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KSL Newsradio's Sarah Jane reportingMore and more buyers are turning to the Web for a new set of wheels.
Consulting firm Capgemini says more than 80% of consumers revved up the growing online car buyer trend last year. But Phil Reed at Edmunds.com says that doesn't mean people are skipping the dealer.
"Online car buying is misunderstood," he said. "Really, it's a matter of using the internet for research and also for contacting car dealers. But you have to do a test-drive, and there's no way to do that online."
The beauty is in the comparison capabilities. Reed says online shoppers can look at all the specifics and the price and get a better deal, all while shopping in their pajamas.
"So basically what you're trying to do is get as many online quotes as possible, looking to see which one the best one is, confirming it, making sure there's no more room for negotiation," said Reed. "And then closing the deal."
Katie Parsons is moving to New York and needs to sell her 2003 silver Subaru Outback. So she put it up on the Salt Lake Cragslist last week.
"It actually was up for a week-and-a-half, and then I took it off and re-posted it," said Parsons.
Reed says there are several ways to look up pre-owned cars online, "This is actually easier to do because all the info you need is at your fingertips," he said.
But Reed says people need to separate the difference between shopping and buying. "The only difference is that you really need to go and inspect this car in person and make sure that it's mechanically the best choice," he said.
There are several places on the net to check out local cars. Many shoppers use Craigslist and eBay. Reed likes his company, Edmunds.com. It has a local dealer feature, and of course, you can shop for or sell a car of your own at the KSL.com Classifieds. There, you can check out the price, mileage, and view pictures.
