But Kirk says GM officials worry about how the marketplaces portray GM's products. Moreover, auto sites don't have any vested interest in promoting GM cars over rival brands. Sources close to GM say the company fears that auto marketplaces could loosen GM's control over the information that reaches consumers. The auto sites maintain they are simply responding to consumers' demands for objectivity. The consumer controls it.
Carmakers say they are still the best source of detailed, timely information about cars and dealers.
And carmakers are responding by creating their own auto shopping sites. GM last year launched BuyPower, which gives price quotes and dealer referrals. Chrysler and Ford are piloting similar offerings. But as in all aspects of their relationships with dealers, carmakers must move delicately. Another business that relies heavily on commissioned salespeople is insurance, which has been the slowest of the financial-services industries to embrace the Internet.