Ford, Honda, Toyota sweep 2004 Consumer Choice Awards
Autobytel Inc. an internet site for automotive sales, announced the winners of its third annual Consumer Choice Awards at the 2005 National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention in
The Honda Accord was the Most Requested Vehicle Overall for the second year in a row, outpacing the resurgent Ford F-150. Despite falling short on top overall vehicle honours, Ford made an impressive showing in several vehicle categories. The F-150 led the way as the Most Requested Truck for 2004, outpacing the Chevy Silverado, the Most Requested Truck for 2002 and 2003. The Ford Explorer, meanwhile, was named Most Requested SUV, edging out the Chevy Tahoe and the Ford Expedition. The Mustang completed the Ford 'Trifecta,' defending its title as the Most Requested Sports Car despite a strong run by the Mazda RX-8.
Driven by an Internet-heavy marketing mix,
In other categories, the BMW 3 Series edged out the Lexus RX to become the Most Requested Luxury Vehicle in '04, continuing the popularity of smaller, less expensive luxury vehicles among Autobytel shoppers. The biggest upset may have been in the minivan category, where the Toyota Sienna unseated category stalwart, the Honda Odyssey, for Most Requested Minivan honours. On its way to becoming the Most Requested Vehicle Overall, the Honda Accord was named Most Requested Passenger Car, beating out the Nissan Altima, a consistent Autobytel customer favuorite.
"2004 was an extremely competitive year for the industry, with a record number of nameplates and a host of successful vehicle entries," said president and CEO of Autobytel Inc., Jeffrey Schwartz. "It was also the first year in which half of make/model decisions were influenced by the Internet.”
