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US New Online Buying Sites

Do you want to buy your next new car online? Then check out the sites below - some offer free car quotes by e-mail and some - like CarsDirect.com - show you the price you'll pay up front within moments. No haggling, no 'I'll have to talk with the manager' and no sitting in a cheesy office with a salesman in a bad suit. Our strategy? Use three or four websites to get the best combination of price and service.

Or, for immediate pricing, try our own Free New Vehicle Quote service.

QUICK INDEX: Web Site	Overall Rating	Go to Site	Read Our Review
CarsDirect.com	9/10	NOW	BELOW
cars.com	8/10	NOW	BELOW

CarsDirect.com - America's #1 way to buy cars online!
http://www.carsdirect.com/

CarsDirect has long been our favourite online car buying site because it has a feature that no other sites still have - an upfront price. Unfortunately this upfront price is no longer available on all vehicles and in all areas but some lucky buyers can still avoid having to deal with a car salesperson and simply get their car dealing only with CarsDirect. This very important advantage over other online sites coupled with CarsDirect's research centre, finance offerings and live help make CarsDirect a winner.

Pros:
In some locality/brand combinations you will be able to deal directly with CarsDirect and will see an upfront price. Even when this option is not available you will be shown a 'target price' that will give you a good benchmark to aim for from a dealer quote. Contact information is submitted on a secure page. CarsDirect service is free to the buyer and there is toll-free telephone help as well as live online help. If you deal with a CarsDirect vehicle specialist there is a 1-day turnaround guarantee.

If you have to go with the dealer quote option you can request quotes from multiple dealerships.

Cons:
The number of locations and brands that have upfront pricing is getting less all the time. Dealerships do not have to meet the CarsDirect 'target' price and their turnaround can be from 2-3 days. Inventory is not shown on line no matter which option you are offered to complete the buying process.

How to:

• Configure a car
  From the main page simply choose your make and model from the drop down lists (upper middle, right hand area of the page) and click on Go. On the next page indicate your zip code and click on Continue. Click on See Our Price and on the next page select colours, options etc.
  
  
• Get a quote
  Configure a car using the URL and process described above (under the heading 'Configure a car') and at the end of the process you'll get the chance to request a dealer quote (in some cases you may also get the opportunity to proceed with buying via CarsDirect but you will always have the option to get a dealer quote as well).
  
  
• See online inventory
  New inventory is not available online.
  
  

Buy Cars Online, New & Used Car Search, Auto Classifieds
http://www.cars.com/

This site features a good configurator and now allows you to search local inventory - well done!

Pros:
This site has a good configurator which allows you to see pricing information on options you are selecting. You can send your quote request to up to 3 dealers. A Smart Target Price is shown - this could be helpful as an indicator of what kind of a deal you can expect to make and whether a quote you receive is a good one or not. Also, there are prices listed next to inventory shown so perhaps upfront pricing is available (since not all the prices are the same for the same model).

Cons:
It is not clear whether upfront pricing is provided or not. Your personal information is not collected on a secure form and no turnaround guarantee is given. There is no telephone or online help available.

How to:

• Configure a car
  From the main page choose your make, model and price range (in the gray box on the very left hand edge of the page) and input your zip code and search radius (10 miles to All) and then click on the orange Search New button. You can either Build Your Own or See New Inventory on the next screen.
  
  
• Get a quote
  After configuring your car by using the link above (choose the Build Your Own button on the left) look for the quote request feature about half way down the page. Fill in all the fields and then select up to 3 dealers to send you a quote. You can also see similar vehicles at nearby dealerships listed below this quote request form.
  
  
• See online inventory
  After you've configured a car using the link above click on the orange Search Local Inventory button. You can re-sort the list of vehicles by price, year, vehicle and distance from your zip code.
  
  

CarMax VERY LIMITED COVERAGE (6 STATES and 7 BRANDS OF CARS)
http://www.carmax.com/enUS/car-search/new-cars.html

CarMax is somewhat limited in terms of geography and brands but if you are lucky enough to live in states where they offer new cars you should check them out. On the page we have linked you to you'll see a list of links that indicate in which cities CarMax is selling new vehicles. Again this is a site that is blurring the line between online car buying and classifieds. However you are shown upfront pricing and dealer inventory which are both major advantages.

