ATLANTA, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans' love affair with muscle cars continued on AutoTrader.com as the new Ford Mustang claimed the No. 1 spot on AutoTrader.com's most-viewed new vehicles list in May, followed at No. 2 by the new Chevy Camaro.  The new Ford F-150 pickup truck slipped to the No. 3 most viewed spot in May from No. 2 in April of this year, but average asking prices for new F-150s listed for sale on AutoTrader.com continued to climb, up more than 8% compared to the average listed prices in May of 2009.

A big surprise came with the appearance of the new Ford F-350 pickup truck on the most-viewed new car list at No. 16.  This heavy duty truck was the No. 28 most-viewed new car in April of this year and No. 41 back in May of 2009.  The appearance of a heavy duty work truck like the F-350 on AutoTrader.com's top 20 new vehicle list may be another sign that economic recovery is continuing.

"The F-350 is a powerful, versatile vehicle," said Chip Perry.  "That people are starting to look at this vehicle more – people who need this kind of size and power in a work truck – may mean that we're seeing signs of a rebound in construction and other industries that have been hurt in the recent recession."  

Trucks continue to be popular on AutoTrader.com's Top 20 most-viewed used car list as well.  The Ford F-150 and F-250, the Chevy Silverado 1500 and 2500, the Dodge Ram 1500 and 2500, and Toyota Tundra and Tacoma all held steady on the most-viewed used car list in May and all saw average asking price increases of between 6% and 13%.

New Designs Continue to Inspire Interest

New designs and features and strong marketing continue to drive interest in the revamped Hyundai Sonata and Chevy Equinox.   The new Sonata held onto the No. 9 spot it enjoyed in April of 2010 on AutoTrader.com's most-viewed new car list, up from No. 75 in May of 2009.  The Chevy Equinox moved up three places to No. 15 in May, from No. 18 in April of 2010 and No. 107 in May of 2009.

"These two cars recently have shown that manufacturers can take great cars and with effective marketing really drive interest among consumers for putting those new cars into their consideration set," said Perry.  "We've seen repeatedly on our site that cars marketed effectively jump in our rankings as consumers are influenced to take a look."

Price Trends Still Up

Average asking prices for new, used and certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles listed for sale on AutoTrader.com in May continued the upward trend that began several months ago as auto inventories tightened and the auto market improved.  Fifteen of the top 20 most-viewed new vehicles on the site logged price increases compared to May of 2009, 18 of the top 20 most-viewed CPO vehicles saw prices increases compared to May 2009 and all used cars on the most-viewed Top 20 used car list had increased average asking prices.

More Record Traffic to AutoTrader.com

Traffic to AutoTrader.com continued to hit records.  In May, AutoTrader.com had its highest traffic month ever, attracting 16.8 million unique monthly visitors, up about 10% compared to May 2009.  For the first time ever, AutoTrader.com attracted more than 1 million unique monthly visitors on one day on May 18 when more than 1.02 million unique visitors came to the site.  The site attracted more than 1 million unique visitors again on May 19. AutoTrader.com has had several high-profile marketing activities underway in May that exposed the brand to millions, helping drive this traffic record, including the company's "Heart & Mind" advertising campaign, which included broadcast, digital, print and social media elements.

"We're deep into the Spring/Summer car buying season and the continued rise in traffic to our site and recent results announced by automakers indicate that Americans are past just looking and are now ready to buy," said Perry.  "After about two years of belt tightening, consumers are ready to make a big purchase like an automobile."

About AutoTrader.com

AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet's leading automotive marketplace and consumer information website.  AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private sellers.  AutoTrader.com attracts more than 15 million unique monthly visitors who utilize the site to view vehicles for sale, research and compare vehicles, review pricing and specials, and read auto-related content like buying and selling tips, auto maintenance tips and coverage of major auto shows and automotive trends.  Through innovative merchandising functionality such as multiple photos, videos, detailed descriptions and comprehensive research and compare tools, AutoTrader.com unites new and used car buyers and sellers online to improve the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles. AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.  The venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor.  For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.

SOURCE AutoTrader.com