Consumer Reports Sells New-Car Buying Kit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
			

CONSUMER REPORTS' LAUNCHES INTERACTIVE NEW-CAR BUYING KIT GIVING CAR
SHOPPERS COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION PACKAGE
 
Unlimited price reports and exclusive in-depth 
expert reports are key tools for car buyers


YONKERS, NY - To better prepare consumers for the often-intimidating process
of buying a new car, Consumer Reports today announced the launch of its
latest online auto product, the CR New Car Buying Kit. The new kit guides
users through an easy step-by-step process, which ultimately can help save
thousands of dollars on a new car purchase.
Subscribers to the kit will receive unlimited access to CR's New Car Price
Reports, normally $12 for the first report and $10 for additional ones. They
can also access in-depth Expert Reports, use interactive tools that allow
consumers to search for the vehicle that best fits their personal needs, and
track the best deals of the month. Consumers can purchase a three-month
subscription for $39.00, a relatively small price to pay when spending
thousands of dollars on a new automobile.
"This new online kit is in response to what our readers said they wanted,"
said Robert Gentile, manager of Consumer Reports' New- and Used-Auto Price
Services. "Our subscribers wanted access to our in-depth expert auto reports
and wanted the ability to dig deeper with CR's exclusive Ratings and
reviews, and pricing that they could trust-all in one place."
Gentile said CR's New Car Buying Kit is designed to help shoppers at every
stage of the new-car buying process. "We recognized that consumers can
easily spend two months or more considering different makes and models,
determining which car is best for them, deciding how to equip the vehicle,
and finally shopping for the best price. The three-month subscription allows
consumers to come back to ConsumerReports.org as often as they want during
that process, and check for the latest changes in financing offers and
rebates from manufacturers-including unadvertised dealer incentives and
holdbacks.
The Consumer Reports New Car Buying Kit allows subscribers to select
vehicles based on what's most important to them. When selecting from CR's
179 tested vehicles, you can search for new cars using the following
criteria: performance, comfort, safety, reliability, fuel economy, driver
height and cargo space. The Bkit also allows for side by side comparisons of
up to four models. This new online kit allows you to quickly compare
Ratings, test results, crash tests, safety features and reliability.
For the first time, Consumer Reports is making available through the CR New
Car Buying Kit the full text and detailed test data compiled by Consumer
Reports' Auto Test department on each vehicle it tests, and rates. These
expert reports from Auto Test's engineers have long been used in the
creation of the monthly vehicle profiles in Consumer Reports, on
ConsumerReports.org, and in CR's special automotive publications. Now, CR is
making the complete, unabridged report available to consumers as part of
CR's New Car Buying Kit.
In addition to detailed vehicle reports, the kit also provides important
advice on everything from what to look for when you test drive a vehicle to
the price from which you should begin negotiating. Consumer Reports' New Car
Buying Kit also includes CR's exclusive owner-satisfaction ratings.
Consumer Reports has the most comprehensive auto-testing program of any
consumer publication in the U.S. Instead of the one or two weeks of driving
that is common with other reviewers, each vehicle that CR tests is evaluated
for months by an experienced staff of auto engineers, using our dedicated
327-acre auto-test facility in Connecticut.
More than 40 individual tests are performed on every vehicle to evaluate its
performance, safety, comfort, convenience, interior quality, fuel economy,
and more. Many of these tests, such as fuel-economy runs, the
accident-avoidance maneuver, and the split-mu test (for evaluating antilock
brakes) are not typically performed by other auto reviewers.
Consumers now have unprecedented access to the most credible and
comprehensive automotive information available anywhere. Consumer Reports'
New Car Buying Kit provides all the information and advice you'll need to
select the vehicle that best meets your personal criteria and, to get the
best deal on any new vehicle. Order a three-month subscription ($39.00)
online at ConsumerReports.org/carbuying.
Consumer Reports is one of the most trusted sources for information and
advice on consumer products and services. CR has the most comprehensive
auto-test program of any American magazine; CR's auto experts have decades
of experience in driving, testing, and reporting on cars.