Point. Click. Drive! Internet Car Shopping for Dummies

Dread the Haggling, Aggravation and Hassle of Traditional Car Buying?

Now you can surf your way to a stress-free and enjoyable shopping experience by concentrating on just a few of the better, more consumer-friendly internet sites that have emerged to inform and empower buyers with this major consumer purchase. And you don't have to be a techno-wizard to do it.

Start your shopping by researching what the pros recommend. Log on to www.ajac.ca - the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada's website - then click on the Canadian Car of the Year Winners link. This comprehensive, all-Canadian site offers performance data, specifications, fuel economy and category winners for every type of vehicle chosen by Canadian automotive journalists after days of intense testing and comparison rating. If you're in the market for a used vehicle or wondering how a car you're considering did in previous comparisons, check out the Previous Winners section of the site. Match your own needs and criteria to these "cream of the crop" winners to zero in on vehicles that look like a good fit.

Next step is narrowing your short list. While there's nothing like word-of-mouth endorsements from friends, family and workmates to help in your decision-making, the more information the better. For independently researched information, including reliability ratings, go to Consumer Reports at www.consumerreports.org. The coveted "Recommended" rating alongside a vehicle carries huge weight with many buyers. It encompasses crash-test and reliability data. Although all information is primarily U.S. data, most Canadian models are virtually identical. Membership is required to access the most valuable information, but at USD$4.95 for a month or USD$24.00 annually it's a bargain. A more complete Canadian version of Consumer Reports site in both French and English is rumored to be in the works.