Pros:
You are shown upfront pricing on new cars and you are shown available inventory. In some cases transferring a car you want from even a distant destination may be free or at a reasonable cost. You can choose to search for a new vehicle by a variety of methods - make and model, features, type or simply by browsing what is available at various locations.

In response to the growing concern around fuel economy once you have a results list from a search you can refine it further by MPG. You can also refine it by other criteria and compare cars in your results list to each other.

How to:

• Configure a car
  You don't really "configure" a vehicle on the CarMax site which is much more like a classified site than a true online buying site.
  
  
• See online inventory
  Enter your zip code and distance to search (25 miles to any distance). On the next page you can refine your search further by make, price, mileage and other criteria.
  
  

Autos.com: The best auto ranking site to help you find your perfect car
http://www.autos.com/

This is a CarsDirect offering that takes a bit of a different approach to online car buying. There is no extensive configuration or pricing information here - it's kind of like a Google-ized CarsDirect. The process is quick, simple and easy. You do get to do basic configuration and your information is collected on a secure form. There is however no access to online inventory.

Pros:
The site is elegant in its simplicity and condensed style. Your information is collected on a secure form and toll free help is available. upfront pricing, secure page for collecting personal information, good configurator, financing available, ability to indicate how you would like to be contacted, turnaround guarantee given, online toll free help, free service

Cons:
The configurator is quite a bit less full-featured than the CarsDirect site - no pricing is given when you select colour combos, the MSRP is actually not shown ANYWHERE on the configuration form and there is no chance to request options (like CD players or different wheels) on this configurator. No turnaround guarantee is given and you aren't shown which dealers your quote is going to. No access to online inventory or online (live) help.

How to:

• Configure a car
  From the main page select your manufacturer, model and input your zip code than click on the red GET FREE QUOTES button. On the next page select style and exterior colour (that's it - you only get these two choices).
  
  
• Get a quote
  After configuring the vehicle (see above) input your contact information on the secure form and click on the red Get Free Quotes button.
  
  
• See online inventory
  New vehicle inventory is not available on the Autos.com site.
  
  

Ford Vehicle Showroom
http://www.forddirect.fordvehicles.com/

No upfront pricing at FordDirect - in fact no pricing at all is shown which I find a bit disturbing (couldn't you at least show us MSRP Ford? - yes we see it on the initial vehicle selection page but not after that). That complaint said however it is hard to fault the streamlined and efficient process that FordDirect features.

Pros:
FordDirect has a secure page for collection of your personal information and has a turnaround guarantee of one business day. You configure the vehicle with as many exterior and interior colour choices as you want and include options as well. There is an en Espanol button but not everything is in Spanish - weird (for example 'choose optional upgrades' remains in English).

Cons:
No upfront price given and no access to dealer inventory. Also you aren't shown the prices of the options you have chosen (which you are on CarsDirect). No online live help is available and the earlier 1-800 number help has disappeared. You are not shown in advance which dealer your quote request is going to and as far as I can tell the quote request only goes to a single dealer.

How to:

• Configure a car
  From the main page simply click on the graphic of the vehicle you are interested in (change to trucks or SUVs using the tabs at the top of the page). On the next page choose your model or trim level (upper left hand corner), colours, preferences and options. Be sure to check whether there is an Incentives button (if there is one it will be below the pictures of the optional features).
  
  
• Get a quote
  After configuring the vehicle (see above) input your information on the form on the right hand side of the page and click on the Get An Internet Price button.
  
  
• See online inventory
  New inventory is not available online at the FordDirect site.
  
  

Autobytel.com - New Car Prices, Used Cars for Sale, Car Pictures and Car Reviews
http://www.autobytel.com/

Autobytel is the oldest of the online car buying sites in the US getting its start in 1995. To say they are huge is an understatement - they also own and run Autoweb.com, Autosite.com, Carsmart.com, AutoSite.com, CarTV.com, Autoahorros.com and Car.com. I think this is reflected in their approach which I find subtly less consumer friendly (can a website have 'attitude'?) than other sites. That said there is no denying that this is a good place to check out if you are looking for a new vehicle. Not surprisingly there's no upfront pricing nor can you search online inventory.

Pros:
The Autobytel process is falling-off-a-log simple and I also like that you can submit your quote request to multiple dealerships. There is a 1-888 number for help although it isn't that easy to find (click on the Contact link at the bottom of the page).

