TrueCar And U.S. News Expand Auto-Buying Program That Reaches Over 4 Million Monthly Car Researchers

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE), the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform, and U.S. News & World Report, a multimedia publisher of consumer advice, rankings and news, today announced a two-year extension of the U.S. News new car buying program. The program, which has been powered by TrueCar since 2011, is available via the U.S. News Best Cars website. Over 40,000 vehicles have been sold to users of the program with buyers saving an average of $3,221 off MSRP. As part of the renewal agreement, car shoppers will now also be provided with streamlined access to high-quality pre-owned vehicles available from TrueCar Certified Dealers.

In addition to powering the auto-buying program for U.S. News, the TrueCar platform is utilized by a network of more than 140 affinity partners to provide their members with access to guaranteed savings off MSRP.  TrueCar remains the leading auto-buying platform in the affinity auto-buying space, reaching over 150 million consumers through these programs.  Affinity group members have purchased over 1 million vehicles from TrueCar Certified Dealers nationwide using the TrueCar platform and saved, in aggregate, over $3 billion off MSRP.

"TrueCar and U.S. News are at the forefront of the new auto retail landscape in which consumers expect upfront pricing information," said Jim Nguyen, TrueCar EVP, OEM & Partner Development.  "It's an ideal relationship – U.S. News has well-informed car shoppers, and TrueCar offers them data about what others in their community paid for a similar vehicle.  Furthermore, TrueCar's Certified Dealers are able to engage with knowledgeable, 'ready-to-buy' customers."

As a part of the expanded auto-buying program, TrueCar will provide access to the entire inventory of more than 400,000 used vehicles from its network of TrueCar Certified Dealers.  Each vehicle will be clearly identified with a "TrueCar Certified Dealer" badge.

"With our used car rankings and reviews, we help consumers choose the best vehicles for their needs. By adding that inventory, we can also provide them with price confidence and the expectation of a hassle-free experience," said Bageshri Ghate, VP & General Manager of U.S. News Best Cars.

About TrueCar
TrueCar, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUE) is the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform. TrueCar enables a negotiation-free car buying experience by giving buyers transparent insight into what others actually paid (price confidence), upfront pricing information (price discovery), and access to a network of trusted TrueCar Certified Dealers who provide guaranteed savings certificates and seamlessly complete the car purchase. The reality is that buying a car is painful and buyers fear they are going to overpay or be surprised with hidden fees. TrueCar's transparent upfront pricing information makes the car buying process simple so there are no surprises and buyers never overpay. TrueCar's mission is to make car buying simple, fair and fun. Its national network of more than 9,000 TrueCar Certified Dealers, including both new car franchise dealers and non-franchise dealers, is committed to providing negotiation-free savings off MSRP and upfront pricing information for all car-buyers, including members of some of the country's largest membership and service organizations such as AARP, American Express, AAA, and USAA. Note: Not all program features are available in all states. Go to www.truecar.com for program details. TrueCar is headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., with offices in Santa Barbara, Calif., San Francisco, Calif., and Austin, Texas.

About U.S. News Best Cars
U.S. News Best Cars, the automotive channel of U.S. News & World Report at www.usnews.com/cars, has published rankings for new vehicles sold in America since 2007 and rankings for used vehicles since 2012. U.S. News also publishes the annual Best Cars for the Money and Best Cars for Families awards. The site receives more than 45 million unique visitors annually with over 65 percent of visitors actively shopping for a car. Approximately 80 percent of those active shoppers report that the U.S. News Best Cars site influenced their car purchasing decision. 

U.S. News & World Report is a multimedia publisher of news, consumer advice, rankings and analysis. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News & Opinion, www.usnews.com has earned a reputation as the leading provider of consumer advice and analysis that helps its readers make informed life decisions. U.S. News & World Report's signature franchise includes its "Best" series of consumer advice guides and publications that include rankings of colleges, hospitals, mutual funds, cars and more.

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SOURCE TrueCar