Buying a Car Online

Shopping online isn't limited to items that can be shipped in a box or envelope. It's actually possible to buy something as large as an automobile over the Internet.

Of course, buying a new car online isn't quite the same as buying a shirt or a DVD player online. For one thing, don't expect to open your mailbox and find a car inside. No, when you use a Web site to shop for a new car, you actually end up purchasing the vehicle from a local auto dealer. The online sites simply facilitate your purchase by letting you request price quotes from local dealers; these quotes, which incorporate volume discounts arranged by the online auto site, typically are much lower than what you can negotiate on your own.

You start the process by visiting one of the many automotive portal sites, like Cars.com (shown in Figure 24.5). Once you decide on a specific model, you request price quotes. The portal sends your request to participating dealers in your area, who then contact you separately. If you like the price a dealer offers, you make the purchase.

Figure 24.5. Shopping for new and used cars at Cars.com.

Here are the best of these automotive portals:

• autobytel.com (www.autobytel.com)

• AutoNation.com (www.autonation.com)

• AutoSite (www.autosite.com)

• Autoweb (www.autoweb.com)

• Cars.com (www.cars.com)

• Edmunds.com (www.edmunds.com)

• Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com)

• MSN Autos (autos.msn.com)

tip

These automotive portals also make it easy to buy (and to sell) used cars. Browse the listings to see what's available in your area.