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Get Tips for Car Buying on the Net
by Robin Nobles

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If you're in the market for a new or used car, you'll find some fabulous resources on the Internet to help you. Some sites offer pictures, specs, and reviews of new cars, whereas other sites offer a history of used cars.

So, before you sign on the dotted line, become a more educated buyer by visiting some of these sites.

Let's say you ride by a local used car lot, and you spot a car that interests you. How do you know about the car's history? Is it a lemon, or has it been in several wrecks? Is the odometer reading correct? At CarFax, you can request a vehicle history analysis which covers a title history, odometer fraud, significant event analysis, vehicle usage analysis (such as rental usage), and vehicle history details. For less than $20, you can check the history of unlimited vehicles within a two- month period, which is plenty of time for you to car shop. www.carfax.com

Next, stop by Kelley Blue Book online to learn the Blue Book value of the car you're wanting to buy. The site offers a trade- in value and a private party value, if you're wanting to purchase the car from another consumer. The site also offers car reviews, decision guides, a lemon check, and much more. www.kbb.com/

Another excellent online guide for buying a car is Edmund's Car Buying Guide. Click on Reviews for road tests, "most wanted" vehicles, and top 10 lists. If you're considering a brand new car, click on New on the toolbar, then choose the manufacturer. Choose the car you're interested in from the list, and learn the base price of the vehicle, or price the vehicle with options of your choice. You can even check on insurance and financing right there on the site. www.edmunds.com/

Yahoo!'s auto area is excellent, with its new car guide, car showcase, fuel conservation tips, and free warranty quotes. Find the car of your choice, and then compare it to other vehicles in the same class. At this site, you can even view a 360-degree interior view of all new cars (the next best thing to being in a car lot!). autos.yahoo.com/

Finally, for some good, solid tips on buying a car, visit A Car Buying Guide: Getting the Best when Buying a Car. You'll find a list of 9 things you must do when buying a car; tips on car prices; a car buying checklist; car buying mistakes to avoid; new ways to buy a car; and much more. www.smartsense.com/

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This article was written by Robin Nobles, a professional freelance writer and the Director of Training at the Academy of Web Specialists. Over the past few years, she has trained several thousand people in her online and onsite courses in search engine positioning strategies and has written three books that can be ordered through Amazon. Visit the Academy's training Web site to learn more about their online courses: www.onlinewebtraining.com. Or, visit Robin's personal Web site at www.robinsnest.com.

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