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Henry's Pick of the Best CAR |
New and used cars
Autobytel UK
The British counterpart of a successful US site, which has led the way when it comes to car retail online. Aside from standard reviews from the likes of Top Gear, you can also try net-only tools like the Car Comparer, which compares three cars with each other, or the Car Selector - a guided search which helps you pick the right car. When you're ready to buy, you tell the site. It then contacts various dealers and gets a 'good' price. An excellent site.Fiesta Centre
The online presence of The Fiesta Choice and Hatchback Centre, a real world shop near Bracknell that deals mainly in, you've guessed it, Fiestas. You can't buy anything online here but you can look at their current stock list, read about the Fiesta club and put up ads for parts you want to buy or sell. There's also some pics of various souped-up Fiestas.
Autohit
Another information-based site setting out to smooth your car buying. This features news and reviews; allows you to search for dealers; lets you rummage through databases of new and used cars, gives advice on finance and insurance and more. The site is well-designed and tries to compete by having better information than the competition and extra services (try the personalised number plate search engine if that's your thing).
Autosuggestion
Attractively compact car info site which lets you search for the right new car, via its Autoexpert tool. You can also check prices and specifications and read general news, reviews and road tests. When you're ready to buy, you're directed to Autobytel.
Autotrader
Autotrader online has gone beyond its print origins and become an all-purpose car site. You can access the magazine content and browse a directory of online shops selling car-related products. There's a useful set of tools to help with buying a new car but the real pull is the Used Cars section where you can search a database of 140,000 vehicles. You specify your postcode and how far you're prepared to travel and Autotrader tries to find a deal for you. Very useful site.
Car Source
Fairly well-established site which allows you to research new cars in detail, locate dealers near you or search for used cars by manufacturer, body style, age, price and location. There's the usual library of reviews and price guides, along with some photographs. You need to register to get the most out of the site. The insurance service here is good, letting you compare quotes from different brokers. The Used Car service is also interesting.
Fish 4 Cars
This used to be called Auto Hunter (the old address still works http://www.autohunter.co.uk). A clear site that lets you either browse ads from a huge selection of local papers or set up a Fish4Me smart search specifying what you're after. There are apparently 148,000 ads in the database (they also take in motorbikes, vans, trucks, boats and caravans). It also has advice and links on finance and insurance, along with new and used car dealer search tools.
Motorbase
A new car buying and finance site from the Woolwich, this introduces itself as the 'new way to own a car'. It's really a way of searching for and obtaining new car quotes, which are tied to a particular set of finance or loan offers. The car search works well enough; there's a reasonable selection and some special offers. But overall, the prices are nothing special and the structure of the site runs counter to the flexibility and choice people have come to expect online.
Quote to Quote
A real world 'new car brokerage' that has gone online, albeit in a fairly minimal way, with this functional site, which is basically just a contact page. Here, you're supposed to do the research yourself, find dealers and go for test drives. Then when you find the model you want, contact them and they'll get a good price. Worth investigating if you know what you want.
Autolink
An interesting twist on the standard car buying information site - this is the web counterpart to a large used car 'supermarket' in Kent. You can search a database here to see if it has something that fits your requirements. If it does, you can mail for more information and get details of finance on offer.
Car-Ad
Part of the Friday Ad classified ad site, this claims to feature up to 21,000 used car ads from the south of England every week. The layout is busy but legible, the site runs smoothly and it's easy to browse or search for specific models (or place your own ad). There are also ads here for motorbikes, boats, caravans, general services and accessories.
Parkers
The web companion to the various car magazines, this sets out to be 'the complete car buying and advice service' and doesn't make too bad a job of it. Fill out the 'Chooser' lifestyle questionnaire to get some suggestions on the right car for you, check the current average prices for used cars or have a look at the various discounts on new cars currently being offered by dealers around the country. Site design is clear and quick. There's no Help section, though.
