Lexus IS300 Dominates Consumer Interest at Edmunds' Test-Drivable Auto Show; Odyssey, Jetta, Xterra, Sentra, Passat and Tahoe Lead Their Segments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LEXUS IS 300 DOMINATES CONSUMER INTEREST AT EDMUNDS' TEST-DRIVABLE AUTO SHOW; ODYSSEY, JETTA, XTERRA, SENTRA, PASSAT AND TAHOE LEAD THEIR SEGMENTS

Los Angeles, July 14, 2000 - Consumers votein Atlanta this weekend. The event, which will travel to five other major markets throughout the summer, allows consumers to test drive the 50 most popular vehicles in an unbiased, pressure-free setting.

The Lexus IS300 enticed the most drivers overall, taking 957 laps during three days at the premier event. Competitive near luxury sedans available for back-to-back test drives at EdmundsLIVE include the BMW 323i, Audi A4 and Acura 3.2 TL, among others.

"Typically, car shoppers can't easily test drive competitive vehicles without spending a significant amount of time in a variety of sales-driven environments such as dealerships and manufacturer's ride-and-drives," according to Peter Steinlauf, CEO of Edmunds.com, host of the event.

Over 80% of consumers who completed exit surveys in Atlanta indicated they were currently in the market for a new car, and over 67% of them planned to make a purchase within the next six months.

EdmundsLIVE is staffed with knowledgeable, objective industry experts who can answer questions and advise consumers on what to look for as they experience the competitive test drives, vehicle displays and topical live "chat rooms". The event complements Edmunds.com (http://www.edmunds.com) site, the web's leading consumer resource for unbiased automotive information. On the web site and at the event, consumers can also interact with sponsoring online auto-related businesses such as CarsDirect, PeopleFirst, eCoverage and 1Source Auto Warranty.

Following Atlanta, EdmundsLIVE will visit five other markets this summer:

• Washington, D.C. (Fed Ex Field) August 4-6
• Chicago (Chicago Motor Speedway) August 11-13
• Englishtown, NJ (Raceway Park) August 31-September 3
• San Francisco (Golden Gate Field) September 15-17
• Los Angeles (Hollywood Park) September 23-29

Interested parties can register in advance at www.edmunds.com or register at the venue the day of the event. Licensed drivers over 18 are qualified to participate in the event at $15 per couple (under 18 admitted free). Snacks, beverages and a free t-shirt are covered in the admission fee.

"EdmundsLIVE is undoubtedly the future of the auto show - a chance for consumers to directly compare and test drive vehicles of interest and make an educated purchase decision in a pressure-free environment," remarks Steinlauf.

About Edmunds.com
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Edmunds.com is the Internet's pioneer and leader in providing free, unbiased automotive information. Edmunds.com empowers, educates and engages visitors by respecting them and providing them with straightforward, truthful information on key aspects of buying, selling and owning a vehicle. Users are provided automobile pricing data, extensive automobile reviews, consumer information, safety updates, incentive and rebate news, expert analysis of developments in the automotive world and the Town Hall, an interactive community of more than 500,000 participants. Edmunds.com has been honored as one of Yahoo! Internet Life's 50 Most Incredibly Useful Sites, Money's 50 Most Useful Financial Websites and among Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 100 Web Sites for Entrepreneurs.