FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Come Drive EdmundsLIVE at FedEx Field
Auto Buyers' Top Online Info Source Gets Physical: Actual Head-to-Head Test Drives of America's Hottest Selling Vehicles Web-Savvy DC Area Especially Well Suited to Edmunds.com
LANDOVER, Md., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The gates of EdmundsLIVE flew open today, offering area consumers an unprecedented opportunity to head-to-head road-test today's hottest selling vehicles in a fun, informative and objective environment.
Hosted at FedEx Field, EdmundsLIVE literally puts consumers in the driver's seat, offering the chance to compare various makes and models in back-to-back test drives. In a no-pressure, hassle-free setting, consumers also have the opportunity discuss vehicle pros and cons with Edmunds' leading automotive experts.
"We supply the cars and counsel, you drive and then decide," said Britt Johansson, director of consumer events and Edmunds.com. "Like no other experience, EdmundsLIVE gives consumers the opportunity to see how competing vehicles perform on the road -- and in the case of SUVs, off-road."
As with many aspects of life, the Internet is transforming the way America buys cars. Supplying top-notch impartial automotive advice online, more and more consumers are turning to Edmunds.com as a must-visit site.
Few areas of the country are better suited to benefit from Edmunds.com's valuable service than the greater Washington area, home to "Silicon Valley East." The Washington-Baltimore area was recently ranked as the 3rd "most wired" area in the nation, according to a survey by Headcount.com. Nationally, more than half of all new-car buyers research their purchase on the Web, and Internet auto-research is almost certainly even more prevalent in the Washington-Baltimore region.
The first-of-its-kind summer tour kicked off in Atlanta last month and will continue in Chicago, Englishtown, NJ, San Francisco and conclude in Los Angeles. The event was created to extend the online mission of Edmunds.com to a "live" physical setting. In all six cities, the event is expected to draw tens of thousands of participants, expanding its already loyal consumer base of more than 1.4 million visitors a month.
"With all the excitement and anticipated large turnout, we're strongly encouraging folks to register in advance," said Johansson. "Simply by logging on to http://www.edmundslive.com, attendees can lock in the times of their test-drives."
In 1994, Edmunds led the way by providing consumers with comparative pricing and vehicle specs online. But until now, there has not been a convenient way to evaluate and test-drive these vehicles. EdmundsLIVE expands the online experience by offering consumers the opportunity to physically evaluate various makes and models.
At EdmundsLIVE, consumers are able to test-drive and compare more than 50 of the industry's most popular vehicles -- from sedans to minivans to SUVs. EdmundsLIVE will also allow consumers to go online to get insurance quotes, secure financing, locate a dealership, or pursue direct purchase of a vehicle. 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.
"EdmundsLIVE is one of the many upcoming initiatives that demonstrate how Edmunds is clearly differentiating itself from other players in the automotive Internet arena," said Peter Steinlauf, president and CEO of Edmunds.com. "By extending the Edmunds.com model to include a physical presence, we are able to reinforce our commitment to consumers by giving them even more tools to make car shopping easier."
Attending EdmundsLIVE
Interested parties can register in advance at http://www.edmunds.com or register at the venue the day of the event. Licensed drivers over 18 are qualified to participate at $15 per adult (under 18 admitted free). Snacks, beverages and a free t-shirt are covered in the admission fee.
About Edmunds.com
Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, Edmunds.com is the Internet's pioneer and leader in providing free, third-party automotive information. Edmunds.com empowers, educates and engages visitors by 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, incentives and rebate news, expert analysis of developments in the automotive world, and the Town Hall, an interactive community of more than 500,000 active members. Edmunds.com was ranked #1 in the Wall Street Journal's Survey of Car-Shopping websites, was named as one of Yahoo! Internet Life's 50 Most Incredibly Useful sites and one of Money's 50 Most Useful Financial Websites.
