SANTA MONICA, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Mar 27, 2009 In these tough economic times, every dollar counts, and those about to feel that particularly painfully are California residents who, on April 1, will see their sales tax climb one percent or higher, depending on where they live.

According to Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, Californians are flocking to dealerships right now, hoping to finalize their new car purchase before the tax hike. Someone buying a $30,000 car will save $300 - nearly one monthly payment - if the purchase is made before April 1.

"Many consumers forget to take sales tax and other ownership costs into consideration when determining how much they can afford to spend on a car," notes Edmunds.com's Senior Consumer Advice Editor Philip Reed. He recommended using the free True Cost to Own® tool located at http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edmunds.com%2Fapps%2Fcto%2FCTOintroController&esheet=5927861&lan=en_US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edmunds.com%2Fapps%2Fcto%2FCTOintroController&index=4 to reveal sales tax, registration costs and other automotive expenses.

About Edmunds.com Inc. (http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edmunds.com%2Fhelp%2Fabout%2Findex.html&esheet=5927861&lan=en_US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.edmunds.com%2Fhelp%2Fabout%2Findex.html&index=5)

Edmunds.com Inc. publishes four Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive consumer information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its most popular feature, the Edmunds.com True Market Value®, is relied upon by millions of people seeking current transaction prices for new and used vehicles. Edmunds.com was named "Best Car Research Site" by Forbes ASAP, has been selected by consumers as the "Most Useful Web Site" according to every J.D. Power and Associates New Autoshopper.com Study(SM), was ranked first in the Survey of Car-Shopping Web Sites by The Wall Street Journal and was rated "#1" in Keynote's study of third-party automotive Web sites. Inside Line launched in 2005 and is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. CarSpace launched in 2006 and is an automotive social networking Web site and home to the oldest and most established automotive community. AutoObserver.com launched in 2008 and provides insightful automotive industry commentary and analysis. Edmunds Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit.

Edmunds.com Corporate Communications
Jeannine Fallon/Chintan Talati
Media Hotline: 310-309-4900
pr@edmunds.com
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