What Car
Another web version of a well-known print magazine, here you can search a database of used cars, put your own car up for sale, compare and contrast new cars and, if you find something you like, book a test drive online. There are also reviews and news from the magazine. Look out for the Motoring Services section, which has links to sites where you can sort out vehicle inspections, breakdown services and personalised plates. A worthwhile site.
Auto Express
Yet another print magazine that has made the move to the web. Read reviews and news here or check out the various road tests. Once you've registered, you can also check out various classified ads and the standard used car prices. Not as big as some car magazine sites, but still worth a click.
Car Bidder
An interesting car auction site from the people behind the Car Prices importing web site. The idea here seems to be to put one new car up for auction at regular intervals. The price starts at the standard retail price and falls by £100 every ten seconds. When you think it can't go any lower, you bid (or rather hit the 'buy' button). You need to register first however. It's just a pity about the James Bond theme tune that greets you when you log on.
New Car Net
Yet another site that sets out to help you research a new car purchase, check prices, specs and average running costs on all UK models currently on the market. You can also read the road test reports from Driving Now magazine. Obviously you'll have to buy elsewhere, but this is a useful site nevertheless. You can also get insurance quotes here and there are some good links to other car-related sites.
Importing services
Car Seekers
An interesting new car buying service that's beginning to take off. It aims to help you take advantage of cheaper prices in Europe. If you buy your new right-hand drive UK-specified motor abroad, you can save up to £5,000, depending on the model, according to Car Seekers, which will set up the deal, do the paperwork and sort out any legal hassles. You then get in touch in person or via telephone to pursue the deal further.Car Prices
Useful site which sells basic information about importing new right-hand cars from Europe. You can order a brochure here that gives DIY information on importing along with thousands of different prices across the continent. Alternatively, you could research a trip on one of the car cruises run by the company (think of it as the upmarket version of the booze cruise). All in all, a very useful site, but rather too busy design-wise.
Car Save
A car importing service offered by the free ISP, Totalise. Tell the company the make and model you're after and it searches a network of European dealers for your choice. It obtains good prices, does the paperwork, gets the car checked over by an independent inspector and delivers it to your door with the necessary paperwork. Registered Totalise users can get a quote on a new car for free. Otherwise you pay £10, which apparently goes to charity.
Which?
If you want to try importing a new car from Europe yourself, a good place to start is here, the campaign site run by the Consumers Association. Here you'll find loads of information about how much more cars cost, telephone numbers of all the major manufacturers (so you can call them to moan) and useful advice (with some good links) on how to buy a right-hand drive car abroad.
Screentrade
You can start researching car insurance online by going to individual company sites and getting a price. But it's a (relatively) slow process and could be done as easily on the telephone. What the web offers is the chance to quickly compare quotes from rival companies, courtesy of excellent intermediary sites like this one, which lets you search for quotes on home, travel (see the financial services section) and car insurance.
Jacksons Insurance Services
If you don't want to use an intermediary site to compare car insurance quotes, you could always try a site put up by an old-fashioned real world intermediary - that is, a company like this one, which will research a range of deals for you. Fill in a form specifying what you're after and this lot will sort you out. It won't deliver onscreen quotations or let you buy online but it's useful nevertheless.
Car Quote
Offers quote comparison for car insurance, but not onscreen. Instead, you fill out a form and the site researches deals with the likes of Admiral, Norwich Union Direct, CGU, Royal and Sun Alliance, CIS and others. It then gets back to you with a price, either via email or post. If you don't like talking to insurance salesmen (or brokers) on the telephone, this could be for you.
