Auto research meets the new millenium

When it comes time to buy a car, it’s nice to be able to log on and research the vehicle you have in mind before heading to the car lots. Almost 1/4 of first-time new car buyers do research online before purchasing.

In contrast, as of 2000, only 2% of new car purchases were completed online, with similar numbers for used cars. This may be because most people prefer to have a mechanical inspection performed before purchase.

You too can check out available features and MSRP pricing to see just how much of a discount you’re getting on new vehicles, as well as compare current selling prices for used ones.

Want to shop for a car in Scioto County? Check out portsmouth-dailytimes.com/classifieds/index.cfm for listings of local automobiles taken directly from ads in the paper.

If you like the local Auto Trader magazine, try traderonline.com. You’ll see full color pictures of many that are in the hard-copy version, and other online-only listings (they let you list your car for free, and you can pay for upgrades such as premier listings and bold print). They offer a very versatile search with options such as type of car, price range, mileage radius and more.

Carlots.com has a large list of auto dealers in Ohio, just visit carlots.com/States/Ohio.htm. Mostly

new car dealerships are listed, and there appears to be no fee to add your lot to the site if you are a dealer.

At carsmart.com, you can not only search for the perfect car from both dealerships and individuals, but also search for insurance, compare warranties, and run a “lemon-check” on your future transportation.

Visit bright.net’s homepage and click the automotive link for Looksmart vehicle related listings. This is a virtual infofest on nearly every topic you can think of relating to automobiles, trucks and vans. At the bottom of the page click the “my garage” link to receive automatic recall notices about vehicles you currently own!

Looking more for information? Try the automobile encyclopedia at autopedia.com. You’ll see links to all types of auto related information. Recalls, importing and exporting, car alarms, you’ll find it all here.

Consumerreports.com is the online version of the magazine. Everything you have come to expect from Consumer Reports and more, such as the best and worst used cars as determined by their hands-on testing.

Want to know how much your trade-in may be worth? The official Kelley blue book is online at kelleybluebook.com. It took less than 60 seconds for me to find the value of a Pontiac I had been considering purchasing, as well as that it was never made with the V6 motor as I had hoped.

How about personalized or custom plates for that new ride? Go to state.oh.us/odps/division/bmv/type_plt2.html to see what types are available and check current pricing.

is a bill of sale to print out and use when buying a car from an individual. You can spell out the warranty information “in writing", so you need never go through the embarrassment of saying, "He said that rattle was just a loose exhaust pipe and he’d fix it before I picked it up”. This website is worth the visit, although I wish they would change their name, as their information can be valuable to both sexes.