CarsDirect.com Announces Southwest Dream Journey Sweepstakes; Taos to Sedona is Second in Series of Ultimate Road Trips

Business Wire, Sept 11, 2000

Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 11, 2000

CarsDirect.com, a leading direct online automotive provider, today announced its Southwest Dream Journey Sweepstakes, a nine-day road adventure for two from Taos, N.M., to Sedona, Ariz.

The sweepstakes is the second in the ongoing American Highway Road Adventure series presented by CarsDirect.com. The sweepstakes winner and one guest will have the use of a Mercedes Benz(R) ML 430(R), and enjoy eight overnight stays at these premier destinations: The Fetchin Inn (Taos); La Fonda de Sante Fe (Sante Fe); Maswick Lodge (Grand Canyon); and L'Auberge de Sedona (Sedona).

In addition, the winner will receive round-trip airfare for two from any major airport in the United States to Albuquerque, with a return flight from Phoenix. Included in the winner's package are two Cannondale(R) F-Series mountain bikes, a pair of Northface(R) jackets and daypacks, two pairs of Northface hiking boots, a Yakima(R) bike rack and a digital camera for the winner to record his or her adventures on the road.

"This sweepstakes is an innovative way to introduce CarsDirect.com to Americans across the country," said Chuck Hoover, vice president of marketing, CarsDirect.com. "We believe CarsDirect.com offers the ultimate car buying experience and we wanted to reflect that by creating the ultimate road trip -- via the Southwest Dream Journey Sweepstakes."

CarsDirect.com's first road adventure in the series, the California Wine Country Sweepstakes, was a nine-day vacation from Beverly Hills to Sonoma via the Pacific Coast Highway in a Porsche(R) Boxster(R), with stays at some of California's most luxurious and romantic inns along the way. 35,000 people entered that sweepstakes for the chance to win the ultimate romantic trip for two.

Registration for the Southwest Dream Journey is open today and runs through Nov. 30, 2000. To enter or receive additional information on the sweepstakes, visitors can go to www.americanhighways.carsdirect.com/sdj.html and click on "Enter Now." The sweepstakes is open to U.S. licensed drivers, age 25 and older. The winner, chosen by random drawing, will be announced in December. In addition, a "Winners Travelogue" will be posted on the CarsDirect.com site.

About CarsDirect.com

CarsDirect.com (http://www.carsdirect.com) is a leading direct online provider of new automobiles and related products and services, such as loan and lease financing and extended warranties. CarsDirect.com allows consumers to research, price, configure, order, purchase and finance a vehicle online. The company's user-friendly, intuitive Web site offers consumers product information for nearly every make, model and style of new automobile available in the United States today, as well as the ability to simultaneously compare the specifications of competing vehicles. CarsDirect.com offers an online shopping experience that features competitive, up-front, no-haggle pricing on new vehicles.

The company sources vehicles through a priority dealer network of more than 2,500 automotive dealer franchises nationwide.