Canadian Black Book Launches Web Site for Consumers

TORONTO, May 27 /CNW/ - Canadian Black Book, the recognized institution for vehicle values for almost 50 years, announced today it has launched a web site for consumers that includes access to its popular "Trade-in Value" estimator along with some new tools and advice.

Car buyers and tire kickers can now visit www.canadianblackbook.com to learn the trade-in value, average asking price and future value of virtually every car and truck manufactured since 1997.

"It's an all new web site designed to bring qualified consumers together with dealers," says Kathy Ward, President and CEO of the Canadian Black Book.

The data drawn from a variety of real-time transactional sources provides the public with the most accurate values available.

The web site will also serve up classified ads for cars and trucks from dealer inventory, plus feature articles and automotive reviews by its own industry analysts and guest experts.

Top automotive industry analyst, Dennis DesRosiers, says, "The new Canadian Black Book web site and the tools it offers is welcome news to consumers who often don't know where to turn for authoritative pricing for a trade-in, a new or used car purchase or a leased vehicle. Building on its roots as the "Industry Bible" and an unbiased provider of car and truck values based upon its proprietary transactional data, this is the natural evolution of Canadian Black Book."

The new site gets top marks for its ease of use and depth. Consumers simply select their model, year, and then further fine tune the match by choosing options and trim packages. The engine that calculates the vehicle's value takes into account the actual kilometres, and similar vehicles for sale in the consumer's vicinity, then provides a low, medium and high value range in seconds.

"Dealers advertising their cars and trucks with this degree of transparency are making a clear statement about their ethics," adds DesRosiers. "The site's ability to generate a future value for literally every vehicle available in Canada also provides an invaluable tool in determining the total cost of ownership."

"This is something consumers have been asking for, for quite some time," adds Ward. "We've created an excellent online resource to help consumers get answers and make smart vehicle purchasing decisions."

"The auto industry has been our business for 50 years. We can bring a balanced point of view to the consumer. With so many online classified sites and web resources out there, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and confused when it comes to car buying and value. It also serves dealers by delivering informed buyers to their showrooms."

Ward has worked at Canadian Black Book since her early teens and has become a prominent expert in the automotive valuing process. After assuming control of the firm from her father in 1996, she has grown the company into the go-to industry source for car values. Most widely known for its printed reference guides consulted by dealers, the Canadian Black Book continues to offer data solutions specifically for dealers but is now ready to turn its expertise toward helping the consumer better understand the industry.

"This is a bold example of how the Internet can be harnessed to the benefit of both buyers and sellers," says Larry Shred, executive vice president Canadian Black Book. "Our new web site will fulfill the unique role as a community that brings together consumers and dealers in a transparent environment, with education and accurate values at its core. In the past you had owners thinking their trade-ins were worth way more than they were, and dealers who had the advantage of current market data."

The Canadian Black Book is a privately owned Canadian company founded in 1960.

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