15 Websites You Must Visit Before Purchasing A Car

The amount of information you simply couldn’t get before Google is staggering. It’s not that the research wasn’t being done, or even that consumers weren’t allowed to have it. It was just that hard to dig up all the relevant info, and downright impossible to round up as many user reviews and personal anecdotes as we can now. This makes shopping online a more interesting but nuanced experience, especially if you’re using the web to do research on major purchases like appliances or a car. Where you used to be able to get by with checking a few cursory sources, now it’s a matter of doing some pretty serious investigation. It’s all worth it, though, to make sure you get a good deal on a great product. If you find yourself in the market for a car, visit these sites first.

1. Edmunds: Edmunds has been around as a car-shopping resource and review guide since the 1960s, and over the years they’ve transitioned from catalogs to CD-ROMs and now a comprehensive website. In the mid-1990s, they went totally digital and made the site their main focus, and it’s become one of the best consumer tools available for researching cars. One of their most helpful features is the “True Cost to Own” calculator, which indexes everything from market price on new and used vehicles to the amount you can expect to pay in repairs over the life of the car. It’s a great way to get a handle on the long-term investment.
2. Consumer Reports: Consumer Reports isn’t free, but the subscription costs are totally worth it considering what you get. It’s currently $6 a month or an even cheaper $26 for a year of access to the site, which is packed with reviews and performance charts on every make and model you can think of. They’ve also got rankings of models over time with detailed breakdowns of redesigns and changes at key moments (e.g., if a car was retooled in 2007, they’ll tell you what happened and why). Some users might initially bristle at the idea of paying for a subscription, but that’s a hang-up of the digital age that needs to go away. If you want great information, you often have to buy it, just like always.
3. AutoTrader: AutoTrader is a great way to get a handle on what kinds of prices you can expect to see when you start doing some serious shopping. Most people probably have a rough idea of how much cars cost, or at least how much they might expect to pay for the one they want, but there are so many price fluctuations out there that the only way to understand the market is to dive in head-first. AutoTrader lists new and used vehicles from dealers and private sellers, and you can search within a limited area or expand your network to cover entire regions of the country. It’s an awesome cross-section of what’s out there.


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4. Kelley Blue Book: Everyone should know about Kelley Blue Book. Bookmark the site, buy the actual book, do whatever you need to do to get this info into your life if you’re remotely interested in buying a car. The company’s little blue book of car values was first published in 1926, meaning they’ve been doing this pretty much as long as there have been cars to drive. The site and book now cover values for new and used cars based on location, use, condition, and any other factor you could want. A car’s Blue Book value is a vital negotiating tool and a good number to know if you want to avoid getting worked over by a greedy dealer.
5. Recalls.gov: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration keeps records of vehicle and part recalls for the benefit of American drivers. Unfortunately, most American drivers don’t even know this service exists. If you’re a vehicle’s first owner, then you’ll likely be notified by the dealer when there’s a recall. However, if you bought your car used, you’re probably out of luck. The only way to know if something’s wrong with your car — something that will be replaced or repaired for free because of a recall — is to check the stats on this site.
6. CarFax: CarFax has exploded in the Internet era, but it’s actually been around since 1984, when it was founded as a simple database serving dealers. (The records were transferred via fax, which seems almost quaint now.) Now, the company covers all 50 states and has a comprehensive website that lets users check on the damage and repair history of any used vehicles they’re interested in buying. This is a wonderful way to get straight information on repairs free of dealer spin.
7. Car Talk: Tom and Ray Magliozzi — aka Click and Clack — host this fantastic NPR show that riffs on auto repair with equal amounts of knowledge and humor. It’s an entertaining hour for anyone thanks to the skills of the hosts, but the show also boasts an indispensable website that acts as a support network for people who might not know a bunch about cars (read: most people) but who still want to get the best deal they can. The Car Talk site has an impressive buying guide that details everything from common consumer mistakes to tricks used by salesmen, and there’s an equally helpful section devoted to maintenance after your purchase.
8. How Stuff Works: Every make and model you wind up shopping for will have its own bells and whistles, but at the end of the day, all cars are basically the same. How Stuff Works offers guides about the ins and outs of cars that are easy to read but never insulting, making them equally great for gearheads or those whose idea of auto repair means calling a tow truck and taking a nap. They’ve also got great looks at safety and fuel efficiency tips that will help you narrow your selections at the lot.
9. Motor Trend: Motor Trend has been around as a magazine since the late 1940s, and its renowned for the depth and breadth of its auto coverage. The magazine also puts out guides to new vehicles every fall. As a result, their site is fully stocked: videos, reviews, news, calculators, road tests, blogs. You name it, they’ve got it. They’ve also got detailed write-ups on their annual award winners, and the brand is so respected that you know those vehicles are worth checking out. Definitely one of the best resources out there.
10. SaferCar.gov: Another site to NHTSA, SaferCar.gov offers valuable safety rating information on available vehicles, as well as informative guides about how those safety ratings are determined in the first place. The site has tips on child safety, tires, and graphical breakdowns of what to look for in auto design. Safety’s obviously a concern for every driver, but it’s a different guide for every shopper: Some people want the safest vehicle in their price range, period, while others have already settled on a few models and might use the safety ratings as a tie-breaker. Whatever your approach, SaferCar.gov has the answer.
11. AutoMedia: The site design’s a little too busy, but the information is worth it. They’ve got a solid selection of news and reviews, but what sets the site apart is the forums where users can trade firsthand reviews and tips on everything from maintenance to shopping and more. It’s tough sometimes to cut through the propaganda when you’re looking for information on cars, and there’s often no better resource than your fellow drivers.
12. AutoCheck: AutoCheck, a subset of credit info company Experian, is a simple but fantastic tool that lets you check a car’s history and status via its VIN. It’s a cost-based service, but one worth considering as an investment given the benefits of learning everything you can about a potential dream car. If a seller or dealer isn’t willing to disclose the VIN, you’ve got bigger issues.
13. Car and Driver: Car and Driver got its start as a magazing in 1955, just a few years after Motor Trend hit the scene, and since then it’s become one of the most respected brands in the auto journalism business. Their test drives and comparison pieces make great tools for anyone getting ready to kick the tires themselves, but it’s their Buyer’s Guide that really stands out. Articles let drivers figure out what car best fits their needs, style, and budget, and the search function lets you compare vehicles across classes.
14. Cars.com: As its broad name would suggest, Cars.com is a comprehensive aggregator of everything from auto prices to Blue Book specs to reviews on the latest models. The news and opinion pieces are always informative and insightful, and they also have special spin-off sites designed to cater to different niches, like moms. Aside from a home, a car is the biggest purchase you can make, so it’s important to gather as many smart opinions as you can. Cars.com lets you cast a wide net.
15. Bankrate.com Loan Calculator: Are you paying cash for your vehicle? Congratulations, you’re officially in the very small minority (about 10%) of Americans who can pull this off. Chances are, you’re going to finance the purchase, and that means knowing how much you can spend before you ever get to the dealer. Gather as many quotes as you can when you talk to your lending agent, and then head to Bankrate.com’s loan calculator to figure out how much you’ll actually be paying based on the amount you borrow and the terms of the loan. Forewarned is forearmed.

Purchasing a car and finding the right insurance company can be extremely time consuming. This article was created by the IQ insurance quotes research team. Best of luck on your new purchase!