This article was written on April 26, 2008 by CyberNet.
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Many people around the World are dependent on cars to get to work so that they’re able to make a living and provide for themselves and their families. Because of this, purchasing a car is one of the most important investments that they’ll make. The process of deciding which cars are of interest and then actually purchasing the car can be a complicated one, but thankfully there are several great websites out there that make it just a bit easier. Today we’re taking a look at four different sites that are great resources if you’re purchasing a car whether it’s a new or used one you’re after. They are:
AutoTrader (link)
One of the features we like best about AutoTrader.com is their new Research & Compare tool. It’ll help you find the right car for you through the use of reviews, videos, and 360″ views of the vehicles.
To get started using the research and comparison tool, you’ll start browsing by a specific model, manufacture, price range, or a specific model if you know what you’re already looking for.
I decided to search by price range, and so I clicked on the $15,000-$25,000 range. From there it pulled up a list of vehicles that matched my preferences. I could further modify my preference by selecting a year range, a body type, different makes and models, and fuel mileage. Anytime I changed my preferences, new results would be displayed and then I could click on any of the vehicles to get more information.
They include all kinds of information that will help you determine if the car is right for you. From the vehicle page I was able to read the following:
- expert reviews
- consumer ratings and reviews
- safety and recall information
- pricing and incentives
- view photos and 360 spins
- features
- capacity and specs
- warranties
- colors it’s available in
I could also compare the car to any model, similar models, or previous models of the car. If I decided I wanted the car, there was the option to enter in my zip code to find the vehicle in my area.
Cars.com (link)
At Cars.com, one of their nicest features is the “Shopping Advice” section. Here you’ll find all kinds of advice on the following topics:
- Buying
- Fuel Economy
- Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles
- Leasing
- Lifestyle
- Incentives
- Financing
- Gadgets for the Car
- Selling
- and more…
If you were looking for advice on leasing a vehicle, Cars.com provides a quick quiz to test your knowledge of leasing, and then they provide information on whether or not it’s a wise choice. There’s a whole section of information that covered topics like leasing benefits, guidelines, and sample pricing scenarios. There’s also a Loan vs. Lease calculator which is particularly nice because it flat out tells you what your monthly payment would be (roughly) for buying and leasing so that you can compare them and then determine which route you should take.
Car and Driver (link)
Car and Driver’s New Car Buying Guide is probably one of the site’s nicest features, particularly their option to browse by market segment. Here are some of the market segments you can choose from:
- best-sellers
- budget safety picks
- crossover-big
- crossover- compact
- crossover- mid-size
- most researched
- performance variant
- quickest cars
- and more…
I chose to search for the quickest cars and then it broke it down into different price ranges like $18,000 and under, under $25,000, and under $33,000. If I wanted to, I could further narrow my search by viewing particular body styles.
Another section of the site you’ll definitely want to checkout for anything car related is their Forums. They’ve got a very active forum where you can go to offer advice or seek advice if you needed.
Motor Trend (link)
If I had to pick one feature about Motor Trend that I liked, it would be their dedicated section for used cars. Not everybody is out to buy a brand new car, so the section dedicated to used vehicles is nice. When you click “Used Cars” in the menu at the top of the page, you’ll be able to choose from the following options:
- photos
- pricing
- safety
- recalls
- specs
- classifieds
If you were wondering what the specs were for a 2002 Ford F-150, you could search for the specific brand of car (Ford) and then for the specific model. Once you clicked the model of the vehicle you were looking for, it would list out all of the different years which you could click on to learn more about the vehicle’s performance, handling, cargo space, what the interior is like, and more.
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