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PRICE AND RELIABILITY ARE TOP FACTORS FOR WOMEN CAR SHOPPERS, ACCORDING TO CARMAX SURVEY

Space Ranks High with Moms

For Media Inquiries Only Contact:

Laura Donahue
Vice President, Public Affairs
(804) 747-0422 ext. 4434
Email

Trina Lee
Director, Public Relations
(804) 747-0422, Ext. 4197
Email

Chris Wilmore
Assistant Public Relations Manager, New Media
(804) 747-0422, Ext. 4773
Email

Elia Imler
Assistant Public Relations Manager
(804) 747-0422, Ext. 4029
Email

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RICHMOND, Va. (November 2, 2009) – 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?
 




Response

All ages
Women
Percent

Women with children under 18
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.

# # #

Media Contacts
Trina Lee, Director, Public Relations, (804) 747-0422, ext. 4197
Elia Imler, Public Relations, (804) 747-0422, ext. 4029, Twitter: @CarMaxInc