From Crash-Test Data to Blogs, Auto Sites Abound.

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Author: Newman, Richard J.

Plenty of websites offer detailed info on car prices, features, and getting the best deal. But what about unexpected problems? Hard-to-find gadgets? Automaker gossip? Once you've narrowed down your search for a car, here are a few websites that offer unconventional intelligence--or at least a bit of automotive entertainment.

Gas prices and fuel economy. Fixated on the cost of a fill-up? Gasbuddy.com offers regular updates on pump prices in dozens of cities. To get estimates of a car's actual gas mileage--usually lower than the Environmental Protection Agency's official numbers--go to www.fueleconomy.gov and select "MPG Estimates from Users." Sample sizes are small but still insightful. Hybrid owners are more diligent about tracking their cars' performance. An example: greenhybrid.com.

Defects. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (nhtsa.dot.gov) is the go-to site for crash-test data, but it also logs all of the service bulletins manufacturers send out to dealerships identifying flaws and defects (www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/home.cfm). The site can be clunky, but unless there's a recall, this may be the only way for consumers to know about certain problems. A variety of other sites exist for problems with specific makes and models, although many are fishing ponds for lawyers pursuing class action lawsuits.Edmunds.com runs forums relating to virtually every automaker--and dozens of other topics--that are usually a trustworthy source of info about problems.

Child safety. Car seats seem simple, but they're not. And many parents move their kids into booster seats--or out of car seats altogether--too early. A good guide: http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm.

Gizmos. The Specialty Equipment Market Association, sema.org, is the single best source of info for aftermarket manufacturers of everything from dipsticks to dune buggies. Click on "Companies/Products."

Opinion. Blueovalnews.com is the unauthorized Ford Motor Co. news site, run by company insiders. Sometimes it's critical of Detroit's No. 2 automaker, sometimes supportive--and there's lots of useful info on Ford products like the Mustang and the Fusion. Autoextremist.com offers an amalgam of auto-show news, biting criticism, and alternative views on alternative fuels. The rhetorical octane is even higher at thetruthaboutcars.com, which features pungent reviews and a sneering "GM Death Watch." Fun reading--for those not hitched to General Motors' wagon--but to be fair let GM have its say, too. The General's official blog, with postings from top executives, is at fastlane.gmblogs.com.

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By Richard J. Newman