Ford nets surfers

DETROIT: Ford is winning the battle of the automotive Internet sites, according to a report in USA Today. The paper asked almost 300 Internet surfers to judge the appeal, content and interactivity of the Ford, General Motors and Chrysler sites. Ford won over 55 percent of surfers, Chrysler 34 percent and GM only 11 percent.

Ford offers an interactive calculator to help work through leasing deals and compare with other companies, while Chrysler has downloaded video previews of new cars. GM uses virtual reality style interactivity to allow potential buyers to have a look round a new car.