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CarMax Asks: Looking for A Little Fun in the Sun?


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Warm Weather Increases Searches for Convertibles, Sunroofs on carmax.com

RICHMOND, Va., June 20 -- CarMax, Inc. the nation's largest retailer of used cars, reports that searches for convertibles and sunroofs increased in online consumer searches on carmax.com in May. According to carmax.com, searches for convertibles were up 32 percent since February. Searches for sunroofs during the same time period had an 11 percent increase. Consumers appear to be interested in taking advantage of the summer sun.

"In sunnier states convertibles are always a popular choice, but in the rest of the country, convertible cars are considered more of a seasonal choice. May searches on carmax.com are reflecting that trend," said Ann Yauger, director of carmax.com. "The recently expanded online vehicle search on carmax.com makes searching for convertibles or vehicles with sunroofs easier and faster with a few simple clicks."

CarMax's buying team offers the following tips to consider when purchasing a convertible:

-- Tops - Weigh the benefits of hard tops vs. soft tops; hard tops eliminate more road noise and are generally more quiet,

-- Safety - Check whether the vehicle has rollover protection and/or side airbags,

-- Rear Window - Keep in mind that plastic windows may require specific cleaning products while glass windows do not.

The CarMax website can be used to research information on vehicles of various makes and models. Online shoppers can search the company's inventory of more than 25,000 new and used cars. The website showcases each vehicle with multiple photos, the no-haggle price, and information on features, options, fuel economy and customer reviews. Visits to carmax.com continue to increase and approximately 70 percent of in-store customers visited the website before coming to the store.

About CarMax

CarMax, a FORTUNE 500 company, and one of the FORTUNE 2008 "100 Best Companies to Work For," is the nation's largest retailer of used cars. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., CarMax currently operates 97 used car superstores in 45 markets. The unique CarMax consumer offer provides our customers the opportunity to shop for vehicles the way they shop for items at other national retailers, and it is structured around four customer benefits: low, no-haggle prices; a broad selection; high quality vehicles; and a customer-friendly sales process. During the twelve months ended February 29, 2008, the company retailed 377,244 used vehicles and sold 222,406 wholesale vehicles at its in-store auctions. For more information, access the CarMax website at www.carmax.com .