Some dealers aren't happy.
Few people have a worse reputation with consumers than car dealers.
With a range of new Internet initiatives and pilot programs, auto manufacturers are evening out the playing field between dealers and customers, doing everything from revealing inventory figures and other trade secrets to promising buyers they won't have to talk to a salesman until the last possible moment. In test markets, Ford has even begun to quote prices online, putting the squeeze on dealers to cooperate with a new breed of informed and assertive consumer. The moves come as Detroit's grip on the American car-buying public appears to be slipping. Dealers are losing their connection to buyers who turn to middlemen like Autobytel and CarsDirect that promise to save consumers money by negotiating with dealers on their behalf. Last month, car sales declined for the first time in months, dropping 2 percent from a year ago, putting even more pressure on manufacturers.