3 Smart Resources for Buying a Car

After selling your junk car, you may be looking for an upgrade. How do you know that you’re getting a good deal? Check out these three auto reviewers to guide you through the car buying process, giving you peace of mind and a leg up at the dealership.

Consumer Reports offers product reviews on everything from cars to computers to bacon (yes, even bacon). Access to ratings and reviews requires a subscription, which costs $6.95 per month or $30 per year.

If you’re not sure what type of car you’d like to buy, Consumer Reports has several well-researched and unbiased recommendations depending on your budget and preferred class of car. If you’re already set on a make or model, the subscription offers extensive ratings and specs, pricing estimates, road tests, reliability guides, and consumer satisfaction ratings across several model years.

Edmunds is an online automotive resource guide devoted to car buyers. In addition to articles and how-to guides, the site hosts a variety of other unique resources.

For example, their Car Finder tool allows you to enter in various requirements (price, type, features) and compare up to four results. Edmunds can also help you easily locate listings for specific cars in your area.

Edmunds also offers a variety of review options, including professional reviews and road tests, customer reviews and ratings, and extensive, easy-to-search forums.

If you’re more of a visual learner, turn to YouTube for your car reviews.

2 the Redline offers great reviews for the consumer car market. Their reviews feature an extensive interior and exterior tour of the car, an overview of various options and add-ons, and most importantly, a test drive.

Video reviews are a great way to see what a car actually looks like and sounds like, inside and out—an important supplement to professional photographs.

Whatever car you drive next, save yourself a headache and do a little research before you drive off the lot.