CLICK AND DOUBLE CLICK; INTERNET PROVIDES WEALTH OF INFORMATION TO ASSIST IN CAR BUYING

There's no doubt about it: You can buy just about anything on the Internet. Heck, some idiot on E-Bay put up his soul for sale, and someone actually bid on it. Please.

Some people are even buying cars on the Internet. This seems like a terrible idea. If I'm going to spend that much money, I want to kick the tires and feel the upholstery, not take someone's word about "excellent" quality.

Sure, buying on the Internet is convenient, but who's going to service it? And don't forget the $64 question: How much is the shipping charge?

But the Internet can provide plenty of good information to help you become a better consumer when shopping for a car locally. You can go armed with a stack of facts and figures that will build your confidence whether you're buying a new or used car.

Almost every one of the car sites below also link you to the countless new-car sites. Every dealer has one, and most are top-notch, featuring the latest technology. For many, you can even get a 360-degree interior view with QuickTime or another plug-in.

If you've been to our Internet classes, you know my favorite car site is Kelley Blue Book. It's chocked full of useful information, and the address is easy to remember.

www.kbb.com

What's your old car worth? You can get a free trade-in report online. You can also get the Blue Book retail value, which should help if you're shopping for a used car from a dealer. The online Blue Books go back to 1979.

You need to know some pertinent information about your vehicle: year, make, model, engine, transmission, equipment and mileage. They also want to know your zip code.

Here comes the tricky part: You have to rate your car's condition. Be fair -- it will affect the price. There's a FAQ section to help you with specifics.

Last month, the site generated over 16 million vehicle pricing reports. Check out their car reviews and their Hot 50 new-car models that people are most interested in.

Also, if you're buying a used car you might want to take advantage of the Carfax Vehicle History Service, which is available from this site under the Lemon Check heading.

You can also go directly there at

www.carfax.com

You need the 17-character Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) found on dashboards and your zip code. It may provide some input as to salvage history, flood damage or odometer fraud with a particular vehicle. One check is free, but there is a cost for multiple checks. Its database contains 850 million VINs back to 1981.

You can also find lots of good information at Cars.com.

www.cars.com

There's a very good report on the 2000 car models that you can link to off the front page of Cars.com. They preview all the introduction and redesigned vehicles for the next model year. Click on "What's new" or choose your make or vehicle class.

There's also an illustrated guide to buying a used car that looks very helpful.

This site also links you off to one of my favorite talk show hosts: Tom and Ray Magliozzi, aka Click and Clack. They are the genius behind the weekly Car Talk radio show on NPR, heard locally on KRCU. You can read Car Talk's recent campaign against driving while using cell phones. Or you can go directly there at

www.cartalk.com

Microsoft has packaged lots of Internet resources on new and used cars at Carpoint.

carpoint.msn.com

You can check out recall and maintenance information on your personal auto page, or go behind the scenes of the nation's top auto show. You can read car reviews or check out reliability ratings, news and advice.

This site boasts of the Web's largest collection of surround videos for new cars. It also lets you dream about a new car with a category called "Window Shopping Lists."

The Better Business Bureau offers some good advice on buying a new car at

www.bbb.org/library/newcar.html

It covers everything from picking out a new car to the test drive to negotiating the best deal. Their best advice: Information equals bargaining leverage.

Another of our favorite sites for financial information also provides some pretty comprehensive advice on car buying, The Motley Fool. They ever-so-modestly call their section "Everything you ever wanted to know on car buying and leasing but were afraid to ask."

www.fool.com/Car/Worksheets/CarWorksheets.htm

There's a lot of practical information here including checklists, worksheets and guidelines for a car sale or lease. There's even a sample phone conversation to follow up on advertised vehicles in the newspaper.

There's a printable full-test-drive checklist that would cover all the bases. There are lots of calculators as well to figure everything from depreciation costs to monthly payments. Hey, these guys are no fools.

You might also want to pay a visit to the popular Edmund's site, which has published reviews and prices for all kinds of vehicles for 30 years.

www.edmunds.com

This site is definitely worth your while. It's packed with vehicle reviews, safety information and consumer advice.

Edumunds is geared to the consumer and it's evident with candid conversations about vehicles. It provides easy-to-find tips, strategies and detailed, behind-the-scene information and of course, prices. In many cases, you can compare 1998 prices as well. You get both the manufacturer's price and dealer invoice. You can also link off to current incentive and rebates.

You can read the pros and cons, and quickly compare information on competing models. And don't forget to check out consumer comments in the town hall section. It's a comprehensive site.

What's your favorite car site? E-mail me at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

~Joni Adams is managing editor of the Southeast Missourian.