Accessories and parts
Parts Direct
Part of the Unipart empire, and a very useful site. Buy all sorts of bits and pieces securely here - spark plugs, windscreen wipers, fuel filters, anti-freeze, oil and much more. Help information is clear and the site is functional and quick - a neat guided search engine takes you to the parts you need for your car. Delivery takes around five working days and costs £3.95.You can pay £6.95 for express delivery or pay nothing and arrange to collect your order from your nearest Unipart branch. The Tool Kit in Shoppers Universe
You'll find a few motoring accessories in the Tool Kit section - seat covers, wheel clamps, helmets, car alarms etc. As ever with Shoppers Universe shops, you start by browsing a fairly flat list. But there are links to more detailed information and pictures. Delivery in the UK appears to be free here.
Cyberdrive
If you're learning to drive and you feel you need to do a bit of work on your theory test, check in here for lots of helpful information and the chance to do a virtual theory test. It costs £5 to get it marked - and you can pay online. If you're really worried, you can fork out £15 and take all five of the tests on the site.
Scimitar
Enterprising site for fans of the Reliant Scimitar. You can buy all sorts of parts and spares here. Secure online ordering is available, although I couldn't find any information on delivery. There are also a few nicely restored cars for sale, some great pictures and lots of info. Look out for a link to another site run by the same company where you can buy Mazda MX5 parts (http://www.mx5parts.co.uk). You can also get a Scimitar screensaver here.
RAC
A slick site selling various motoring services online. You can sign up for various breakdown recovery packages here and pay online. Alternatively, you can buy motoring-related books, travel accessories, insurance packages and European breakdown cover. Although there doesn't seem to be a specific Help section, shopping here is clear and easy. There are also some excellent online services - live travel information and route planners, used car information, a general buyer's guide and a hotel finder. A quality site.
Blue Spot
Get your Blaupunkt car music systems here, along with a range of useful gizmos (eg the traffic information memory system). Discounts of up to 30% are available here as well as free delivery. The site is well laid out, with a drop-down menu on the home page to take you to a particular model. Once you start looking in more detail, you can access basic help/customer service information.
Hendon Car Radio
1,000 different car-related audio products, navigation systems and alarms are available here, apparently, most at 25% discount on standard retail prices, according to the front page. Browsing is a little slow and there could be more information. If you find any item cheaper on the net, the site promises to beat the price by £5. The site charges for delivery, however. Definitely worth a look though.
Decibels
A useful all-purpose site selling car audio/entertainment products, navigation systems, alarms and those Snooper speed-trap detectors. The site has a specialist but nicely light-hearted feel, with links to the FAQ from a Usenet newsgroup devoted to car audio, a 'group therapy' discussion board and a bargain basement. It takes a while to get to the shops, though. And some pages are little more than lists of products.
Manufacturers
Vauxhall
This is the first company to offer direct sales online. Six models are available. You can check them out online, arrange test drives and finance and also find out about the part-exchange value of your old car. If you decide to buy online, you'll be in line for savings of around £1,000, apparently, and the car should be delivered to your door within the week. It remains to be see how the site really performs. But it is definitely worth a look.Rover
All the major car manufacturers have their own web sites. Rover's effort is pretty representative. If you want to check out the competition just add 'www' to the beginning of the manufacturer name and 'co.uk' to the end (or com) to come up with the likely web address. You'll find details on current models, offers on finance and insurance and search engines for dealers. It's useful enough, if you're particularly attached to one brand, but you can't usually buy anything or compare information the way you can on independent sites.
Mini
Some car sites trade on the glamour and history associated with a particular model. The Mini site is typical. There are Mini fashion shoots and photos of Michael Caine in The Italian Job (you get the picture). You may not be able to buy your motor but you can buy Mini-theme t-shirts, backpacks and neoprene jackets. Secure shopping is available and there are features that let you check out the goods in more detail. For something similar, try the Ferrari site.
The Jaguar Collection
The Jaguar web site (at http://www.jaguar.com/uk) is the usual manufacturer flash, but there is a link to this site, where you can buy all sorts of Jag-related stuff - clothes, luggage, desk ornaments, coffee table books, mugs, pencil tins, scarves, wall clocks, coasters, golf balls and much else. Overall, the site runs well, with clear and accessible security and privacy information.
