Thrifty Thinking: Car Buying Advice

College graduates are finally out on their own (even if they've temporarily moved back in with mom and dad), and many of them will find themselves faced with buying a new car for the first time. Luckily, there are several resources that can help make a new car purchase go as smoothly as possible.

Edmunds.com, the premier resource for car shopping and automotive information, offers the following:

1) Edmunds.com’s Live Advice Line provides free, unbiased automotive expertise and friendly advice as consumers navigate the research and purchase of their cars. No other service offers personalized, comprehensive and objective guidance for car buyers without trying to sell you something. Think of it as a faculty adviser guiding you all the way to graduation. Edmunds.com's Live Advice is available through online chat, over the phone (1-888-767-7131) or on Twitter.

2) Need to cram for your new car purchase? Edmunds.com has a CliffsNotes-like approach to buying a new car with its Guidefor First-Time New-Car Buyers. The guide is organized into nine steps that walk buyers through a smooth but comprehensive sales process, from "How Much Car Can I Afford?" to "Secrets of a Professional Negotiator."

3) With so many choices available in the new car market, college grads might not know where to start. Edmunds.com's readers offer their recommendations in Consumers'Favorites: Best Cars for College Graduates.

In recent years, some reports questioned whether young people were likely to buy cars at the same rate as past generations. However, “improving income and employment, more household formations, and increased consumer confidence all contributed to the recent boost in car buying among the Millennial Generation,” noted Edmunds.com Chief Economist Lacey Plache, PhD, in her report Millennials Take the Wheel.  “While economic challenges remain, improving fundamentals indicate this generation — long feared to be uninterested in driving and cars — could finally be joining the ranks of new car buyers in earnest.”

About Edmunds.com, Inc.
Edmunds.com is a car-shopping Web site committed to helping people find the car that meets their every need. Almost 18 million visitors use our research, shopping and buying tools every month to make an easy and informed decision on their next new or used car. Whether you’re at the dealership or on the go, we’re always by your side with our acclaimed Edmunds.com iPhone and iPad apps and our Edmunds.com Android App. Our comprehensive car reviews, shopping tips, photos, videos and feature stories offer a friendly and authentic approach to the automotive world. We’re based in Santa Monica, Calif., but you can connect with us from anywhere by following @Edmunds on Twitter or by becoming a fan of Edmunds.com on Facebook.