Cons:
There is no upfront pricing and your personal information is not collected on a secure form. There's no online (live) help. You're not shown pricing of various options or accessories you might choose during your configuration. No turnaround guarantee is given.

How to:

• Configure a car
  Select New and your make from the drop down boxes at the top of the page and input your zip code and click on GO. On the next page select your model and click on continue. On the next page choose your trim level, engine/transmission, colours, options etc (not all these will be available for each vehicle).
  
  
• Get a quote
  After configuring the vehicle (see above) click on the Continue button. Complete the non-secure form and submit your request to as many dealers as you wish (sometimes only a single dealer will be listed - other times there may be several).
  
  
• See online inventory
  New inventory is not available online at the Autobytel site.
  
  

Autoweb - New car quotes, New car dealers, and Auto purchase information
http://www.autoweb.com/content/buy/lm/new/index.cfm?id=10714;TAWEB

Does this site look familiar to you - it probably does if you've spent any time car shopping online as it is owned by the Autobytel people. Not surprisingly it works almost exactly the same. Again - no upfront pricing here and no chance to search inventory online. Still - the process is very simple and well-executed.

Pros:
A simple configuration process and you can submit your quote request to multiple dealerships. There is a 1-888 number for help although it is completely buried - click on the About Us link at the bottom of the page and then choose Contact Autoweb from the drop down list.

Cons:
No pricing information shown for options and accessories that you might choose during the configuration process nor is your information collected on a secure page. No online (live) help.

How to:

• Configure a car
  Select your make and model from the drop down lists in the grey box on the right hand side of the page and input your zip code and click on Next. On the next page choose your trim level, engine/transmission, colours, options etc (not all these will be available for each vehicle).
  
  
• Get a quote
  After configuring the vehicle (see above) click on the Next button. Complete the non-secure form and submit your request to as many dealers as you wish (sometimes only a single dealer will be listed - other times there may be several).
  
  
• See online inventory
  New inventory is not available online at the Autoweb site.
  
  

Buy your next new or used car online with our New Car Pricing Guides
http://www.carsmart.com/content/buy/lm/new/index.cfm

Another site from the Autobytel family of sites. The process is simple and straightforward but no upfront pricing or ability to see inventory on dealers' lots.

Pros:
You should receive a reply to your quote request in one business day and if you are lucky you may get to send your request to more than one dealership (depends on where you live and the vehicle you are looking for).

Cons:
No upfront pricing here, your information is not collected on a secure form and you can't see inventory online. There is supposedly telephone support (at least that's what the help page says) but I was unable to find a number anywhere on the site. There is no online (live) help. The configurator is pretty bare bones and you do not see pricing information on options and features you may have added to the basic car you selected. MSRP is not displayed anywhere so you have no idea what the potential price of a vehicle might be.

How to:

• Configure a car
  Select your manufacturer and model, enter your zip code and click on Continue. On the next page select your trim level, other options and colour combination.
  
  
• Get a quote
  After configuring the vehicle (see above) input your contact information on the non-secure form and click on Submit.
  
  
• See online inventory
  New inventory is not available online at CarSmart.com.
  
  

Vehix - New car prices, features & reviews
http://www.vehix.com/research/new-cars.aspx#Research

As soon as you go to this site you will be prompted to enter your zip code - all the rest of this review assumes you have done this initial step.

Another quote request site that has some good features that raise it a step above some of its competitors. It's best feature is the ability to look at local inventory that is similar to a vehicle you've configured.

Pros:
The configurator on this site is well done and pricing information (both invoice and MSRP) is shown for any options or packages you add. You can also compare other vehicles, look at specs and see reviews once you are done the configuration process. By clicking on the View local inventory link you'll see similar vehicles on dealers' lots.

Unlike earlier reviews you can now see which dealer(s) your quote request is going to - on the test vehicle that I built I could send my quote request to four dealers simultaneously.

Cons:
No upfront pricing is given, your personal information is not collected on a secure form and no turnaround guarantee is given. I am also not thoroughly convinced that the configured vehicle details are being emailed to the dealer (there is no indication that you are requesting a quote on anything but the standard issue for any model). You are not shown which dealerships your quote request is going to. There is no telephone or online (live) help available.

How to:

• Configure a car
  Select Year, Make and Model (your zip code should be automatically entered if you have gone to the main page first) and then click on the Continue button. Select trim, colour and options.
  
