TRB Tribune

CHICAGO, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Several new cars that were redesigned for the 2008 model year are generating significant interest among consumers shopping at Cars.com, according to the latest Cars.com Consumer Search Index. The redesigned Honda Accord, which was ranked third in August, is now the most-searched new car on Cars.com. The redesigned Mercedes-Benz C-Class also cracked the top 10 most-searched new cars on Cars.com in September. This is the first time the C-Class, which now ranks eighth, has cracked the top 10 this year. "The jump in searches on Cars.com is translating into positive sales news for manufacturers," said Cars.com managing editor Patrick Olsen. "At a time when sales were expected to be slow, the new Honda Accord, Cadillac CTS and Mercedes-Benz C-Class are all seeing increases in sales, which is crucial for their companies." Other redesigned or new vehicles that are seeing a significant increase in traffic on Cars.com include the Infiniti G37 and Cadillac CTS. All of the redesigned vehicles that have experienced an increase in search activity have received positive reviews and, in many cases, have benefited from a significant marketing push by the manufacturers. Below are the new cars with the most searches on Cars.com and the cars experiencing the largest increases and decreases month over month. Top New Car Searches New Cars With Largest (September) Increase in Searches (September) 1 Honda Accord 1 Infiniti G37 40 % 2 Honda Civic 2 Cadillac CTS 21 % 3 Toyota Camry 3 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 20 % 4 Nissan Altima 4 Honda Accord 18 % 5 Honda CR-V 5 Volvo C30 12 % 6 Toyota RAV4 6 Jeep Liberty 7 % 7 Toyota Corolla 7 Chrysler Town & Country 6 % 8 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 8 Volvo XC70 3 % 9 Ford Mustang 9 Mazda CX-9 1 % 10 Toyota Highlander 10 Chrysler Aspen .43% New Cars With Largest Decrease in Searches (September) 1 Toyota Camry Hybrid 38 % 2 Hyundai Santa Fe 35 % 3 Honda Pilot 33 % 4 Hyundai Sonata 33 % 5 Mitsubishi Eclipse 31 % 6 Saturn Vue 31 % 7 Saturn Sky 30 % 8 Infiniti G35 30 % 9 Hyundai Elantra 30 % 10 Volkswagen Passat 29 % About the Cars.com Consumer Search Index The 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 8 million unique visitors that log on to Cars.com each month and the vehicles that are most popular. Cars need to meet a minimum number of searches to qualify for the various top ten lists. About Cars.com Partnered with more than 200 leading metro newspapers, television stations and their websites, Cars.com (http://www.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 14,000 dealer customers, classified advertisers and private parties to offer consumers 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, 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). DATASOURCE: Cars.com CONTACT: Steve Nolan, Public Relations Manager, +1-312-601-5163, mobile +1-630-310-2468, , or Jackie Brennan, Public Relations Specialist, +1-312-601-6229, mobile, +1-219-577-6106, , both of Cars.com Web site: http://www.cars.com/

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