Cox Enterprises reports that AutoTrader.com’s revenue declined three percent from 2008 to 2009,but increased its total revenue by one percent to $629 million, largely due to the addition of print operations formerly managed by AutoTrader Publishing.

The company considers its results very positively, given overall automotive advertising results that it says were down by 15-20 percent. It also noted a five percent overall pickup in user traffic, which increased from 14.2 million unique visitors in 2008 to 14.8 million in 2009.

“2009 was an incredibly challenging year, especially for the automotive industry,” notes CEO Chip Perry. “AutoTrader.com weathered the storm well and has many opportunities that lie ahead.”