CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: INTERNET OFFERS VIRTUAL TEST DRIVE, BLUE BOOK COMPARISON SHOPPING

Buying or selling a car, or just interested in what a car might be worth? The Internet is a good source of information to help you strike a deal at home.

A growing number of automobile sites are located on the Internet, including all the major car makers and informational sites. Some even allow you to buy or sell a car.

Wonder what your car is worth? You can find out at the Kelley Blue Book site at

www.kbb.com

Joni: You can search by suggested retail value or suggested trade-in value of a used vehicle. And you can search back to 1978. These kinds of databases are what the web does best.

Peggy: I have a 1995 van. Let's take a look. You start with the year, then the make and model. Then it gets a little tricky. You must know your mileage and zip code and all the options. They go to a Missouri Blue Book for this date. I got a price that a dealer might ask for this make and model vehicle. It represents a fully reconditioned vehicle in excellent condition. I guess I'd have to vacuum.

Joni: It's sort of addicting. We looked up every car we own. It gives you some good information. Be sure to check both the suggested retail and the suggested trade-in value. They are markedly different.

Peggy: Kelley also includes new-car pricing for 1998s. You can do a lot of homework on prices before you ever hit the showrooms. Information is uploaded to the website every few weeks on new prices.

Joni: New pricing in February includes the Volkswagen Beetle. I'm going to look that up. I had one of those in college. It's interesting that you start with your zip code. When looking for a new car, you pick a category car, sport utility, pick-up or van. Let's look for that Beetle. Eeek, it's almost $16,000. Then you add the accessory packages and colors. I had canary yellow, but I guess my shag carpeting is no longer an option.

Peggy: Kelley provides this service because they say both auto dealers and buyers benefit from accurate information. The biggest complaint they hear from dealers is that customers are ready to buy but are armed with inaccurate information.

Joni: A link to every major manufacturer's web site is here. For most, the web address is www plus the manufacturer's name, followed by .com, but not all of them. Computer giant Microsoft also offers a site on car buying. Did you know they were in the car business also? I think they're in everybody's business. Find it at

carpoint.msn.com

Peggy: They have lots of information, including reliability ratings on hundreds of used cars. They have something called tire-kicking, where you can browse new cars. You can read industry news and advice reports. This week you can learn about platform shopping and the striking similarities of different cars.

Joni: They also have something called surround video, which surprise, surprise, only runs on PCs. Sorry Macintosh users. The program provides access to the interiors of 55 vehicles. You can zoom in and out and check out the cars. You also need a minimum of Navigator or Explorer 3.0.

Peggy: Cybershoppers completed a survey on their favorite cars. You can find out which vehicles they liked best.

Joni: Cybershoppers either have a lot of money or expensive tastes. We fall in the later category.

Peggy: When my husband and I were buying a car last year, we used Edmund's Buyers Guide as we made our decision.

www.edmunds.com

Joni: Basically, they have three buying guides. One for new cars, one for new vans, pick-ups and sport utilities, and one for used cars.

Peggy: They have prices and reviews on vehicles. You can also talk to other car owners and buyers about their experiences with different makes and models.

Joni: They include information on incentives and rebates and other consumer information. They have a current list of factory-to-dealer and factory-to-consumer incentives. If you are in the market for a new car, Edmund's says this is crucial information.

Peggy: They have road tests, comparison tests and even information about the new autos that have received the most attention from consumers on the Internet, based on hits to Edmund's site last month. They include the manufacturer's suggested retail price.

Joni: In addition to the top 20 cars, Edmund's editors add similar models that may offer equal or better value.

Peggy: Under safety information, they have recalls since 1989 and crash-test data. We used this information while looking at used cars. Edmund's also links you to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration.

Joni: If you want to add a little fun to your car buying, try Cartalk at

www.cartalk.com

Two brothers, Tom and Ray Magliozzi, provide information on their radio show, Cartalk 101, postcards, a gallery. You can hear them on National Public Radio, KRCU locally. Even if you don't know a lot about cars, they're a lot of fun.

Peggy: If you miss a show, don't worry. They have the whole hour-long show in RealAudio. If the boss is keeping a close watch today, you can listen to the Cartalk moment.

Joni: You can also read their newspaper column online. You can find this week's column or columns from the past four years. There is an official Cartalk survey. You can take the survey and read the results.

Peggy: They also have the "Mechan-X Files." They are trying to build the largest database of good mechanics. You can also ready their "humble" opinions on cars they have been test driving.

Joni: You can also link up with a car loan calculator or an online complaint form with the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. You can send a postcard as well -- complete with Tom and Ray's smiling mugs.

Peggy: What's your favorite automobile site on the Internet? E-mail us at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

Joni Adams and Peggy Scott are members of the Southeast Missourian online staff.