Buy cars online? Depending on where you are, you may be able to save a considerable amount of time and money by researching and buying your new car online. Buying cars online is becoming as normal as buying household items online. The internet is really expanding to make it easier and cheaper for merchants to sell and for buyers to buy.

Dealers love the concept of online car shopping; they get more visitors than the average neighborhood dealership and don’t necessarily have 8 car salesmen sitting around reading the paper. Your overhead costs drop significantly while sales and profits skyrocket. Consumers are starting to feel more comfortable because a high percentage of car buyers hate the car dealership experience. But online they can get the answers many of us are afraid to ask when sitting across from a pushy car salesman.

In some countries like the UK, an increasing number of people are choosing to weed out shady dealerships and going the online car buying route. Now you have the luxury of shopping online and taking your time to understand what vehicle and what price you want. As long as you choose a reliable source, it is possible to save a great deal of money by buying your new car online.

Remember, when you shop online you can’t test drive the car you’re interested in… so choose to shop online only after you’ve driven the car (try it at a dealership first). Even when shopping online, you need to do your homework and know the car you’re getting and the price it’s worth. Learn about the car you like before a dealer decides what they want you to buy, which car earns them the most commissions, keep the ball in their court.

Use price guides like Edmunds or Kelley Blue Book to find out the real value of the car you’re buying. This will ensure that you do not pay more than normal for your new or used car. A little homework will give you some confidence and will most likely save you some money.

Many online car-buying sites work with local dealers who offer you free price quotes (these can often be negotiated lower). These sites are growing every month and are being considered more and more by North American consumers. Popular sites like Auto Trader, which we took as a manual search for their in-store catalogs, are now really building their online presence. Other sites like CarsDirect.com, CarMax.com and CarPrice.com are also starting to see an increase in sales.

Some sites will even offer a lowest price guarantee, so if you find the car for less, they’ll match the price. Also, some online car buying sites will even drive the car right to your home. If you’re looking for a new car and you really don’t like the whole dealership experience, this might be what you’re looking for.

Great ease and convenience not to mention you can save thousands of dollars this way. But best of all, it’s not a hard sell.