Consumers Agree: Neither Presidential Candidate has a Quick Fix for Pain at the Pump

CHICAGO--(Business Wire)--
With the presidential campaign in full swing and the price of
gasoline still hovering around $4 a gallon, consumers believe neither
major-party political candidate can alleviate their pain at the pump.

According to a recent Cars.com survey, roughly 50 percent of
consumers believe that neither presumptive Democratic candidate Barack
Obama or presumptive Republican candidate John McCain have the answer
when it comes to finding a solution for high gas prices. The majority
of consumers (48 percent) also believe that neither candidate will
have an edge when it comes to working with manufacturers to help
produce more fuel-efficient cars in the future.

"Most people correctly see no simple solution when it comes to
reducing prices at the pump," said Cars.com senior editor Joe
Wiesenfelder. "That doesn't mean that it won't be an important issue
when it comes to the general election. More than 70 percent of
respondents said the cost of gasoline was either very important or
somewhat important in their voting decision this November."

The high cost of gas ranks higher than education, health care and
the Iraq war when it comes to issues of importance in the upcoming
election. The most important issue to consumers, however, is the
economy at large.

When it comes to finding a long-term solution to the high cost of
gasoline, most consumers say long-term energy reform, development of
alternative energy sources, and reducing our demand for oil through
the production of more fuel-efficient and alternative-fuel vehicles
are the best answers for the future. When it comes to increasing oil
production, 71 percent said they are in favor of more drilling in
North America if it would lead to a decrease in gas prices.

The survey was conducted online with a random sample of 1,052 men
and women 18 years of age and older. Survey respondents were carefully
selected to closely match U.S. population demographics, and the
respondents are representative of American men and women age 18 and
older.

The research was conducted in July 2008. The overall sampling
error rate for this survey is plus or minus 3 percent at a 95 percent
level of confidence.

About Cars.com

Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers,
offering credible, easy-to-understand information from consumers and
experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy
and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive pricing information,
side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased
editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car
inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their
shopping process with the information they need to make confident
buying decisions.

Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified
Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including
Belo (NYSE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company
(NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE:
WPO).

Cars.com
Steve Nolan
Public Relations Manager
312-601-5163 (direct)
630-310-2468 (mobile)
snolan@cars.com
or
Jackie Brennan
Associate Communications Manager
312-601-6229 (direct)
219-577-6106 (mobile)
jbrennan@cars.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008