Autobytel Consumer Choice(TM) Data for Second Quarter Shows Strong Shift Toward Smaller, More Fuel-Efficient Cars
Survey Shows America's Car Dealers Feeling Impact of High Gas Prices
IRVINE, Calif., July 6 -- Autobytel Inc. today announced Consumer Choice data showing the cars and trucks that were requested most(1) by its millions of online shoppers(2) during the second sales quarter of 2004. The Q2 numbers suggest that high prices at the pump are fueling a turnaround in preferences of online car buyers -- away from large trucks and SUVs and toward smaller, more fuel- efficient vehicles. Surveys(3) of auto dealers across the country and of online consumers conducted by Autobytel also indicate the growing impact of high fuel prices on car sales and shopping patterns.
Hybrids (and Other Fuel-Sippers) Hit Home with Online Car Buyers
According to Autobytel's consumer data, hybrids are quickly entering the car-buying mainstream. Toyota has enjoyed the biggest increase in vehicle Purchase Requests of any vehicle on Autobytel's network this year -- generating a 41% increase in Purchase Requests in the second quarter alone. The once-flagging Honda Insight, meanwhile, is resurging with a 30% gain in Purchase Requests since Q1 2004.
Overall, relatively small, fuel-efficient cars fill the list of the biggest second-quarter gainers at Autobytel, with requests to buy the fuel- friendly Volkswagen Jetta and New Beetle up 30% and requests for the Honda Civic up 29%. The upswing in requests for the Civic moved the vehicle to the 2nd spot in Autobytel's year-to-date ranking of its most requested vehicles, just behind the ever-popular Honda Accord. The Mazda6 and Hyundai Sonata (both up 23%) continued to be popular with online shoppers in the second quarter, while the Mazda3 made its debut among the most requested vehicles overall on the Autobytel network.
Survey Shows America's Car Dealers Feel Impact of High Gas Prices on Showroom Floor
According to a recent Autobytel survey of automobile dealers, heightened consumer interest in more fuel-efficient passenger cars is beginning to play out on the showroom floor. Thirty-three percent of dealers surveyed said fuel efficiency outweighed brand, styling, performance, safety and roominess as a consumer buying consideration. Eighty-two per cent of dealers, meanwhile, said their customers are more interested in fuel-efficiency and/or fuel- efficient vehicles than they were a year ago. The majority (52%) said they're now having a harder time selling SUVs/trucks than a year ago, despite hefty incentives on many of the larger domestics. While 51% said they would make no changes in their inventory mix, nearly half (45%) said that they are adding, or will soon add, more fuel-friendly vehicles to their inventory mix at the expense of larger trucks/SUVs.
Another recent Autobytel survey, which queried 3,000 shoppers on the company's car buying web sites, reflects the online buying trends illustrated above. Forty-four per cent of those surveyed indicated they would shop for a smaller vehicle with better fuel-efficiency, while 60% said they would sacrifice interior space and performance for better fuel-efficiency.
Purchase Requests Down for Trucks and SUVs
The flip side of the soaring popularity of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars is lower demand for Trucks and SUVs. Purchase Requests were down for the most popular trucks and SUVs -- with the biggest drop-offs suffered by the biggest models. Requests for the Ford Expedition, for example, were off 25% versus Q1 2004, while requests for the Hummer H2 -- the one-time darling of the utility set -- fell 47%. The honeymoon for the new Nissan Armada, meanwhile, appears threatened, as requests fell nearly 18% in the second quarter. Other import SUVs did not fare much better than their domestic counterparts, with the Toyota Sequoia down 12%, the Toyota Land Cruiser 30% off the pace and the Volkswagen Touareg dropping 37% since the first quarter.
Minivans Prove Exception to the Downsizing Rule
Every rule has an exception, and when it comes to Autobytel shoppers' current vehicle 'downsizing,' that exception is the minivan category, which continues to defy the downward trajectory of its SUV/truck brethren. The Ford Freestar is leading the rebellion, with a 67% increase in requests in Q2 2004 vs. Q1 2004. The Chrysler Town and Country (up 16%), Mazda MPV (up 12%), Dodge Caravan (up 11%) and Dodge Grand Caravan (up 8%) are also bucking the smaller-is-better trend. Recent redesigns and upgrades appear to be popular with family car shoppers, such as the new Toyota Sienna and Chrysler's Stow 'n Go seating and storage configuration. All three DaimlerChrysler minivans -- the Chrysler Town & Country (+16%), Dodge Caravan (+11%) and Dodge Grand Caravan (+8%) posted solid gains in the second quarter. Combined, Dodge and Chrysler minivans are up 12 over the first quarter of 2004.
Most Requested Vehicles Overall 1) 2004 Honda Accord 2) 2004 Honda Civic 3) 2004 Ford F-150 4) 2004 Ford Mustang 5) 2004 Toyota Camry 6) 2004 Ford Explorer 7) 2004 Toyota Sienna 8) 2004 Nissan Altima 9) 2004 Toyota Prius 10) 2004 BMW 3 Series Most Requested Passenger Cars 2004 Honda Accord 2004 Honda Civic 2004 Toyota Camry 2004/05 Nissan Altima 2004 Toyota Prius Most Requested SUVs 2004 Ford Explorer 2004 Ford Expedition 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe 2004 Saturn VUE 2004 Honda CR-V Most Requested Sports Cars 1) 2004 Ford Mustang 2) 2004 Mazda RX-8 3) 2004 Nissan 350Z 4) 2004 Acura TSX 5) 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Most Requested Luxury Vehicles 1) 2004 BMW 3 Series 2) 2004 Acura TL 3) 2004 Acura MDX 4) 2004 Lexus RX 5) 2004 Cadillac Escalade Most Requested Trucks 1) 2004 Ford F-150 2) 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 3) 2004 Dodge Ram 4) 2004 Ford F-250 5) 2004 Toyota Tacoma Most Requested Minivans 1) 2004 Toyota Sienna 2) 2004 Honda Odyssey 3) 2004 Nissan Quest 4) 2004 Ford Freestar 5) 2004 Dodge Caravan About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc. , a leading Internet automotive marketing services company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands through marketing, advertising, data and CRM (customer relationship management) tools and programs. The Company owns and operates the automotive websites Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com, Car.com and AutoSite.com, as well as AIC (Automotive Information Center), a trusted industry source of automotive marketing data and technology for over 20 years. Autobytel is also a leader in dealership lead management and CRM solutions and owns and operates AVV, Inc., a top provider of dealership CRM and sales management tools, and Retention Performance Marketing, Inc., (RPM(R)), which powers dealerships with cutting-edge customer loyalty and retention marketing programs. As the Internet's largest new car buying service, Autobytel generates over a billion dollars a month in car sales for dealers through its services and was the most visited new car buying and research destination in 2003, reaching millions of car shoppers as they made their vehicle buying decisions. Autobytel's car- selling sites and lead management tools are used by more of the nation's top- 100 e-dealers than any other program.
1. Online car buyers submit vehicle Purchase Requests through Autobytel
to local dealers once they intend to buy a specific vehicle. The
Autobytel Consumer Choice Awards(TM) are based on the volume of
vehicle Purchase Requests submitted (with an intent to buy) by online
shoppers through Autobytel's network
2. Autobytel ranked as the most visited new car buying and research
network for 2003, with over 7 million average monthly unique
visitors, as reported by comScore Media Metrix.
3. Surveys used in this study queried approximately 3,000 visitors to
Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com and Carsmart.com between May and June of
2004, and 127 Autobytel network dealers across the country between
June 9 and June 29, 2004.
