Key Takeaways

• Consumer Reports Car Buying Guide offers comprehensive advice on buying new and used cars, financing and insurance, negotiating with dealers, and more. It also provides reviews and ratings for each car model and helps you find the best deals.
• Car and Driver's buying guides provide tips on negotiating, test-driving, and selecting a car that fits your needs and budget. They also offer a "What's my car's worth" feature to estimate the value of your current car.
• EVCompare is a useful resource for comparing electric vehicles, providing details on battery capacity, range, charging speed, and more. It also includes a charging calculator to estimate cost and time savings on fuel.

Buying the right car can save you a lot of money over the years of ownership. A car is one of the most-used devices in your life, so you want to ensure you get a reliable machine that fits your needs. You want it to last long, get great mileage, be good on the environment, have heated mirrors and seats, and even connect Apple CarPlay or use Android Auto in the car.

But before you go to the dealership, there are a few things you need to know about buying a car. Below, we have listed some excellent car-buying guides online that can help you make an informed decision.

1. Consumer Reports Car Buying Guide (Web): Advice for New and Used Cars

For years now, Consumer Reports has guided generations of readers while making important purchases. Their comprehensive Car Buying Guide section is a must-read before you make any decision about a new set of wheels.

In a series of articles, you'll learn about a diverse set of topics like whether to buy a new or used car, car financing and insurance, what to know before visiting a dealer, negotiation tactics, and how to test drive. Consumer Reports gets into areas that most others don't, like leasing vs. buying and getting top dollar for your trade-in. You don't need a Consumer Reports subscription to read any of them.

You can also use this platform to read reviews about the car you want to buy. And if you're not sure what you want yet, their interactive car finder tool lets you filter cars by category, brand, price, and more. You can read detailed reviews and ratings for each car model, covering things like performance, reliability, safety, fuel efficiency, and how much owners like them.

Once you've narrowed down your choices, Consumer Reports can help you find the best deals and avoid scams. They have a service that connects you with local dealers offering savings on new cars. Furthermore, if you're considering a used car purchase, there are several vital steps to personally take when buying used cars online.

2. Car and Driver (Web): Understand the Car Buying Process

Car and Driver is your go-to source for valuable information and tools to make well-informed car purchase decisions. Their platform features an extensive buying guides section designed to guide users through the car-buying process.

These guides offer tips on negotiating with dealers, what to look for when test-driving a vehicle, and how to select the perfect car that fits both your needs and budget. You'll also discover in-depth reviews of various cars on the websites, as well as side-by-side comparisons of similar car models, making it easier to see how different options stack up against each other.

If you're considering selling your current car before buying a new one, Car and Driver has a handy "What's my car's worth" feature. Simply provide details like mileage, vehicle condition, and any extra options your car has. The website then calculates your car's value using data from Black Book, which is a trusted name in vehicle-value analysis for car dealers. You'll receive two values: one for trade-in and another for a private-party sale. The trade-in value represents what you can expect from a dealer if you sell your car to them, while the private-party-sale value reflects what you can anticipate when selling it to another individual.

3. EVCompare (Web): Compare Features of Electric Vehicles

Of course, when buying a car, you'll consider electric vehicles that are good for the environment. Your decision will be easier once you visit EVCompare, which lists only electric vehicles, not hybrids or regular gas-run cars.

In a neat infographic, you'll find all the details you need about any electric car, such as battery pack capacity and range, acceleration and top speed, charge port type and average charging speed, etc. Of course, you can quickly compare these factors of multiple vehicles to make your decision or use them to filter choices.

EVCompare also has a cool charging calculator. With this, you can estimate the cost and time of charging your electric vehicle at home based on your sockets and amperage. It's a nice way to see just how much you might save on fuel.

4. CoPilot (iOS App): AI-Assisted Car Shopping

CoPilot is another platform with comprehensive guides that provide essential information and tips on how to choose, buy, finance, and maintain a new or used car. What makes it different is that it uses AI to help you find the best car for your needs, preferences, and budget.

Here's how it works: CoPilot scours all the dealerships in your area, conducting a comprehensive analysis of every available car. It does this by tapping into data from across the internet and proprietary databases to rank vehicles according to their value, ensuring that you get the most out of your investment.

This platform also has a convenient side-by-side car model comparison feature. You can also tap into user reviews to glean valuable insights from fellow car buyers. Another feature that we like is the Price Pulse tool, which keeps you informed about any price drops for the specific car you're interested in, ensuring you make your purchase at the optimal time. Moreover, on the same page, you'll discover a real-time market trends section that you can use to stay on top of the ever-evolving dynamics in the car buying and selling landscape.

5. r/WhatCarShouldIBuy (Reddit): Car Buying Advice for Average Folks

Reddit has a few communities dedicated to car-buying advice for people who don't know anything about vehicles. Of these, What Car Should I Buy (WCSIB) is the most active subreddit where you are bound to get replies quickly.

You'll need to create an account to ask a question and follow the basic rules of Reddiquette. Unlike many forums, new accounts are welcome to post at WCISB, stating your requirements clearly. A quick search might also show that a similar question has already been answered.

Apart from WCISB, check out the r/UsedCars and r/CarBuying subreddits. Both of these have good advice and tips on not just buying but also selling used cars and how to get a good deal on trade-ins.

Calculate the Total Costs of Owning a Car

The advice from these various car-buying guides should help you pick the right set of wheels for your needs. But when you enter the car market, make sure you calculate the total cost of owning a car, not just the sticker price. There are lots of hidden costs that you need to account for if you want to make a decision you won't regret.