Comments on: AutoTrader and MSN autos causes a “surge in shoppers”?

By: Johnny Autoseed

Johnny Autoseed — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:17:20 +0000

We will soon end the arguement between two giants. Between price and consumer as well as dealer relationships both sites are lacking. As a former industry professional, I've seen or better haven't seen what those sites can do for you. Stay tuned, we go live very soon!

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:11:40 +0000

Autotraders customer service in Atlanta is a joke. We switched to another source for our new inventory last month and I called them to have our new vehicle inventory source switched and they informed me this could take “…up to THREE WEEKS”. I called my Cars.com rep and he had the same issue resolved for me in TWO DAYS! What is going on with Autotrader????? They cost more and do less!!!

By: AutoTrader Problem Photos do not work!

AutoTrader Problem Photos do not work! — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 19:25:12 +0000

I just tried to post an ad on autotrader, problems problems!
I searched the web after finally speaking to a “non supervisor which when asked for I was read a script about them being in a meeting” representitive after 2 days of attempts. They have a problem posting photos and then try to place blame on the customer or the internet, but there excuses don’t hold water. I requested a full refund after taking all I could from some PUNK in Atlanta! Now I’ll try someone else.

By: T.J.

T.J. — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:33:25 +0000

Go Cars.com!

just had to say it Ruby’s post got me fired up! plus, I gotta go for the underdog – especially with my N.Y. Giants playing this weekend and all the doubters like when they played the Cowgirls

200 million!!!??? whoa

By: T.J.

T.J. — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:29:09 +0000

Here is some data from compete.com -very interesting they are almost dead on with cars.com gaining/growing (due to yahoo/msn swap maybe?)

not sure for every market but have heard ATC being 2-3 times more monthly for cars.com when comparing similar packages/bells/whistles – but then again these two are the top dogs – wonder how many customers use both – I know search as many sites as possible that can provide info on my next purchase of everything.

AutoTrader.com vs. Cars.com Visits
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/cars.com+autotrader.com?metric=sess

AutoTrader.com vs. Cars.com People Count
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/cars.com+autotrader.com?metric=uv

AutoTrader.com vs. Cars.com Rank
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/cars.com+autotrader.com?metric=rank

By: Ruby

Ruby — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:21:08 +0000

I agree with Robyn completely. Cars.com is not only running one commercial but we are running TWO commercials at the Super Bowl February 3, 2008. Also can Auto Trader say that they are spending $200 million on advertising in 2008? No.

GO Cars.com!!!!

By: Robyn

Robyn — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 19:06:02 +0000

When it comes to AutoTrader vs. Cars.com……..it’s Cars.com all the way. They just took on the partnership w/Yahoo and are advertising in the Super Bowl this year. And what is Auto Trader doing other then raising prices? NOTHING!!!

By: TJ

TJ — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 03:25:30 +0000

Just discovered this thread. According to what I’ve heard recently, AutoTrader.com will be losing it’s partnership with Yahoo in December. Cars.com has evidently picked up this partnership. Cars.com lost MSN recently and AutoTrader.com picked it up recently also. Ok, stick with me on this one. Since AutoTrader.com is charging us almost 100% more than Cars.com for a similar product, same amount of vehicles listed on both products, and they still (at this current time) have active partnerships with Yahoo & MSN, where is this “surge of shoppers” that AutoTrader.com implies in the ad above????? I don’t know about you but I’m paying twice the rate w/them than I am w/Cars.com and the ROI/Call Activity/Sourced Deals formula isn’t indicating a “Surge” whatsoever. Why do we continue to pay them what we do??? Are we crazy??? Have they priced themselves out of the market completely??? Are they just adopting the attitiude of Bell telephone (1,000 ln gorilla) from the 1970′s “We’re the phone company”. They go thru local Reps like it’s a revolving door, never the same person for more than a year and a half it seems, why is this? The ROI isn’t justifying iteslf with AutoTrader.com anymore, it used to be great (you can argue everything was at one time I know) but when premium listing products exceed the ROI most months, it’s not me who’s getting the axe, it’s them.

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:42:21 +0000

Although I won’t go into all the details comparing Autotrader.com to cars.com….just do the math….Cars.com claims about 8 million uniques a month, so 8% is 640,000 per month……I think thats a pretty good surge no matter how hard it is to navigate MSN autos. You internet managers always tell me how amazed you are that you “got a call from a guy in Alaska looking at my pickup”. Will those 640,000 all of the sudden stop searching for a vehicle on MSN Autos? I don’t think so. Those folks don’t seem to have a problem navigating. It all boils down to this…if you’ve got the vehicle they want, they’ll find ya!

By: J.D. Rucker

J.D. Rucker — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 03:14:09 +0000

Live Search (and thus, MSN Autos) is 3rd now and can conceivably be 4th in a couple of years on the search front. The only thing keeping it afloat is its default homepage setting on new computers.

Rather than join in on the Pepsi vs Coke, Cars.com vs Autotrader debate, I’d rather look at Jeff’s initial assertion that MSN Autos will not provide a “surge is shoppers like you’ve never seen before.”

It’s marketing, and sadly, it may work. While MSN is growing obsolete and their MSN Autos interface is laughable, car dealers (not including astute dealerrefresh readers, of course) are prone to fall for name dropping. That’s what this advertisement is.

“Wow, Microsoft. Bill Gates is rich. This is a good thing.”

Will there be an increase in traffic? Of course.

Will there be a surge like we’ve never seen before? You tell me.