IRVINE, Calif. -- Kelley Blue Book, a leading provider of new and used car information, has released its list of the most-researched new vehicles of 2009 as seen on the company's top-rated Web site, www.kbb.com. In addition, Kelley Blue Book has revealed the top five brands with the greatest share of market interest for 2009.

This year marks the fourth consecutive year that Kelley Blue Book saw increased visitation to its Web site, with nearly 180 million visits to kbb.com in 2009. Because kbb.com is one of the most-trafficked automotive research sites, visitation to specific vehicles has become a leading indicator of sales patterns for manufacturers, the company says.

Kbb.com's Top 20 Most-Researched New Vehicles of 2009

    1. Honda Accord
    2. Honda Civic
    3. Toyota Camry
    4. Honda CR-V
    5. Toyota Corolla
    6. Toyota RAV4
    7. Toyota Highlander
    8. Toyota Prius
    9. Nissan Altima
    10. Honda Pilot
    11. Ford Escape
    12. Chevrolet Camaro
    13. Honda Odyssey
    14. Ford Fusion
    15. Mazda3
    16. Ford Mustang
    17. Volkswagen Jetta
    18. Toyota Sienna
    19. Lexus RX 350
    20. Chevrolet Equinox

The Honda Civic, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry (in varying orders each year) have been the top three most-researched new-vehicles on kbb.com each year since 2004. However, many vehicles made noteworthy jumps into the top 20 most-researched new-vehicles for 2009 that were not on the list in 2008. Chevrolet's all-new redesigned Equinox and Camaro models both grace this year's list for the first time. Also new to this year's top 20 are the recently revamped Lexus RX 350 and the popular, fast-selling Ford Fusion.

The stabilization in gas prices for 2009 has indicated a trend away from smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles over the past year, and thus some popular small cars that were among the most-researched in 2008 have fallen off the list for 2009. Subcompact cars like the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit, along with the compact MINI Cooper, were among the most-researched new cars last year, but do not hold court among the most-researched models this year. In addition, Chevy's Malibu, redesigned for the 2008 model-year and featured on last year's 'most-researched' list, has seen some of its popularity fade over the past year, no longer listing among the top 20 most-researched new cars of 2009.

"The site traffic on Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com demonstrates what is on the minds of today's new-car shoppers, especially when examining the most-researched new-vehicles of 2009," said James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com. "Declined interest in smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles and increased popularity in attractive, recently redesigned models is an accurate reflection of the marketplace in 2009. We also see that consumers are reacting well to new models and redesigns from domestic manufacturers like Chevy and Ford, which bodes well for their future sales numbers."

Top Five Brands with Greatest Share of Market Interest on Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com for 2009
1. Toyota
2. Honda
3. Ford
4. Chevrolet
5. Nissan

Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevrolet and Nissan (respectively) are the top five brands with the highest share of market interest -- defined as the percent of new-car shopper activity for a particular brand -- on Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com for 2009. Of those brands, Ford saw the most growth throughout the course of the year, with its share rising steadily in the first half of the year and peaking during the summer months, benefiting as the only domestic manufacturer that did not require a bailout or undergo bankruptcy. Ford also benefited from the "Cash-for-Clunkers" program during the summer of 2009, due to its aggressive promotion of the program.