Vocabulary

Branded proper names

• Car Seat Checks
• Multicar comparisons
• Certified Pre-Owned

Common phrases

• Use “car”, not “vehicle.” Car is more natural and conversational, and reinforces brand identity (we are Cars.com, after all).
• Use “info” with no period (unless it’s at the end of a sentence.) It’s more conversational and space-economical.
• Use “trim” not “style.” Example - (“Select a trim” not “Select a style”).
• Use Sign in (vs. Log in).
• Use “View” when sending users to a different page, such as “View all 30 cars for sale”.
• Use “Show more/Show less” when revealing more content on the same page (There is nuance here however, see more in the Reveal pattern).
• The format for phone numbers is (123) 456-7891.

Terms & style

• city/hwy
• hp
• mpg
• EPA mpg-equivalent - highway
• fuel-efficient
• MSRP
• ZIP
• Sub-compact
• Full-size
• Mid-size
• Front-row
• Min. ground clearance
• Width, max w/o mirrors
• Suspension type - front (cont.)
• EPA classification
• Front-wheel size
• Rear-wheel material
• SAE net horsepower @rpm
• Turning diameter - curb to curb
• Turning diameter - wall to wall
• Steering ratio (:1), overall
• Lock-to-lock turns, steering
• Weight-distributing
• Dead-weight
• See more guidelines around abbreviations

Make, model, year, and trim

• When displaying any combination of a Make, Model, or Year, do not preface the name with the word “the” (e.g., “The 2018 Chevrolet Impala.”) Although it sounds grammatically correct, it’s overly formal and takes up unnecessary character count.
• Be aware that certain trim names are not consistent year to year for a make and model. A trim for one year can be a model for the previous year.
• Most OEMS use proper nouns with title casing (e.g., Chevrolet Impala), but there are some who use sentence case (e.g., smart fortwo) as part of their brand.