As gas prices near an average of $3 a gallon nationwide, consumer searches and e-mail leads sent to dealers for more fuel-efficient vehicles such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight have once again gained momentum. According to the latest Cars.com Consumer Search Index, the Toyota Prius now ranks third on the list of new cars showing the greatest increase in searches month over month, and it has also cracked the top 10 in terms of most e-mail leads sent to dealers.
"Consumer reaction to high gasoline prices this year is very similar to what we experienced last year when gasoline prices spiked above $3 a gallon," said Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com senior editor. "However, this year the conversion of consumer searches into e-mail leads to dealers has happened at a much faster rate, indicating that consumers may be more inclined to purchase a more fuel-efficient car this summer."
As consumer searches for more fuel-efficient cars escalate, searches for large SUVs and trucks are experiencing a noticeable decline. The Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Explorer, Nissan Titan and Chevrolet Tahoe all made the list of top new vehicles experiencing a decline month over month.
Several new-car introductions continue to experience early success in terms of search numbers and e-mail leads to dealers. The Toyota FJ Cruiser and Dodge Caliber continue to top the list of cars with the largest month over month increases. The Caliber also is among the top-10 vehicles searched on Cars.com.
