top 10 ranking is compiled from online car shoppers' requests for price quotes from dealers, not just browsers' researches. Research into the use of online automotive sites suggests information based on price quote requests is a future indicator of purchase. According to Art Spinella of CNW Marketing/Research, people using the Internet to search for cars are usually no more than six months from actually making a purchase, and often much closer than that.
"If they're looking at price data, they're probably less than a month away from actually buying a car," said Spinella. "If they're focusing more on the models available and the styling features within models, then they're likely two to four months from making a purchase."
Chrome: Most Accurate Data Provider
In a recent independent study CNW Marketing/Research compared the pricing data of the major online automotive data sources by configuring 86 different vehicles at eight different Web sites (see Chrome Data Named Most Accurate Data Provider for Automotive e-Commerce, June 27, 2000). Chrome ranked first in data accuracy with an average price discrepancy of only one-third of one percent of the average new car price -- less than the study's margin of error.
About Chrome Data
Chrome Data pioneered the technology behind electronic vehicle configuration and for the past 14 years has collected, analyzed and enhanced "raw" automotive data from all manufacturers. Chrome's flagship product, the desktop research, pricing and ordering tool PC Carbook(R), is widely accepted as the standard in automotive data. Chrome's Internet-based product, Chrome Carbook(TM), allows dealers, Internet portals, financial institutions, and insurance and warranty companies to provide visitors to their Web sites with a tool to configure cars online -- including specifications on all new vehicle makes and models, standard and optional equipment, vehicle pictures and accurate pricing. This information precisely matches manufacturers' invoice and MSRP pricing, enabling users to configure and order any vehicle sold in the U.S. with the confidence that the delivered product and price are exactly what was expected.