Virtual Marketplace Car Shopping Online
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Written by Steve R. Lowry
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Monday, 09 February 2009 |
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Car-shoppers who go online have a gigantic resource for research and even buying. You'll find hundreds of sites with specs, colors, prices, and names of nearby dealers. But you'll also run into all the usual Internet problems:
- Too much information. You can waste hours wandering around online.
- Not enough information. Many sites are regional, incomplete, or amateurish. Others are clearly commercial. Carmakers and car dealers are unlikely to let you know the dealer's invoice price - you'll just get list prices.
- Uncertain quality of information. It may not be up-to-date. Search results are only as good as the information being searched. And you don't always know the biases of the presenter; sites that refer you to dealers typically get fees from the dealers, for instance.
So in many ways, shopping online isn't so different from shopping elsewhere. You have to keep your wits about you. Here are the kinds of locales you'll find:
- Automaker sites. Every maker has one. Regard them as elaborate ads and links to dealers. You'll find lots of details about the cars, but only the manufacturer's suggested retail prices.
- Buying services. The four biggest - Auto-By-Tel, Auto Vantage, Auto-web.com, and CarPoint - offer a firm quote that's faxed or e-mailed from them or a dealer in your area, freeing you from haggling. You get a "best offer" or "preferred price" - probably less than list, but not necessarily the best you could get if you shop around. Such sites provide other services and links, including information on dealer costs, financing, insurance, and used-car classifieds.
- Price and leasing guides. Familiar printed guides like Kelley Blue Book and Edmund's provide prices online. Intellichoice does, too, along with information on leasing. LeaseSource sells LeaseWizard software and includes an interactive way to evaluate lease deals.
- Safety information. The web sites of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety include crash-test results and other safety information. NHTSA's site provides recall information and a way to report safety problems.
- Consumer Reports Online. Site subscribers to www.ConsumerReports.org can find an interactive search engine and much of the contents of this issue in database form, plus a used-car database. A listing of auto recalls is free.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 09 February 2009 )
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