Just before Lily was born, my husband and I were both working in a town half an hour’s drive from our home. We had very different schedules. We took Sunshine to his mom’s place while we were at work (half an hour from us, but an hour from our work places). It soon became apparent that we needed a second vehicle. My husband spent quite a bit of time researching, looking at both what was for sale and at what sort of vehicle would fit our needs. That’s where the Kelley Blue Book comes in.
The only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry, the Kelly Blue Book is your source for everything you need to know about buying a new car or truck.
They recently announced their Best Buy Awards, honoring the top new model year vehicle choices available in the U.S. market. The overall Best Buy of 21015 is the Ford F-150 (which doesn’t surprise me, considering this truck’s past reputation—and how I’ve heard my brother rave about his).
There are so many vehicle options available today that picking a new car can be confusing. I remember how many ideas my husband tossed around for a possible second vehicle for us. We wanted something with good gas mileage that also fit our price range and had a good resale value, as we knew we only needed a second vehicle for a short time. Having a reliable source of information to turn to really helped us find the right vehicle for that season of our lives.
Buying our Jeep (several years before that) was completely an impulse decision… yet we still did some research there too. After seeing the Jeep on the lot and falling in love with it and taking it for a test drive, we went home (ostensibly so that Sunshine, about eight months old at the time, could have her nap). My husband went online and began researching. This time, he was looking specifically at Jeep TJ prices and information. When we went back to the used car lot, he was armed with enough information about the going price for that year and model of Jeep that he was able to barter the car salesman down in price several hundred dollars.
Whether you’re buying a new or used car, the Kelley Blue Book has all the information you need to make an informed decision about the right vehicle for you. Check out the Best Buy Awards to find out what cars, SUVs, trucks and minivans took home the award. (The minivan award didn’t surprise me either—both my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law drive older models of that minivan and love it.) The Kelley Blue Book website also has research tools for you to compare cars, calculate payments, and figure out the 5-year cost to own. They offer car reviews and help in finding local dealers.
If you’re looking for a new vehicle this year or trying to sell an older vehicle, check out the Kelley Blue Book for all the information you need.
I was compensated for this post, but all opinions expressed are my own.
5 Comments
I know about this book, my bother swears by it. It’s really handy to have. I would definitely look into it when we are ready for a new van but that won’t be for a few years. 🙂
we bought a vehicle last fall, it can be a pretty big deal. Best to research before you buy, I’ve never heard of this one before, I’ll have to check it out
We just bought a vehicle this summer, it is stressful to make such a big purchase. I loved being able to do lots of research before hand to narrow down our search.
I’ll keep the bluebook in mind. I’ve reviewed Hyundai and we really want one.
I have to admit that we may be looking for a new vehicle this year. My very trust van needs to be replaced. Thanks for the tip on the book. I really appreciate it.