Hello, Car-Ed: Make Car Shopping Easy and Find the Perfect Fit
Rachel Everheart
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Yes, you can find the right car. And no, it’s not impossible.
When it comes to car shopping, the auto industry has it backwards. You start your search by figuring out what you need and then trying to find the model that has it.
But the industry tries to point us to the make and model that’s on the lot at a local dealer. Which is perfect if you need a cute little eco-sedan … for your family of six and two-day-a-week softball carpool.
It can be frustrating. Car-Ed gets you.
This Quiz Helps Find Your Car Match… Including Cars You Might Have Overlooked
Car-Ed starts with a quick 11-question lifestyle quiz that helps identify the key features you need in your next car. Just take this quiz and Car-Ed narrows down the 400+ brand model names (and which represent thousands of model trims!) and boils them down to 14. Car-Ed’s results also give you a broader selection of 40 cars and trucks to choose from if the initial 14 aren’t exactly what you had in mind. From there, the site points you to the sites of the manufacturers you’re interested in so you can really start your shopping.
Further Reading: Minivan vs SUV, which is right for you?
Car-Ed narrows down potential car purchase decisions
Founded by Car Guys Who Get Shopping
When it was time for co-founder Andres Valbuena and his wife to buy a new car, the answer was easy for him: He worked for Volkswagen at the time so of course, they would head down to the local dealer and pick up a new car. But his wife quickly put the brakes on that. She had another car in mind. She wanted a Land Rover.
At first, this was a non-starter. Andres, like so many other buyers, saw the Land Rover brand as much pricier than they planned on spending. But with some research and looking at the different types of SUVs on the market, they found that the Land Rover Discovery not only met the lifestyle demands of his family, but could be purchased for $11 a month more than the VW he had in mind.
And a lightbulb went on: Andres realized that a lifestyle-based car shopping process could help lots of consumers find the right car for them. “There is no right or wrong answer,” Andres explained about Car-Ed’s approach. “It’s giving your alternatives,” to the options that pop up in your car search, or to what you might have thought you wanted before you started your research.
Last year a buyer in New Jersey went to Car-Ed to start his new car search. A long time Cadillac driver, he had only considered buying a new XT5 to replace his old SRX mid-sized SUV. But he decided to explore his options and through the quiz found that the VW Tiguan was a better fit, not just in terms of the car and its features, but also, with a dealer that was more convenient to his home.
Further Reading: Can you really buy a luxury car for under $40,000? Yes!
The Car-Ed quiz uses lifestyle questions to narrow down your potential purchase list
Car Guys Bring Experience and Insight to Car Buying
Car-Ed was designed by Andres and his business partner, Kevin Joostema, two former automotive executives. Kevin is a former product planner and strategist for Honda, Cadillac and Volkswagen, and Andres spent years guiding new car development at Jeep and VW. The two realized they could solve the disconnect between the work they were doing and customer awareness of the cars that might best fit people’s lives. Two years ago they decided to do something about it.
“We are trying to help people get into the right car using a different approach,” Kevin told us. “Cars are all about connections. Having the right car makes that connection better,” making the most of our time in our car with our families and friends.
And since buying a vehicle is the second most important purchase we make, we should make the right choice. However existing car shopping services and informational websites only provide information in a flat, traditional way. Car-Ed’s goal is to try and provide information the way consumers actually shop. And to make it fun and easy.
Further Reading: How to buy a car with your spouse and not end in divorce
Get Your Significant Other On Board With the Right Car for (Both of) You
Penny Garduno took the quiz and was delighted to find that her quiz results listed several of the cars she was interested in. So she texted the quiz link to her husband so he could take it too. From there they were able to narrow down several choices that showed up in both their results. Now, they have suggestions of cars to research and know what to test drive when they visit dealerships. And, they eliminate the back and forth advocating for a brand or model and start with a realistic list of cars that can accommodate their busy lives.
Lifestyle quiz questions help apply your interests and behaviors to your next car purchase
What Do Your Car-Ed Quiz Results Say About You?
I never thought I was truck girl; buying a pickup truck was never on my radar. But with a few pickups mixed into my quiz results I know that I should probably look closer at the truck-like SUVs on the market. Clearly, the ability to haul stuff as well as people is important to me. And, I like to shop. Which makes the Car-Ed process even more fun… exploring all the possibilities ahead in my next car, not just the ones that are sitting on lots at dealers in my zip code.
Enter to win a Palm Springs Getaway
Enter to win a Race & Relax Getaway Package.
Contest rules: Entries must be completed by 11:59PM Pacific December 31st, 2018. No purchase necessary; contest open only to US residents 18 years old or older and subject to the laws of the state of California. Winner will be chosen by random drawing from qualified entries and verified by A Girls Guide to Cars; winner will be notified by email no later than January 7th, 2019. Prize will be delivered by USPS to a valid US address; prizes cannot be shipped to a P.O. box. Winners may be asked to provide identification to receive their prize. Prize valued at $1,200, not exchangeable for cash or other items. Prize is limited to one (1) night accommodations at Miramonte Resort, Indian Wells, CA with date of accommodation subject to approval by Miramonte management; one (1) breakfast for two at Miramonte Resort; one (1) half day driving instruction and hot lap package for one person at BMW Performance Center West, Thermal, CA. Travel and additional accommodations are the responsibility of the winner. Contest is administered by and prizes awarded by A Girls Guide to Cars, which assumes no liability for the administration of this contest. Miramonte Indian Wells Resort, BMW Performance Center, Visit Greater Palm Springs Area, and all other event partners assume no responsibility or liability for the administration of this contest. A total of 1 grand prize will be awarded.
Disclosure: This post is a result of Car-Ed’s presentation at A Girls Guide to Cars #Drive2Learn Conference; search #Drive2Learn to see what other attendees learned about Car-Ed, too.
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