  
• Get a quote
  After configuring your vehicle (see above) click on the Free price quote link. Fill in the non-secure form and click on Submit.
  
  
• See online inventory
  You can search inventory from a couple of different points. If you click on the View local inventory button after configuring a vehicle you'll be shown similar vehicles at dealers' lots nearby. If you use the link above you can select a make, category and price and search using that criteria. Or you could click on the Advanced button and use even more selection criteria.
  
  

Car Dealer Listings - MSN Autos
http://autos.msn.com/newcar/

A fairly good configurator (complete with tiny photos of the car that show you your colour selections) and a secure and upfront contact form. No upfront pricing though. Still - a quick and simple quote request process that unfortunately does not give you online access to inventory.

Pros:
A good configurator. Your personal information is collected on a secure form and a 24 hour turnaround guarantee is clearly stated.

Cons:
No upfront pricing or access to online inventory. No telephone or online (live) help available on the site. Within the configurator you aren't shown pricing on either the vehicle itself or options you are adding.

How to:

• Configure a car
  Select your make and model, enter your zip code and click on Continue. On the next couple of pages indicate colours, options etc.
  
  
• Get a quote
  After configuring your vehicle (see above) click on Continue. Input your personal information on the secure page presented and click on Continue.
  
  
• See online inventory
  New inventory is not available online at MSN Autos.
  
  

GM Vehicles
http://www.gm.com/vehicles/

Unfortunately my previously high opinion of GM BuyPower has been revised on this review. The site is no longer called that and along with the name many of the nifty features have been jettisoned. It seems counterintuitive to mess with something that was working so well, especially in a time of economic hardship.

Pros:
The GM site allows you to completely and accurately configure a vehicle and you can also check whether the vehicle is available on a local dealer's lot but not as effectively as you could in the past. There is still 1-800 help available although it is not prominently displayed.

Cons:
There is no longer a linkage between the configuration process and locating or requesting a quote on a vehicle. So after you configure a vehicle and are at the summary point if you click on either the LOCATE A VEHICLE or REQUEST A QUOTE button you must go through the process of selecting and customizing a vehicle again. Why can't the information I've just created using the configurator be passed to the dealer or the inventory database? Also your personal information is no longer gathered on a secure screen when you request a quote nor are you given a turnaround guarantee.

No upfront pricing is available on the GM site (all you will see is MSRP). There is no online live help (which I used on CarsDirect one day and found quite effective - before that I had doubted its efficacy but it was quite good).

How to:

• Configure a car
  Use the "Organize by:" tool to select your perfect vehicle by body style, price, fuel economy and some other criteria. Once you've selected the right vehicle click on the graphic and then on the "Build This Vehicle" link in the bottom right hand corner of the page.
  
  Enter your zipcode, select a model and then move through the steps to build your vehicle.
  
  
• Get a quote
  Configure your vehicle (see above) and then click on the Request a Quote button - fill in the form that pops up and click on Continue.
  
  
• See online inventory
  Select a vehicle by using the BROWSE BY BRAND/MODEL button in the lower right hand corner of the screen. Then click on the Locate This Vehicle link in the lower right hand area of the next screen. Unfortunately you must then start again at square one and input your zip code and search radius, select a vehicle and then search inventory. Weirdly convoluted process.
  
  

Welcome to the Costco Auto Program
http://www.costcoauto.com/

I've included this site since many of you are probably Costco members and may not be aware of this special autobuying program. The configurator is very bare bones but there is a turnaround guarantee given. No access to inventory is available.

Pros:
The process is quick and simple and seeing as it is free if you are a Costco member it seems a good idea to check this out to see if you can get a good price on a vehicle. You're given a turnaround guarantee of 24 hours and telephone support is available (in both Spanish and English) at a toll-free number during quite extensive hours.

Cons:
No upfront pricing, your personal information is not collected on a secure form and it sounds as if the only contact method is by telephone (although there is a place to specify your email address and it is in fact mandatory). You can not search inventory online.

How to:

• Configure a car
  Using the link above choose your year, make and model and click on the red Continue button. On the next page select the vehicle you want by clicking on its graphic.
  
  
• Get a quote
  "Configure" your vehicle (see above) and click on the red Locate Dealer button. Indicate your membership type and fill in your membership number and continue on with the other steps until you reach the final Locate Dealer screen.
  
  
• See online inventory
  New inventory is not available online at the Costco site.
  
  

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