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Your first step is finding a car that suits your needs in terms of style, size, safety, cost of ownership, and purchase price. There are several web sites that fill the bill admirably for this kind of research. Edmund's Automobile Buyer's Guides is the heavyweight champion of new car resources. Chances are, if you've bought a car in the last 20 years, you've thumbed through one of Edmund's handy printed guides. Their site, a longtime resident of the Web, brilliantly translates all the specs, prices and collective wisdom of their printed guides. Microsoft's CarPoint and the independent AutoSite are Web-only resources specifically tailored to the
online user, with advanced search features, side-by-side comparisons and interactive brochures. Another online-only service is Yahoo! Autos, which distinguishes itself with linked message boards that allow current and prospective car owners to swap opinions and expertise. Your second step is to comparison shop. Unfortunately, the bargaining nature of most car dealerships makes it impossible to set up an accurate online price database and thus, none exists. However, there are several sites that allow dealers in your local area to effectively "bid" for your business by offering you their best price up front. Car-buying services autobytel.com and AutoWeb
are two such sites. Each asks you for the specific make, model, and features you're looking for and information about your location. Then, in exchange for your good-faith promise to follow through with the transaction, they forward your specifications to dealers in your area. In a couple of days, you'll receive word from the site and/or the winning car dealer about the final, "no-hassle" price of your new car.
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