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Does the Consumer get the Best Deal Buying a New Car on the Internet?

15 February 1999

Does the Consumer get the Best Deal Buying a New Car on the Internet? That and Chicago Auto Show News, 'Safety Wars' Highlight This Week's TCC

    DETROIT, Feb. 15 -- All the hype says that, with large
buying groups and huge Internet listings, you can get the best deal on a
new car by accessing the Internet.
    But The Car Connection (http://www.thecarconnection.com), reporting from the 1999
National Automobile Dealers Association show last weekend in San Francisco,
found that it's a case of "buyer beware."  The typical online car buying
service has signed on anywhere from six to ten percent of the nation's
dealers.  In some big cities, you may have access to only one dealer, even for
big brands, such as Ford or Toyota.  Often, you'll get a good price, because
dealers pass on savings from lower Internet marketing costs.  But you may also
be paying hundreds of dollars more than you would if you haggled with a few
local dealers face-to-face.
    Also posted Monday, February 15, at 9 a.m. Eastern time on
http://www.thecarconnection.com, is a full report on the Chicago Auto Show, which
opened this past weekend.  Included is a spy shot of the new Mitsubishi
Eclipse, and reports on Toyota's hot performance roadster -- the MR,
Nissan's radical concept sedan -- the NCS, Cadillac's new high performance
Catera, the redesigned Pontiac Bonneville, and the next-generation Chevy
Monte Carlo.
    Then, online readers can learn about the auto industry's new "safety
wars."  According to the old adage, "safety doesn't sell."  Try telling that
to General Motors.  The automaker is betting a wave of new features, including
the world's most advanced "smart" airbag system, will give it a competitive
advantage.  The system is sophisticated enough to "detect the shape of your
rear-end," says Ron Zarrella, president of GM's North American Operations, and
tell the difference between a small woman and a 6-year-old child.
Competitors, including Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Honda, are firing back with
their own safety breakthroughs.  And that means the consumer will win with a
generation of stronger, safer vehicles, loaded up with lots of new high-tech
features.
    Web users can also access The Car Connection by going to the PR Newswire
site (http://www.prnewswire.com).  In addition, PR Newswire provides the text of all
the manufacturers' news releases from the auto shows, along with all the other
business news of the day.
    The Car Connection, http://www.thecarconnection.com , is the nation's premier
automotive "e-zine."  Turn to it for the latest news, reviews, and often-
controversial reviews.  You'll find driving tips from racing instructor Bob
Bondurant, helpful maintenance advice from On-Site Mechanic Bob Weber, and spy
shots" of tomorrow's hottest products Caught in the Web.  With the 1999 site
redesign, readers can now find new and used car prices, a complete photo
gallery of current models, and free new car brochures.  The Car Connection
also offers a timely car calendar and the web's most expansive automotive
Yellow Pages linking to auto sites all over the world.  And everyone can use
the TCC Forum to speak out, and get answers on, a wide range of automotive
topics.