Hyundai Ranks High in KBB’s most-researched vehicles of 2011

Chances are you've visited KBB.com to do some research if you're in the market for a new vehicle, which is why the site's list of this year's most researched new vehicles and brands is probably a good representation of what the public at large is really interested in.

KBB calls it "share of market interest," which is defined as the percent of new car shopper activity for a particular brand or model. This year, Toyota captured the largest share of market interest among brands with 14.2 percent, followed by Ford (13.5 percent), Honda (12.8 percent), Chevrolet (11.5 percent) and Hyundai (7.5 percent).

As for individual models, the list of 20 vehicles with the highest share of market interest is dominated by the familiar players, including the Honda Civic, Accord and CR-V; Toyota Camry and Ford F-150, which make up the top five (though not in that order).

KBB points out two interesting things about this year's list. The first is the excellent showing by Hyundai both in brand ranking and individual models with the highest share of market interest. The Korean automaker was fifth in the brand rankings, pushing Nissan out of the top five, and the Sonata and Elantra ranked sixth and seventh among individual models, the latter jumping 29 spots from last year's list. The site credits Hyundai's roll out of new models, as well as hard times for both Toyota and Honda, for its capturing of consumers' interest this year.

The other thing to note is the absence of luxury vehicles, which suggests these tight economic times have consumers researching more practical purchases than a BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Audi, or at least that those who can afford such vehicles aren't researching them on KBB.com.

Follow the jump for KBB's official press release that includes the full list of 20 vehicles with the highest share of market interest for 2011.

Read More: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/16/kbb-names-its-most-researched-vehicles-of-2011/