Tony Whitney Contrituting Writer BUYING a car is — and should be — an inten- sive and thought-pro- voking process and there are no short cuts for those who want to get the job done properly. Everyone knows thar an | 2009 Pontiac Sunfire GT 150 H.P. Twin Cam Enging, 5 spaed Getrag transmission, ¢ 200 watt Monsoon premium sound system with CD player, 16” aluminum wheels, power group, keyless entry, tilt, cruise, anti-lock brakes, Was $23,470 Stk. 20321 | 2690 Pontiac Grand Am GT | Ram Air 3.4 litre V6, Power Sunroof, Power Group, 76” chrome wheels, alr conditioning, remote keyless entry, "a till, cruise, AM/FM/CD player, power drivers seat. Was $29,755 Stk. 20131 36 mo, beew bon Leste. $3,533 DP mreesa Fate + isteecectty & taxes OAC or 27 SO 3.4 litre V6, 8 passenger van, ARH EM/CD siereo, power group, air conditioning, remote f keyless entry, tilt, cruise, Dual sliding doors, tinted giass and much more. m Was $31,455 St. 20844 36 ms. bars kan ees. $4,505 5 pereeyes Fiaznca « tefrocotty & tana A E99 GC Satari SLT z Brand new, 8 pass, power group, power driver seat, dcen r=) tint glass, remote keyless, a/c, tilt, speed contro!, am/im wy sterec CD & much more. Was $32,085 , 985-6333 ni automobile is second only toa home in terms of tke kind of money you're going to be shelling out. That fact alone makes ita challenging expen- ence. on - Thurs 9-9, # Fri- Sat 9-6 P My advice to people plan- ning to buy a new or used car is to research the type of vehi- ele they have in miad exhaus- tively. This process can be fun and will certainly help in the quest for the “ideal vehicle.” Once you've decided what kind of car, van or truck best fits your needs (and that can be a daunting task in itself) it’s a good idea to research the product segment carefilly. These days, the Internet is a wonderful tool when it comes to researching vehicles. All the major manufacturers have sites and there are also lots of independent corners of the Web that offer car-buying advice, road tests and other data. Many dealess have sites too and even the auto mails are getting in on the act with information-rich Web sites. According to the most recent data I've studied, only a very tiny percentage of people actually buy cars on the Internet, but farge numbers of auto buyers nake use of its research potential. One car manufacturer claims that over 74% of its buyers researched the product they chose on the internet. Other automakers are making similar claims. Other good sources of auto research for new or used vehi- cles are specialist magazines, newspaper auto sections and, of course, the car dealers themselves. On the magazine front, several publications rake the torm of “yearbooks” listing every vehicle available on the Canadian market along with brief specification details and available options. Watch out for US publications though -— they often detail vehicles not available in Canada and prices differ considerably tao. Also, performance figures will not be provided in metric. As far as used vehicles go, Pve always advised people to try and get what they want from a franchised dealer that handivs new vehicles of that make. Even if you end up pay- ing a bit more, you’l! have the comfort of knowing that if anything goes wrong, the deal- er has a trained staff and spe- cialized equipment to tackle any problems that may come — up. ; Of course, there are lots of reputable used car dealers and theve’s nothing wrong with buying privately if you know the history of the vehicle. Don't under any circum- stances buy a vehicle from a Scurber.” If there’s any doubt about the seller being a private individual disposing of their car, pass the deal up. ‘Tell-tale signs are vendors who give you cellphone numbers and ask to meet ata shopping mall parking lot or similar location to view the vehicle. Ifvou're buying a new car, van or truck, you'll sooner or later be trekkiays around the dealerships looking for‘exactly the car you want or secking a good “deal.” ‘Thankfully, the days of the old-style sales type with his white shoes and poly- ester suit have gone for good. Nowadays, you're far more likely to find a salesperson with good product knowledge, a friendly manner and a willing- ness to get you just what you want at the right price. I always tell people that if they don’t feel comfortable with a salesperson or feel they're being pressured, go somewhere else. The retail car business is very competi- tive and there'll be someone out there who'll understand exactly what your needs are, you can depend on that. Remember thar auto sales staff are also people like you, simply trying to make a liv- ing. They feel just as badly about being insulted or talked down to. Although certain ele- ments of the media have made much about isolated “bad apples” in the auto dealer barrel, most car buy- ers go away happy. According to an intensive independent poll released by the Maritz Automotive Group surveying 26,000 Canadian customers, 97% of dealership customers were satisfied with their purchase or leasing experience. A sig- nificant. number of those polled were “very satisfied.” The chances are that your car buying experience will be a good one and that. you’ll have plenty of enjoy- able driving miles ahead of you. As far as the dealers are concerned, remember that they want to sell you your next car too — and maybe the one after that. : Tony Whitney’s column: appears courtesy of the B.C.. Antomobile . Dealers’ Association (BCADA). Your Complete - Seals ares alll pritcriaey soem ey fh corel te 4 EGE AS LOGS. ae Beas 2] Govegntnenst teetisoa Inspectigin station ‘cert nhop BCAA onined ba 183 Pemberton Ave. 985-7195 lave.