Carmax Online hybrid car searches rising

CarMax: Online hybrid car searches rising.

CarMax, Inc. which is in a position to know as the nation's largest retailer of used cars, says carmax.com online searches for hybrid cars are on the rise. Examples of the most searched hybrid cars include the Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Prius and Toyota Camry Hybrid. Carmax.com says searches for hybrid cars have increased 10 percent over last year and 43 percent from October to November.


"One of the ways we know that people are looking more for hybrid vehicles is by monitoring the search activity on our website," said Tom Folliard, president and chief executive officer of CarMax. "Hybrid cars are increasingly making an impression on car shoppers and searches on carmax.com are reflecting that."


The following hybrid cars experienced the largest increases in carmax.com search activity:

Make/Model October to November 2007 Increase
Ford Escape Hybrid 108%
Toyota Prius 56%
Toyota Camry Hybrid 48%


Online shoppers can use the carmax.com website to search the company's inventory of more than 25,000 used and new vehicles, including hybrid cars. The website showcases each vehicle with multiple photos, the no-haggle price and information on features, options, fuel economy and customer reviews.

In fiscal 2007, carmax.com averaged more than four million visits per month. Additionally, approximately 70 percent of in-store customers visited the website before coming to the store.