Taking a Road Trip? Autobytel® Editors Choose the Best Summer Road Trip Cars for 2012

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Going on a road trip this summer? With summer in full swing, Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL), the company dedicated to helping dealers and car buyers connect online, and its editors have compiled a list of best summer road trip cars for 2012. According to Autobytel editors, "Good road trip cars have the ability to balance passengers and their cargo, but some of the best summer cars have the ability to do so with a little more excitement." In addition to noting the best road trip cars, the editors took it one step further and provided the estimated highway driving range and an estimated average fuel cost to drive 500 miles.¹

While not all of us are lucky enough to accrue multiple vacation days or, even luckier, get the entire summer off, following are some of the best road trip cars available according to Autobytel editors.

Best Road Trip Cars — Under $20,000
Small cars are great for city driving, but a growing number of cars priced under $20,000 are getting more interior room and cabin technology — both great for summer road trips — than ever before. The 2012 Nissan Versa tops the editors' list.

Best Road Trip Cars — Family Sedan
The 2012 Volkswagen Passat is one of the best road trip cars in its segment. Newly developed for the North American market, the 2012 Volkswagen Passat is larger and more spacious than its predecessor, which means that it is larger and more spacious than Euro-spec Passat models.

Best Road Trip Cars — Station Wagon
Station wagons are probably the quintessential road trip cars, but these passenger and cargo-friendly vehicles have come a long way in terms of luxury and comfort since their popularity peaked back in the 1970s. Out of all the station wagons currently available, the all-new 2013 Audi Allroad Quattro is our pick for the best road trip car of 2012 thanks to its big interior, crossover-like stance and its standard all-wheel drive.

Best Road Trip Cars — Minivan
Redesigned for 2011, the Honda Odyssey is a good road trip car thanks to its spacious, versatile interior with the rear two rows of seats big enough for six passengers or easily folded out of the way to allow for plenty of cargo room.

Best Road Trip Cars — Crossover
Somewhere between station wagons and minivans, crossovers are another growing vehicle segment, and they make some of the best road trip cars. New for 2013, the Infiniti JX already has what it takes to be one of the best road trip cars of 2012 due to its size, luxury and smooth ride.

Best Road Trip Cars — Sporty Car
Sports cars can also make good road trip cars too, and the 2012 Dodge Challenger is one of our favorites. With its classic designs and big interior, four adults should have no problem hitting the road in this modern muscle car.

Best Road Trip Cars — Convertible
Convertibles, by design, make great summer cars and are some of the best road trip cars since they allow for plenty of top-down action. For its roomy interior and spacious cargo area, the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet landed on our list of the best road trip cars of 2012.

Best Road Trip Cars — Luxury Cars
Who wouldn't want to head out on a long summer road trip in a big, luxury sedan? Fortunately, there are plenty of able land yachts with which to do so, but the Audi A8 might be the best road trip car for 2012. Redesigned for 2011, the Audi A8 delivers plenty of luxury, and it is even offered in two wheelbase lengths for those times when rear passengers demand even more space

For more detail on the best summer road trip cars, including the estimated highway driving range and average fuel cost, and more Autobytel editors' choices, visit www.Autobytel.com. Watch exclusive videos on Autobytel's YouTube page or join the conversation on the Autobytel Facebook Fan Page.

About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc., an online leader offering consumer purchase requests and marketing resources to car dealers and manufacturers and providing consumers with the information they need to purchase new and used cars, pioneered the automotive Internet when it launched its flagship website in 1995. Autobytel continues to offer innovative products and services to help consumers buy, and auto dealers and manufacturers sell, more used and new cars. Autobytel has helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated car buyers; and helped every major automaker market its brand online. Through its flagship website, network of automotive sites and respected online affiliates, Autobytel continues its dedication to innovating the industry's highest quality Internet programs to provide consumers with a comprehensive and positive automotive research and purchasing experience, and auto dealers, dealer groups and auto manufacturers with some of the industry's most productive and cost-effective customer referral and marketing programs.

Investors and other interested parties can receive Autobytel news releases and invitations to special events by accessing our online signup form at http://investor.autobytel.com/alerts.cfm

¹ At the time this article was published, the average price of regular gasoline across the country is $3.40 per gallon, diesel is a bit higher at $3.60 per gallon and premium gasoline sits at the top at $3.76 per gallon, according to AutoPacific's July Fuel Price Impact Study.

Autobytel Inc. Media Relations
MSC-PR
Michelle Suzuki
310-444-7115
michelle@msc-pr.com
or
Autobytel Inc. Investor Relations
PondelWilkinson Inc.
Roger Pondel/Laurie Berman
310-279-5980
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CMC Group, Inc.
Bradley Orr
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borr@cmc-group.us

Source: Autobytel Inc.

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