CARS LAUNCHES VEHICLE ACQUISITION AND VALUATION SOLUTIONS POWERED BY ACCU-TRADE

CHICAGO, March 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS), the leading automotive marketplace platform that enables dealers with a robust set of digital solutions, will launch vehicle acquisition and valuation solutions powered by Accu-Trade at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo in Las Vegas on March 11-13.

"Dealers need a more efficient and profitable way to source and trade vehicles with ease, and Accu-Trade is the answer," said Alex Vetter, chief executive officer of CARS. "Together, Cars.com and Accu-Trade unlock a massive audience for acquiring vehicles and give dealers a better way to buy, sell or trade inventory more profitably and risk-free. Accu-Trade is here to help dealers improve their wholesale profits and enable frictionless VIN-level valuations to accelerate dealership operations."

Launching at NADA, progressive dealers can be the first to access CARS' new Accu-Trade solutions in three core forms:

• Increase your inventory and tap into Cars.com's new "sell-it-yourself" audience: Nearly half of Cars.com's 25 million monthly high-intent shoppers are looking to trade in or sell their vehicle¹. With Accu-Trade's new instant valuation experiences and guaranteed offers, dealers gain a reliable and valuable source of inventory and can intercept the millions of private-party sales taking place each year. Shoppers gain real-time transparency about a vehicle's guaranteed value, instant connection to local dealers, and a safe and secure option to complete an online transaction.
• Turn Your Dealer Website into a Trade-in Machine: In just minutes, dealers can now give shoppers guaranteed cash offers and trade-in valuations for their exact VIN, with more accurate condition and options. The technology instantly auto-populates the same vehicle valuation data across all channels where consumers are interacting: on the dealer website, within Dealer Inspire's digital retailing solutions Online Shopper and Conversations and in the store.
• Take advantage of Accu-Trade's advanced vehicle appraisal engine: Through a state-of-the-art, patent-pending appraisal solution dealers are able to identify, find and procure the exact vehicles they want for their lot. Dealers can provide consumers with 100% confidence in any vehicle they appraise and simply leverage Accu-Trade's no-risk vehicle divestment options for any vehicles they have procured that they choose not to retail. As part of this first-of-its-kind solution, the company will introduce an appraisal device that generates a VIN-specific valuation and quickly delivers a tailored, consumer-facing condition report. The device empowers dealers to efficiently increase the sophistication of their vehicle acquisition capabilities — giving them a portable, powerful solution to deliver accurate appraisals from the service lane to the seller's driveway.

"Using Accu-Trade on the CARS platform, dealers now have a way to pinpoint distressed inventory and efficiently liquidate vehicles with industry-leading features such as our integrated appraisal technology, historical VIN activity tools and value-based condition report — all built to help identify the best end user for every vehicle," said Jeff Zamora, vice president of software engineering at CARS. "The CARS + Accu-Trade platform enables the wholesale market to evolve, and better arms dealers with profitable vehicle acquisition and disposal options."

CARS vehicle acquisition solutions are available for preorder beginning March 11. Dealers can make an appointment to view a demo and learn more here or visit CARS booth (#3421) in the West Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the NADA Expo.

¹CARS Consumer Metrics Study, February 2021

ABOUT ACCU-TRADE™ 
Accu-Trade provides dealers with vehicle valuation and appraisal technology and connects consumers to the best buyer for their vehicle. The platform is based on VIN-specific historic information and condition. The company's valuation platform is fueled by market-correct data from Galves, which has been a leading provider of wholesale vehicle auction information since 1957. Galves has been trusted and used by thousands of dealers to buy and sell more vehicles. The company also includes MADE Logistics, an early-stage dealer and wholesaler logistics platform to transport vehicles. For more information, visit www.accu-trade.com.

ABOUT CARS.COM INC. 
CARS is the leading automotive marketplace platform that provides a robust set of digital solutions that connect car shoppers with sellers. Launched in 1998 with the flagship marketplace Cars.com and headquartered in Chicago, the Company empowers shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools needed to make informed buying decisions and seamlessly connect with automotive retailers. In a rapidly changing market, CARS enables dealerships and OEMs with innovative technical solutions and data-driven intelligence to better reach and influence ready-to-buy shoppers, increase inventory turn and gain market share.

In addition to Cars.com, CARS brands include Dealer Inspire, a technology provider building solutions that future-proof dealerships with more efficient operations and connected digital experiences; FUEL, which gives dealers and OEMs the opportunity to harness the untapped power of digital video by leveraging Cars.com's pure audience of in-market car shoppers, DealerRater, a leading car dealer review and reputation management platform, automotive fintech platform CreditIQ, and Accu-Trade Group, a leading provider of vehicle acquisition technology and valuation data.

The full suite of CARS properties includes Cars.com™, Dealer Inspire®, FUEL™, DealerRater®, CreditIQ™, Accu-Trade™, Auto.com™, PickupTrucks.com™ and NewCars.com®. For more information, visit www.Cars.com.

SOURCE Cars.com Inc.