If you’re searching for a new car, the best advice is to read as many reviews as possible.  Of course, you can ask your friends, family, coworkers, and dealerships, as well as search online.  Although there’s always risk with reading reviews because they’re simply opinions or quite possibly inaccurate.  Here are a few ways to find the most valuable reviews out there.

Surf the Net

The biggest benefit of searching the Internet is that you have everything right at your fingertips.  It offers the entire world in one click.  However, you must remember to only use reviews from reliable sources. Some of my favorites are Edmunds, NADA, KBB and Yahoo Autos.

Check out Magazines

You may not subscribe to magazines like Car and Driver or Motor Trend, but you can always pick them, or any other auto magazine, up at your local newsstand or store. You can read safety reviews, road test reviews and even jump online to their sites for interactive forums or blogs where you’re able to talk to other consumers.

Ask a Professional

There’s no better knowledge then first hand experience.  If you have a mechanic you know and trust, what better way to research a new car then ask a professional what their experiences have been with specific makes and models?  All you have to do is ask them what problems they’ve historically seen and what make/model they’d drive themselves.

Whether you decide to search online, pick up a few magazines, ask your mechanic or all three, you’re bound to come up with some useful information about the vehicle you’re considering buying.  Just remember to use a trustworthy and reliable source for all your information!

Tags: Advice, Car Shopping, General, Guides // 1 Comment »