| Auto shopping is not that tedious and complicated | | | | third after the Honda Civic and the Honda Accord. |
| anymore. With just few clicks on the mouse, the | | | | The Camry, the best-selling car in the country, which |
| most adored car will be checked. True, automakers | | | | is made in Georgetown, Ky, "suggests reliability and |
| and dealerships should not make things complicated. | | | | long-term value," Fallon said. "Even though Camry has |
| This trend paved the way for the booming online | | | | such a great reputation, it is still something people |
| shopping industry. | | | | want to research." |
| One of the many web sites which has benefited | | | | While Toyota and Honda will move an estimated |
| from the trend is Of all the people who shop for | | | | 400,000 Camrys and Accords each this year, Mazda |
| new wheels on the Internet, about one-fourth of the | | | | only expects to sell 120,000 Mazda3 cars in 2007, |
| potential buyers check out the goods first at the | | | | said company spokesman Jeremy Barnes. Like its |
| Web site Edmunds.com, an auto information | | | | more stodgy Japanese-made competition, the Mazda |
| clearinghouse based in Santa Monica, Calif., The | | | | is affordable, powerful and reliable. But the Mazda3's |
| Courier-Journal reported. | | | | looks sound a siren call to the young and young at |
| Among the 20 cars, trucks, minivans and SUVs in | | | | heart, he noted. |
| 2007 that most captured the imagination, only two | | | | According to JD Power & Associates, Mazda has the |
| were related to a domestic automaker, the report | | | | "second youngest buyer age in the auto industry," |
| said. The Mazda3, the affordable, sport performance | | | | after Toyota's Scion brand, Barnes said. "You don't |
| car for the younger set, is part of the Ford lineup. | | | | have to be young," he added of the brand that |
| The GMC Acadia is General Motors Corp.'s new CUV | | | | includes the Miata. "You just have to feel young." |
| that gets 24 miles per gallon on the freeway but can | | | | "It is rare you see a (child's) car seat in the back of a |
| still tow a 5,000-pound trailer. | | | | Mazda3 when they are in the shop," said Joe Trout, |
| Auto shoppers continue to reflect preferences for | | | | a Mazda specialist and owner of the Dr. Zoom garage |
| reliable compact vehicles such as Honda Civic, Toyota | | | | in Fern Creek. "The driver of this car is between 20 |
| Corolla, Acura MDX and Infiniti G35. Take in a vehicle | | | | and 35, definitely not your mom-and-dad type." |
| on and you can find expert ratings, compare prices, | | | | Sixty-eight year old Prentice Short of Scottsburg, |
| check out resale values, or search for a used version | | | | Ind., would like to get into a new Camry to make |
| of the car you want. "We attract people who like to | | | | vacation trips to Florida with his wife, Geraldine, |
| be informed," Edmunds spokeswoman Jeannine Fallon | | | | affordable again. Trouble is, Short said, he can't find a |
| said. "They want to make sure they are making a | | | | buyer willing to pay the $12,000 or so he says his |
| smart choice." | | | | 2002 Jeep Cherokee is worth. The Jeep has logged |
| The maker of the Acura axle assembly could be | | | | only 50,000 miles but gets only 18 miles per gallon on |
| very pleased to make it to the list. Separately, a | | | | the highway. |
| number of best-sellers, like the Ford F-150, are not on | | | | "Nobody wants these things that use all kinds of |
| the list, perhaps because hard-core Ford fans know | | | | fuel," he concluded. "Whoever comes up with the |
| exactly what they want in their truck and don't feel | | | | best mileage in late 2008 or 2009 is going to be the |
| called to dink around a Web site. F-150 buyers "don't | | | | ones that dominate the market," Short predicted. "If |
| need to do a lot of research," Fallon said. | | | | Ford, Chrysler and GM don't do it, they'll get their |
| Among top ten cars, the Toyota Camry came in | | | | lunch eaten, and their dinner eaten, too. |