I’ve always loved cars. I can’t explain why, but they’re my passion. Some people, however, tell me they HATE them. Personally, I think they just don’t know enough about cars to know what’s good and what’s not. Knowing where to go for information is the key. Below, you’ll find my preferred resources for the best information on cars.
Crash testing results
Do you want to know how cars will perform in real-world crashes? There are two Web sites that provide detailed information that is useful when shopping for new and used cars. Results from both organizations should be considered, because they use different testing criteria to evaluate the safety of cars.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety provides safety information and crash test results for many of today’s most popular cars: www.highwaysafety.org. The IIHS uses an offset frontal crash test to simulate two vehicles hitting each other with a 40 percent frontal overlap, which is a very good test of how a vehicle’s structure will protect its occupants.
The government also performs crash tests and posts the results on their Web site: www.nhtsa.dot.gov. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, or NHTSA, crashes cars into a rigid, flat barrier at 35mph. This is a good test of seatbelts and air bags, but not a very demanding test on the structure of the vehicle itself.
Reviews and reports
The Web site, www.Edmunds.com provides editorial reviews and vehicle specifications of nearly all used cars going back to 1990. Their editors have driven and tested hundreds of cars so that you don’t have to. For example, The 1990 BMW 525i earned high marks for handling and safety, but did not come with an adjustable steering wheel.
Consumer Guide also provides a comprehensive Web site to educate shoppers about new and used cars: www.auto.consumerguide.com. On their Web site, you can easily research a used car model and learn about the small changes that took place from year to year. You can also see detailed pricing of specific new car models.
Once you’ve narrowed your search for cars to a few specific models, www.googlegroups.com can be a useful tool for learning about the opinions of other people with the same cars. For example, if you’ve decided that you want a Mercedes E-class, you can type in keywords such as “E320” and “reliability” to see what has been written by others. If there are any common problems with these cars, they will likely be discussed here.
Consumer Reports is an unbiased organization that tests just about everything, including cars. Though some of their content is available at www.consumerreports.org, you have to subscribe to their monthly magazine to have access to their full reports. My suggestion is to visit your library — they usually have a subscription.
Where to buy?
If you want to search the entire nation for cars, www.autotrader.com provides listings from California to New York. Of course, you can also narrow your search to your local area. Auto Trader includes cars from dealers and private parties, so you should be able to find the cars you’re looking for.
If auction buying is your style, you should try www.ebaymotors.com. Yes, eBay even sells cars!
What about gas mileage?
You can download all the gas mileage numbers you want at www.fueleconomy.gov. Generally speaking, you will get one to three more miles per gallon in cars with manual transmissions rather than automatics. Also, you can expect to get the best mileage only if your vehicle is properly maintained. For example, if your tire pressure is low, or if your engine isn’t running right, your gas mileage will suffer.
How much should I pay?
Nearly all dealerships use one of two nationwide standards for vehicle pricing: www.nadaguides.com and www.kbb.com. It is especially helpful to consult these two resources when you’re deciding how much used cars are worth.
By Aaron McCullough