Car Shopping? Visit Your Local Auto Show First

DETROIT, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With Detroit's North American International Auto Show poised to open to the public this weekend, shopautoweek.com digital editor Andy Stoy encourages car shoppers to visit a show in their own community before heading to a dealership for one-stop shopping.

"Where but an auto show are you going to find just about every make and model from just about every manufacturer who sells cars in the United States?" said Stoy. "We're spoiled here in Detroit, but auto shows are always a blast and a great way to find your next new car."

Here are a few pointers from shopautoweek.com for making the most of your auto-show experience:

Ask questions: In the past, car-show models were just pretty faces. Now, they tend to be college-educated men and women with extensive training surrounding the vehicles they represent. They're there to help, and you should avail yourself of their knowledge.

Evaluate everything ... in a hurry: Sit in the seats, front and back. Adjust things. Pop the trunk (or increasingly, hatch). Depending upon the arrangement, the car may even be supplied with electric power so you can inspect the gauges, stereo and switchgear. Test everything to make sure the model fits you and your family. But also be cognizant that there are thousands of folks at the show, many of whom may be waiting to do the same thing to the car you've co-opted.

Collect information: Most car manufacturers are happy to provide you with a full-line catalogue, so take advantage of the opportunity. One pitfall: Some may ask for your contact information so a dealer can follow up--if it's in exchange for vehicle information, ask yourself if that's a company with which you want to do business.

Have a great time: Make a day of it. If you're single, bring a date. If you have a family, bring the whole crew--children are often delighted to find they can clamber around the new cars, push buttons and slam doors. Even those who aren't traditional "car people" usually enjoy the glitz, glamour and shiny sheetmetal at car shows.

To find a local auto show, visit shopautoweek.com. There, you'll find more on making the most of the auto show experience as well as more information on the cars sure to make headlines throughout the season--like the new Cadillac ATS, Dodge Dart and Ford Escape. 

About shopautoweek.com
The shopautoweek.com site delivers an Internet car-shopping experience unlike any other available site. Powered by unbiased insight, opinion and expertise of Autoweek editors, it guides shoppers with a trusted voice married with the latest available data to give consumers both objective and subjective points of view. Launched in September 2011, shopautoweek.com is an authoritative online resource for anyone researching a new vehicle. Consumers will easily find vehicle specifications, features, reviews and pricing information to help guide their vehicle-purchase decision. The shopautoweek.com site is part of the Autoweek Media Group, which includes Autoweek magazine, autoweek.com and Autoweek Productions. Autoweek Media Group is owned by Crain Communications Inc., publisher of leading industry trade publications Advertising Age and Automotive News, among others, and is based in Detroit, Michigan.

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SOURCE shopautoweek.com