Technology is changing everything from how we shop for an automobile to what we do while we drive. Now smart phones offer an exploding number of applications that promise to make the journey even more high-tech. Phone apps are well suited for on-the-go tasks, such as directing you to your destination. But some functions – comparison shopping for a new vehicle, for example -- are nearly impossible on a phone. So which tool is best for which purpose?
Buying and leasing.
The Web -- via a PC with a generous-size screen -- is the best way to shop for a car. Your first stop should be TrueCar.com for its new-vehicle price report, which gives you the dealer’s true cost, the average transaction price and guidance on what your target price should be. Edmunds.com offers current transaction prices for used cars as well as new cars.
Then try the car finder on AutoTrader.com. You can search new- and used-car listings from both dealers and individual sellers. For new cars, also check out dealer inventory with Kelley Blue Book’s dealer search on KBB.com.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Looking to lease? Try LeaseCompare.com’s tool to compare payments based on deals from several banks. Whether you buy or lease, check Kiplinger.com to help you choose a vehicle based on our value criteria. Our March issue will update rankings for the 2010 models.
Getting around.
Phone apps shine when you need directions to your destination and want to know whether there are traffic tie-ups along the way. You can download maps to your smart phone, and most cell providers offer subscription services. For example, AT&T Navigator offers navigation for the iPhone and other smart phones for $10 a month plus data charges (the download, which includes a 30-day trial, is free). If you have an iPhone, you can also use the TomTom app -- it costs $100, with no subscription fee. But unlike AT&T Navigator, it doesn’t announce street names or provide live traffic reports. MotionX-GPS Drive for the iPhone is less pricey ($25 a year) and offers live traffic reports, but it doesn’t announce street names, either. Plus, you have to load the maps each time you start a route. You can download the 30-day trial package for $3.
The Car Home application on Verizon’s Android-powered Motorola Droid (free and preloaded on the phone) lets you search for locations, view maps and enter a destination to get turn-by-turn directions. (With other Verizon smart phones, you can subscribe to VZ Navigator for $10 a month.) Sprint Navigation works the same way on Sprint’s smart phones; it costs $10 a month if not included in your data plan. Verizon’s and Sprint’s offerings feature spoken directions and live traffic alerts.
For all Android phone users, Real Time Traffic (free) can help you spot traffic jams. And you’ll never have a “Dude, where’s my car?” moment again with Android’s free CarDar Lite. It lets you mark your parking spot and directs you back later. The iPhone app G-Park ($1) records where you parked and gives you turn-by-turn directions back to your car.
Cheap gas and more.
Fuel-price app iGasUp (iPhone, $3) locates the cheapest gasoline in your area. Gas Cubby (iPhone, $7) helps you track fuel economy and maintenance, but you must enter your mileage, how much gas you put in at fill-up and maintenance details.
Trapster, available free for Android phones and the iPhone, alerts you to speed traps and cameras that record drivers speeding and running red lights. It relies on user input and cautions you with voice alerts.
There are even apps for accidents. You can exchange driver information, take photos and connect to roadside assistance at the scene with Nationwide (iPhone, free). Roadside Assistance Lite (Android phones, free) provides a checklist for accidents and lets you e-mail the accident report.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Stabilize After Powell's Rate-Cut WarningThe main indexes temporarily tumbled after Fed Chair Powell said interest rates could stay higher for longer.
-
How Did O.J. Simpson Avoid Paying the Brown and Goldman Families?And now that he’s died, will the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman be able to collect on the 1997 civil judgment?
-
Gas-Saving Tips That Actually WorkBuying & Leasing a Car When fuel prices rise, all kinds of gas-saving schemes get floated. We separate the serious from the silly for you.
-
Want to Lease an EV? There's a Tax Credit 'Loophole' for ThatTax Credits If you're trying to decide whether to lease or buy a car, here's what you need to know about how the EV lease tax credit works.
-
Car Buying in a Topsy-Turvy MarketYou need a new car? Good luck with that! What should you do? We've got some answers.
-
Watch Out for Flood-Damaged Cars from Hurricane IanBuying & Leasing a Car In the wake of Hurricane Ian, more flood-damaged cars may hit the market. Car prices may rise further because of increased demand as well.
-
Car Buyers: The 3-Day Grace Period Is Just a Myth!Buying & Leasing a Car Many car buyers think they have three days after making a purchase to return a car. Here’s where they’re going wrong, and what they should do instead to get a decent used car.
-
PODCAST: Car-Buying in an Inflated Market with Jenni NewmanBuying & Leasing a Car With cars both scarce and expensive these days, what to do if you want – or need – a new ride? Car-buying strategist Jenni Newman of Cars.com shares some tips. Also, more on the magical 9% savings bond.
-
The "Real" Cost of Buying a CarBrandon Copeland Atlanta Falcons linebacker and Kiplinger contributing editor Brandon Copeland illustrates how car prices are far more than meets the eye.
-
How to Get a Car Deal in This MarketBuying & Leasing a Car Low inventories mean it’s hard to haggle on price, but you can still negotiate on financing when shopping for a new or used car.
