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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2000)
FIRST Car Shopping Online The television commercials aimed at col lege students are actually true—you can buy a car online and have it show up at your doorstep with very little difficulty. That is if you’re in the market for a brand-new car and are willing to wait about six weeks. Shopping online for a vehicle follows a distinct pattern: the more money you spend, the easier it is. However, the Internet is still a great launching pad in your quest for a new set of wheels. The trick to buying a car without get uiig bUL^ereu ib bimpie. be informed. It's vital to know everything there is to know about the make and model you want before you ever set foot on a car lot. Getting Started The first stop should be consumer reports.org, the grandfather of automobile research. This established magazine offers advice, lists of desirable cars, safety ratings, maintenance tips and pricing guides for both new and used cars. Of course, if Consumer Reports doesn’t list that 1978 ffSwwSE8* 3E255Sr Gremlin you ve been eyeing, it's a safe bet that Kelley’s Blue Book does at kbb.com, where the value of every make and model can be found. New Cars For those in the new car mar ket, shopping online is still an option. Sites like carsdirect.com allow shoppers to pick the make, model, options and other fea tures, then view safety and per formance reviews. Carsdirect.com will calcu late their price, show you the manufacturer’s suggested retail price and the dealer invoice price (the published price of the vehicle to the dealer). Carsdirect.com is usually several thousand dollars cheaper v man Dotn tne MiKr ana tne dealer’s price, an edge it claims is possible because of streamlined operations and an automated purchasing center. Just don’t get carried away with the new car show ing up at the dorm room sce nario—in some cases you’ll have to drive to a regional located. Other locator sites include autoweb.com and stoneage.com. Autoweb.com finds nearby cars listed by local dealers and private parties that fall within your specifications, while stoneage.com lets you into a database to search classified ads. Sleuthini There is one must-go web center to picK up your new ride. The site also offers financing and leasing infor mation, including calculators that determine your maximum monthly payment. If you’re looking for a used car, try autobytel.com, which searches dealerships in v your area ror tne car you’re looking for. You can get an idea of how available your car is from the site, but you have to reg ister to find out where these dealer ships are actually site for used car shoppers: carfax.com. For $19.95, these guys will serve as your person al snoops and will compile a detailed history of the car in question. Was the odometer turned back? Was the car damaged in a flood, fire or accident? Carfax.com will let vou know. In the end you’ll have to decide if you need the thrill of kicking a few tires and hag gling with a salesperson, or if you’d rather handle the whole thing in a virtual show _ room. Whichever wav you go, you won't be able to get away with not doing your homework. • To learn more about buying cars online, go to Steamtunnels.net and search using keyword “car.” I Honda and Toyota are leading the pack in producing what will likely he the wave of the future: HYBRID CARS These sleek vehicles, both of which sell for around $20,000, run on both gas and electricity, a combination that results in phenomenal mileage—up to 70 miles a gal lon. There is no need to plug these things in—the electric motor starts the car, and then the gas engine takes over. The battery supplements the engine, and is continually re-charged while the car is being driven. The Insight can go up to 700 miles on a lgle tank of gas, and it’s not bad looking either. Thanks to Honda’s aerodynamic design and lightweight alu minum body, this car is about as environ mentally friendly as you can get. It has been esti mated that Insight owners save about $600 a year in fuel costs and reduce pollu tion by up to 46% compared to other vehi cles. For more information on the Insight, go to honda2000.com. The Prius, just introduced in the U.S. this year, like the Insight, is the same as any other car out there: it goes just as fast, comes with tons of options, and has all the same safety features. It just happens to get 52 miles per gallon in city driving. Go to prius. toyota.com for more details.
