Survey Results show opinions ARE changing

There have been a lot of articles lately saying "Gas Prices are Not Affecting Consumer Habits" and that prices will have to go much higher before people abandon SUVs for trips to the corner store.

This survey shoots some huge holes in that point of view.

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http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories....02183516&EDATE=

* Nearly 2 out of 3 Survey-Takers Say They'd Be Less Inclined to Buy a
Truck/Large SUV Today Than Last Summer; Only 3.6% Say They'd Be More
Inclined

* Requests to Buy SUVs/Trucks Drop Dramatically, While Requests for
Smaller Passenger Cars Rise Sharply - Bucking Years-Long Industry
Trends

* Roughly Half of Those Polled Say Gas Prices Will Affect Their Voting
Decisions; Vast Majority Favor Stricter C.A.F.E. Standards and Higher
Tax Incentives for Hybrids

IRVINE, Calif., May 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Late-breaking Autobytel
Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL) consumer purchase request data suggests that rising prices
at the pump may be having a more substantial impact on consumer buying
patterns than many industry analysts are predicting. Autobytel's Consumer
Choice data reveals that online requests to purchase trucks and SUVs are down
substantially, while those for smaller, more fuel-efficient passenger cars are
sharply on the rise -- findings that may soon be playing out on the showroom
floor as summer sales season kicks off this Memorial Day weekend. As the most
visited new car buying and research destination on the web, attracting an
average of 7.7 unique monthly visitors in 2003, Autobytel offers a uniquely
comprehensive perspective on online auto consumer trends and attitudes.

Big Fossil-Fuel Guzzling SUVs May Be Going the Way of the Dinosaur (at
Least Online)
According to Autobytel Consumer Choice data,* big, gas-thirsty SUVs (those
that receive less than 20 MPG) -- which have seen spectacular success in the
auto market these last few years -- are now taking a major hit online despite
ramped up factory incentives, with requests for large SUVs down 20% since
January. Overall, the SUV category, including small SUVs, is down 13%, with
the only SUV models clocking any gains being the fuel-friendly Saturn VUE and
Honda CR-V.

* Autobytel Consumer Choice data measures the top-20 most requested
models in each vehicle category (SUVs, trucks, passenger cars, etc.)
since January 1st, 2004.

Big Trucks/SUVs by Model:
* Requests for the Chevy Tahoe are down 26%
* Cadillac Escalade requests are down 25%
* Ford Expedition requests are down 22%
* GMC Yukon requests are down 18%
* Dodge Durango down 15%
* Hummer H2 requests are down 16%, losing share each month since January


Requests for pickup trucks, similarly, have dipped 21%, while those for
passenger cars are up 8% -- a stark reversal of Autobytel consumer trends
during the last couple of years. Requests for the perennial best-selling
vehicle in America, Ford's full-sized, redesigned F150, are down 20%, while
Chevy's full-sized pickup Silverado, a traditional Autobytel favorite, is down
a precipitous 48%. Requests for the popular Dodge Ram are also down 16.5%.
On the other hand, requests for cars averaging higher than 25 MPG (hwy)
have led the passenger car resurgence on Autobytel sites, generating a 33%
increase in requests to buy since January.

A LOOK AT SOME SMALLER, MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT CARS, BY MODEL
* Requests for the Honda Civic are up 37%
* MINI Cooper requests are up 33%
* Toyota Corolla and ECHO requests are both up 10%
* Saturn Ion requests are up 10%
* And the hybrid offering from Toyota, the Prius, currently leads all
new-vehicle purchase request gains at Autobytel sites -- with a
staggering 73% rise in requests.

A Market Microcosm: "MINI" David Strikes Blow to "Hummer" Goliath: Last
year, the "David and Goliath" brands of the auto market, MINI and Hummer, tied
for the largest overall increase in requests-to-buy among Autobytel shoppers
-- with each enjoying a 255% increase in requests in 2003. But a quick look
at the battle between the makers of the little coupe and the big SUV since
January reveals that David is now handily slaying the once-mighty Goliath in
the marketplace, with requests for the MINI Cooper up 33% and requests for the
Hummer H2 down 16%. The MINI's recent dominance comes despite new incentives
on the H2 and the pending launch of a Cooper convertible, which would
presumably initiate a "wait-and-see" period for many prospective MINI buyers.

AUTOBYTEL'S CONSUMER VOICE SURVEY
New Online Poll Suggests the Continued "Greening" of the Marketplace
According to the latest Autobytel Consumer Voice survey,** these trends
may signal the shape of things to come, with 45% of current Autobytel shoppers
saying they will shop for a smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicle during their
next vehicle purchase, and nearly 1 in 5 indicating they will seriously
consider purchasing a hybrid vehicle next. Sixty-five percent said they'd be
willing to sacrifice some interior space for better fuel efficiency, while 62%
said they'd be willing to sacrifice performance.
Industry analysts are quick to point out that high gas prices don't
actually translate into major car owner costs, but they may be missing the
more important phenomenon -- namely a shift in consumer perceptions/tastes
that may signal the beginning of a new marketing cycle. Consider: 63% of
Autobytel shoppers said they'd personally feel proud to drive a hybrid
vehicle, while 45% said they'd feel self-conscious behind the wheel of a very
large SUV. Moreover, 65% said they'd be less inclined to buy a truck or large
SUV than they were a year ago, while only 3.6% said they'd be more inclined to
buy a truck/large SUV today.

** Consumer Voice Surveys conducted on Autobytel's web sites between
May 12th and May 24th.

THE POLITICS OF CAR BUYING
America's Drivers "Cast Their Votes" on Auto-Related Political Issues,
With Most Favoring Stricter C.A.F.E. Standards and Higher Incentives on
Hybrids
With energy/automotive issues shaping up to be centerpieces of the
unfolding presidential election, the latest Autobytel Consumer Voice survey
also asked Autobytel's car shoppers to sound off on hot-button topics ranging
from C.A.F.E. standards to global warming. Although web site demographics
skew slightly Republican, most respondents actually came down on the
"progressive/liberal" side of most of the issues presented. Over 75% of those
surveyed, for example, favor stricter C.A.F.E. standards, with over 70%
endorsing higher incentives on hybrids, and nearly 60% going so far as to call
for government regulation of fuel prices. More than 55% of respondents,
meanwhile, said they believe that a global warming phenomenon, caused by a
build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, is already occurring, with
only 22% saying they don't believe it's occurring and 22% remaining undecided.
Seventy one percent of survey takers anticipate that gas prices will
continue to rise throughout the summer, with consumers essentially split on
the issue of whether continued high gas prices will affect their presidential
vote in November. Most respondents (nearly 50%) feel that oil companies -- by
creating an artificial scarcity -- are the primary cause of the current gas
price hikes.
Notably, self-identified Democrats and Republicans both indicated a strong
readiness to "go hybrid," with 69% of Democrats and 52% of Republicans saying
they would consider buying a hybrid during their next vehicle purchase.
For complete Autobytel Consumer Choice and Consumer Voice information,
contact Melanie Webber, Autobytel Inc. 949.862.3023.

About Autobytel
Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL), a leading Internet automotive marketing
services company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands
through marketing, advertising, data and CRM (customer relationship
management) products 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 products, and Retention Performance Marketing, Inc., (RPM®),
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
products are used by more of the nation's top-100 e-dealers than any other
program.



SOURCE Autobytel Inc.
Web Site: http://www.Autobytel.com