Carsdirect Website Analysis

For my new car purchase I researched information on the 2008 Ford F-150 XL 4x4 SuperCrew Cab. The standard features in this vehicle are 4.6L EFI V8 engine, electronic 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. It also comes with cloth seats and an AM/FM/single CD radio. I upgraded to chrome clad 17 inch wheels, a remote car starter, and cruise control. With all of these options on carsdirect.com the target price is $28,540. The price for the same vehicle on the Ford website was $30,040.

Carsdirect.com offered these reviews among others. "The steering is no longer the guessing game that it once was and the brakes have a firm, progressive feel that's reassuring in such a big vehicle.”-Edmunds.com. "With the F-150's 2900-pound-maximum-payload and 9500-pound-towing-capacity ratings, plus a comprehensively redesigned interior that borders on Town Car luxury in upscale models, Ford has struck a workable compromise between comfort and utility.”вЂ"Car and Driver. Carsdirect.com also supplied crash test ratings in which the F-150 received five stars in both the driver and passenger crash tests. Ford’s website did not offer reviews or crash test ratings.

Overall I would say that Carsdirect.com was the better site to use for finding a new vehicle at least in this situation. Carsdirect.com was easier to use, lower priced, and offered more content as far as reviews and safety information. The only advantage Ford.com had over carsdirect.com was that when information was entered on Ford’s website they would actually build the vehicle to your specifications where as carsdirect.com only found vehicles that matched your description, so at Ford.com you were guaranteed the vehicle of your choice while carsdirect.com could possibly find it or could possibly not find it.