Dig Deeper Into Car Buying Research With Enthusiast Forums

by Mitch on April 24, 2008

You surfed the manufacturer’s site and got an idea of price ranges and options. You read reviews and saw the crash safety ratings. You even checked out invoice prices and rebates online so you’d know what you can expect to pay. Now you’re all set to hit the bricks and start shopping for that dream car, right?

Not so fast my friend. You missed a key spot in the Internet buyer’s process… one that is often forgotten but extremely helpful. It’s the enthusiast forum, and its value as a research avenue is realized in several ways:

Forums serve as a crystal ball of vehicle ownership. You can see what real people are saying about your dream car from 6 months to 6 years after the initial purchase.
If you’re looking for news on future models or upcoming changes to a current model, enthusiast forums have more fact and opinion than you’ll ever need.
You’ll hear about all the initial quality issues with the car you’re interested in. If the driver’s seat tends to rattle, or the new 2009s have a recall out, the forums will know.
Forum members are happy to discuss the deals they received on their purchases, giving you a true idea of what dealers are charging.
Because the forums are full of enthusiasts, there’s plenty of information on vehicle upgrades and modifications, if you’re interested in getting more performance or better looks out of your vehicle.

Enthusiast forums are around everywhere you look, with at least one for every manufacturer. They’re free to join, and you may just find yourself hooked on the wealth of information in these communities. While the list of forums below is somewhat abridged, there’s no question you’ll find some great insight on the following sites:

Acura:
AcuraWorld.com
Acurazine.com

Audi:
Audi-Forums.com

BMW:
Bimmerwerkz.com
1SeriesOnline.com

Cadillac:
CadillacForum.com
V-Series.net

Chevrolet:
ChevyTalk.org
Corvette-Forum.com

Chrysler:
300CForums.com

Dodge:
ChargerForums.com
ChallengerTalk.com

Ferrari:
Ferrari-Talk.com

Ford:
FordForums.com
Powerstroke.org

GMC:
DuramaxForum.com

Honda:
Honda-Tech.com

Hummer:
H2Fanatic.com