ATLANTA, Sept. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A new AutoTrader.com® iPad app gives car shoppers the ability to find their perfect vehicle quickly and easily – even if they don't know exactly what they're looking for. This addresses a demonstrated consumer need; according to AutoTrader.com research, 67% of AutoTrader.com visitors haven't identified a specific model and 58% haven't identified a specific brand of car they're interested in buying¹. 

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"We designed this app around the concept of discovery: we wanted to make it as easy as possible for car shoppers to find and learn about vehicles they have not even considered," said Jose Puente, director of mobile products and strategy, AutoTrader.com. "With this new experience, you can start out with a very vague idea of what you want and the app does the work for you."

Users of the new AutoTrader.com iPad app start their search with access to more than three million new and used vehicles listed for sale on AutoTrader.com from dealers and private sellers. The highly visual home screen gives consumers the option to begin their search based on price, style or location in addition to make and model. They can then continue to narrow their results by dozens of additional filters as they move through the experience, such as color, features/options, fuel economy, mileage and more. Reviews and shopping tips from AutoTrader.com editors are integrated directly into each listing, giving consumers instant access to expert advice about the specific vehicles they're interested in.

As shoppers find cars and trucks they like, they can touch a star ribbon on the listing to create an AutoTrader.com account and save them. Saved listings are then immediately available across all of AutoTrader.com's experiences - including the AutoTrader.com website, iPhone and Android apps – upon login. Once a shopper is ready to see a car in person, the iPad app shows them exactly where a dealer is located and provides contact information and directions, thanks to integration with the iPad's mapping features.  Shoppers can also communicate directly with dealers via email from the app.

Consumers are using mobile devices as part of the car shopping process more frequently: mobile traffic to AutoTrader.com has experienced double digit growth since January and hit record levels in August (up more than 60 percent year-over-year). Use of tablets specifically is also on the rise, particularly among younger shoppers. According to a recent AutoTrader.com study, 28 percent of Millennials and a quarter of Generation X car shoppers use a tablet during the car shopping process².

"Mobile is changing the way people shop for cars, and every day we work to create new, innovative products that make the process more enjoyable and effortless," Puente said.

The AutoTrader.com iPad app is currently available to download from the Apple App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/autotrader.com/id700740807?mt=8

¹ 2013 AutoTrader.com User Profile Study
²2013 AutoTrader.com/Polk Automotive Buyer Influence Study

About AutoTrader.com 
Created in 1997, Atlanta-based AutoTrader.com is the Internet's ultimate automotive marketplace. As a leading resource for car shoppers and sellers, AutoTrader.com aggregates millions of new, used and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of dealers and private sellers and provides expert articles and reviews. AutoTrader.com, which also operates the AutoTraderClassics.com® auto marketing brand, is wholly owned by AutoTrader Group™. Additionally, AutoTrader Group owns Kelley Blue Book® (KBB.com) as well as three other companies that provide a full suite of software tools that help dealers and manufacturers manage their inventory and advertising online: vAuto®, HomeNet Automotive® and VinSolutions®.  AutoTrader Group is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. Providence Equity Partners is a 25 percent owner of the company. For more information, please visit http://press.autotrader.com.

SOURCE AutoTrader.com