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
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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.