AutoUSA Reports 33.9% Drop in Truck Leads as Online Auto Buyers Shift to More Fuel Efficient Cars

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – AutoUSA, the industry’s leading provider of the highest quality Internet-generated consumer leads to auto dealers nationwide, recently announced a 33.9% drop in truck leads and 17.2% increase in car leads YTD June 2008, as online auto buyers sought out more fuel-efficient vehicles. The change was driven by a major decrease in large pickup leads and a significant increase in small car leads.

“Economic concerns and gas prices during the first half of the year clearly influenced the vehicle preferences of auto buyers submitting online requests for quotes,” said Phil DuPree, president of AutoUSA.  “Car leads have always outnumbered truck leads regardless of market conditions, but we’ve never seen such a dramatic shift in leads from one category to another.”

AutoUSA truck leads include Large Pickup, Large SUV, Small Pickup and Small SUV.  The car lead category is made up of CUV, Large Car, Luxury Car, Middle Car and Small Car.

From January to June 2008, all leads for vehicles in the truck category declined. Large Pickup leads experienced the biggest drop at -40.2%, followed by Small SUVs at
-36.2%, Large SUVs at -33.6% and Small Pickup leads at –21.3%, resulting in an overall 33.9% decrease in leads for the truck category.

During the same time period, Small Car leads had the largest increase at +62.7%, followed by Middle Cars at +23.4%.  Leads for the remaining vehicles in the car category all decreased.  Large Cars had the most notable drop at -17.8%, followed by CUVs at
-11.6% and Luxury Cars at –2.0%. 

The car leads category, which is historically larger than truck leads, had a 17.2% overall increase as more online consumers opted for smaller, gas saving vehicles.

AutoUSA provides leads to more than 4,000 dealers nationwide from a partnership network that includes leading automotive web sites including Edmunds.com, Kelley Blue Book, MSN Auto, Yahoo! Autos, AOL and AutoVantage.

About AutoUSA
AutoUSA, Inc., is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and a subsidiary of AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE: AN), the largest retail automotive company in the United States. AutoUSA is an independent third-party provider of leads to more than 4,000 dealerships. The company has built its success on a combination of advanced web-based technology and a network that includes the country’s most well respected online automotive resources, including Edmunds.com, Kelley Blue Book, MSN Autos, Yahoo! Autos, America Online, NADA Analytical Services Group, AutoVantage.com, AutoNation.com and AutoUSA.com. The vast majority of Ward’s Top 100 eDealers use AutoUSA.