CONSUMER AFFAIRS: Government-sponsored website to assist car-buying
If you are interested in buying a new vehicle, you may find tips provided by the Federal Trade Commission in its publication, “Buying a New Car,” useful (available at www.ftc.gov).
The FTC urges consumers to do their research, since “you’ll be less likely to feel pressured into making a hasty or expensive decision at the showroom and more likely to get a better deal.”
Search for information broadly, including using online sources. Since some online sources may have business relationships with dealers/manufacturers or advertise specific vehicles, comparison-shop carefully.
Examples of government-sponsored websites offering information include:
- Environmental Performance/Fuel Efficiency. The Green Vehicle Guide provides a rating based on vehicle fuel efficiency and emissions, allowing consumers to comparison shop for vehicles across models and types, including cars, trucks, vans and sport-utility vehicles. Available at www.epa.gov/greenvehicles .
- Fuel Economy. You can research vehicles by model or class and compare vehicles side-by-side for fuel economy at www.fueleconomy.gov . Vehicles also are organized by cost range, so you can zero-in based on a particular budget.
- Vehicle Safety. You may wish to include safety in the research mix. You can search for vehicles by, for example, model, class, and manufacturer, using the government’s 5-Star Safety Rating (a measure of “the crash-worthiness and rollover safety of vehicles,” with the higher the number of stars the better rating). Available at www.safercar.gov .
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