Edmunds.com
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Edmunds.com is a provider of automotive information via web sites, books and other media. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, California and maintains an office outside of Detroit, Michigan. Edmunds.com is privately-held.
The Edmunds.com web site includes prices for new and used vehicles, a database of national and regional incentives and rebates, vehicle test drive reviews by road test editors, and tips and advice on all aspects of car purchases and ownership. Much of this information is also distributed through the wireless web site known as Edmunds2Go!, accessible via Internet-enabled cell phones and PDAs. In addition, the company circulates free e-mail newsletters to voluntary subscribers.
Edmunds.com is best known for providing data through its "True Market Value" pricing tools, which launched in 2000. The Edmunds.com True Market Value New Vehicle Calculator provides the estimated average price consumers are currently paying when buying new vehicles. The Edmunds.com True Market Value Used Vehicle Appraiser estimates the actual transaction prices for used vehicles bought and sold by dealers and private parties.
Because of its used car price listings, Edmunds.com is often likened to Kelley Blue Book, and used car values are often compared between the two. Edmunds.com estimates actual transaction prices, while KBB lists suggested dealer asking prices. KBB indicates the price at which the dealer would like to transact; Edmunds.com suggests that consumers can negotiate beyond that price.
In 2005, Edmunds.com launched Inside Line, a free online magazine for automotive enthusiasts. Inside Line delivers automotive content in the form of videos, photos, blogs, news articles, discussion boards and road tests. In 2006, Edmunds.com launched Carspace.com, a social networking site dedicated to car enthusiasts and aimed at competition to established sites such as MySpace, Friendster.com and Cardomain.
[edit] History
Edmunds.com was founded in 1966 as a book publishing company. The company continues to publish three books today: Edmunds.com New Cars & Trucks Buyer's Guide, Edmunds.com Used Cars & Trucks Buyer's Guide and Edmunds.com's Strategies for Smart Car Buyers. Edmunds.com's automotive data was originally posted online in 1994 on a gopher site known as the Electronic Newsstand. In 1995 the company launched its own Web site, claiming to be the first of its kind, preceding all automakers and third-party automotive Web sites.
