High Gas Prices Have Consumers Shopping for Hybrids Again

Searches for Hybrid Cars Skyrocket on Cars.com in May

CHICAGO, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Searches for hybrids and other fuel-efficient vehicles on Cars.com (http://www.cars.com/) gained significant momentum in May as gas prices continued to break record highs.

Three hybrid models -- the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid and Toyota Prius -- all top the list of new cars experiencing the greatest increases in search activity on Cars.com, with each vehicle's search numbers increasing by at least a staggering 52 percent over April. The Toyota Prius also cracked the list of the top 10 new cars with the most searches on Cars.com and now ranks second among cars generating the most email inquiries to dealers. On the flip side, of the new cars experiencing the largest decreases in searches, seven of the top 10 are trucks or SUVs.

"The more that gas prices rise, the more consumers start doing their homework on fuel-efficient cars available on the market," said Patrick Olsen, managing editor of Cars.com. "Fortunately, there are more hybrid models to choose from in 2007 and more coming in 2008, including eight hybrid SUVs."

Consumers can find more information about all hybrid vehicles on the market by visiting Cars.com's new Hybrid Buying Guide.

Below are lists of the most-searched new cars and the new cars experiencing the largest increases and decreases in searches on Cars.com.

Top New-Car Searches (May)

1 - Honda Civic
2 - Toyota Camry
3 - Honda Accord
4 - Nissan Altima
5 - Acura MDX
6 - Toyota Prius
7 - Ford Mustang
8 - Toyota Corolla
9 - Honda CR-V
10 - Toyota RAV4

New Cars With Largest Increases in Searches (May)

1 - Toyota Camry Hybrid (60 %)
2 - Ford Escape Hybrid (55 %)
3 - Toyota Prius (52 %)
4 - Nissan Sentra (33 %)
5 - Volkswagen Jetta (29 %)
6 - Toyota Yaris (27 %)
7 - Volkswagen Beetle (27 %)
8 - Honda Fit (25 %)
9 - Mazda3 (22 %)
10 - Toyota Highlander (22 %)

New Cars With Largest Decreases in Searches (May)

1 - Toyota FJ Cruiser (23 %)
2 - Infiniti FX35 (19 %)
3 - Chevrolet Tahoe (17 %)
4 - Toyota Tundra (17 %)
5 - BMW X5 (12 %)
6 - Dodge Ram (10 %)
7 - Chevrolet Impala (10 %)
8 - Chrysler 300 (9 %)
9 - Dodge Charger (8 %)
10 - Chevrolet Silverado (7 %)

Email Leads Sent to Dealers (May)

1 - Honda Civic
2 - Toyota Prius
3 - Toyota Camry
4 - Honda CR-V
5 - Toyota Corolla
6 - Toyota RAV4
7 - Honda Accord
8 - Honda Odyssey
9 - Toyota Sienna
10 - Nissan Altima


About the Cars.com Consumer Search Index

The Cars.com (http://www.cars.com/) Consumer Search Index offers a comprehensive look at the internet search behavior of Cars.com visitors. The statistical information is compiled by tracking the more than 9 million unique visitors that log on to the site each month and the vehicles that are most popular. The lists are based off a minimum of 8,000 searches. Dealer inquiries measure the volume of emails consumers send to dealers seeking information about a particular vehicle.

About Cars.com

Cars.com is the most comprehensive destination for those looking to buy or sell a new or used car. The site lists more than 2 million vehicles from 13,000 dealer customers, classified advertisers and private parties to offer the more than 9 million unique visitors who log on to the site each month the best selection of new and used cars online, as well as the content, tools and advice to support their shopping experience. Cars.com combines powerful inventory search tools and new-car configuration with pricing information, photo galleries, buying guides, side-by-side comparison tools, original editorial content and reviews to help millions of car shoppers connect with sellers each month.

Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, (http://classifiedventures.com/), which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (NYSE:BLC) , Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI) , The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI) , Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB) and The Washington Post Company (NYSE:WPO) .

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