Savvy buyers do their homework on the Web

Car salesman Ruddy Brito never met the customer who wanted a 2007 Forrester XT. But the two exchanged e-mails, haggled some over the phone, and sealed the deal without the buyer ever coming to see the car.

''I don't even know what the guy looks like," Brito said. ''But we had a good rapport."

While car salesmen are in no jeopardy of unemployment, the Internet has changed the way people buy vehicles. The biggest shift is that consumers have more information at their disposal. Perhaps too much information.

''We've seen people walk in with clipboards weighing 5 pounds," said Jay Gubala, general manager for Herb Chambers' dealerships. ''I say we have to get them away from the [computer] monitor and behind the steering wheel."

Chances are that you will have to make a trip to the dealership to buy a car, but a savvy buyer now has plenty of tools online to do the homework and negotiate the price. So, how to efficiently navigate the bounty of Internet sites that offer quotes, dealership information, and cars for a bargain?

Gubala tells customers to pick the kind of car they like and visit the manufacturer's website. That helps narrow the options and gives a buyer knowledge of a car's major features.

It's the pricing that gets tricky.

Gubala suggests buyers use one of two independent websites dedicated to helping consumers make informed purchases: Kelley Blue Book's www.kbb.com and Edmunds's www.edmunds.com.

They offer free information about invoice and suggested retail prices, and are supported by advertising revenue, not auto sales.

Each has its own strengths, Gubala said. The Kelley Blue Book site gives a car's trade-in value so a consumer will know what a car is worth to the dealer. Edmunds gives an estimated market value of a car, and projects how much it will depreciate over time.

Buyers can also use the Internet to get competing price quotes from dealerships. Armed with those quotes, they can negotiate a price.

Susan Z. Martin, editor of www.where-can-i-buy-a-car-online.com, said this has empowered buyers, because they can show up at a dealership with comparison quotes.

''People don't want to play the game" of haggling with a salesperson, she said. Information on the Internet has ''leveled the playing field."

Martin's site provides information on how to buy a car and how to find out a used car's history, such as whether it has flood damage. Like many other sites, it also offers quotes from dealers who pay for the leads. The site also supports itself through advertising and paid reviews.

Consumer Reports also rates and recommends new cars and offers unlimited access to its extensive research online for $4.95 a month.

Cars.com gives buyers the invoice and suggested retail prices for free, said spokesman Steven Nolan. The site, funded by advertising money from dealerships, also offers research. Buyers can learn whether an extended warranty, sunroof, or financing offer is a good deal.

The site, which has more than 1.4 million cars listed, is owned by several national newspaper chains and earns money through advertising and payments for dealer listings.

Nolan said that after a price is quoted, a salesperson will call the potential buyer. If a dealership doesn't have the car the person wants, it can often find the vehicle, he said. Or persuade a buyer to buy a different car.

''The only thing the Internet adds is convenience of being able to shop from home," Nolan said. ''You can go to three or four dealers online at one sitting."

Megan Woolhouse can be reached at woolhouse@globe.com.