Price and Reliability Are Top Factors for Women Car Shoppers, According to CarMax Survey Space Ranks High with Moms

RICHMOND, Va., Nov 02, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- When choosing a car to buy, more than 60 percent of women selected price and reliability as the most important factors, according to a recent survey conducted for CarMax, Inc. (NYSE:KMX), the nation's largest retailer of used cars. Space was noticeably more important for women with children under age eighteen.

A majority of respondents chose price (33 percent), while 29 percent picked reliability over both fuel efficiency and safety as most important factors when choosing a vehicle to purchase. Fuel efficiency rounded out the top three vote getters. Space consideration scored higher among for women with children under age eighteen (17 percent) and for women under thirty-four (15 percent).

"Finding the right car that balances price with reliability is a concern for all car shoppers," said Corri Cottingham, purchasing manager for the Hartford CarMax. "Doing your research online and visiting a car retailer that offers a variety of makes and models in all price ranges will help consumers achieve the value they're looking for." The following are the results of the recent poll that asked women: Which of the following would be most important to you when choosing what car to buy? All ages Women with children Women under 18 Response Percent Percent Price 33% 33% Reliability 29% 26% MPG/fuel efficiency 19% 13% Safety features 9% 12% Space (carpool, third row) 8% 17% Convenience options (DVD, navigation) 1% 0% The survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of CarMax. The national sample consisted of more than 500 U.S. women, aged eighteen and older who were interviewed online August 17 through August 19, 2009.

About CarMax CarMax, a Fortune 500 company, and one of the Fortune 2009 "100 Best Companies to Work For," is the nation's largest retailer of used cars. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., we currently operate 100 used car superstores in 46 markets. The CarMax consumer offer is structured around four customer benefits: low, no-haggle prices; a broad selection; high quality vehicles; and customer-friendly service. During the twelve months ended February 28, 2009, the company retailed 345,465 used vehicles and sold 194,081 wholesale vehicles at our in-store auctions. For more information, access the CarMax website at http://www.carmax.com.

SOURCE: CarMax, Inc.

CONTACT: CarMax, Inc. Trina Lee, Director, Public Relations 804-747-0422, ext. 4197 or Elia Imler, Public Relations 804-747-0422, ext. 4029 Twitter: @CarMaxInc Copyright Business Wire 2009 -0- KEYWORD: United States

North America

Virginia INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Women

Automotive

General Automotive

Consumer SUBJECT CODE: Survey