It's spring, when a young person's fancy turns to . . . a new car.
I'm not young anymore, but my spring fever dreams usually include new wheels.
At one time, the first place to start the search was the new car showrooms. Now, most automobile manufacturers have large Web sites to showcase their latest models.
Being a true autophile, I like to shop around. I linked to most sites simply by using the name of the manufacturer or marque: www.ford.com, www.chevrolet.com or www.cadillac.com.
(This doesn't always work; I tried www.acura.com and linked to the home site of ''A Canadian company dedicated to serving the video and audio production and post production markets.'' And www.dodge.com linked me to some company that makes financial software - check out minivans at www.4adodge.com).
In some cases, I had to add the word ''cars'': www.hondacars.com, www.jaguarcars.com or www.saturncars.com or ''vehicles'': www.mercuryvehicles.com.
Sophisticated sell
What I found was some of the most sophisticated marketing on the Web. Clean design, fast servers and technological sophistication.
The @Toyota site (www.toyota.com) is a great place to explore the latest Web technology. You can watch an engine run with Shockwave, or view the interior of a Camry with PhotoBubbles. (They promise Java applets next.)
@Toyota is really a top-notch online magazine - or seven magazines, covering homes, men, women, sports, the outdoors, the arts, and of course, cars. The site emphasizes that Toyotas are built in America, but there are links to Japan and all over the world.
Ford's World Wide Connection (http://www.ford.com) has a section that allows you to compare the monthly cost of leasing vs. buying a particular model. (I learned that I could lease an Explorer for $267 for two years, or buy it for $461 a month for four years.)
For the Saturn faithful, The Saturn Site exudes that family feeling. There's a database of Saturn owners (you must put your name there, it's not ALL Saturn owners), just in case you want to find someone local who owns a red 1995 SL1. At the Cadillac site, I got a sneak preview of the 1997 Catera which looks like an Infiniti and will be available this fall.
Of course, nothing on the Web can compare with planting yourself behind the wheel of a showroom-fresh coupe. But this way, there's no salesman.
After I find the model I want, I try to figure out how much it will cost. I like Japanese cars, so I've had to haggle like a carpet merchant every time I bought a car. It pays to do your homework.
You can find out the dealer's true costs at Edmund's Automobile Buyer's Guide (http://www.edmunds.com), which gives you free all the information you pay for in the book - and even more up-to-date.
For example, I learned the invoice price of a 1996 Honda Accord LX Sedan, plus the fact that there's a 2 percent holdback. The site even explains holdbacks and offers a strategy for determining a fair but rock-bottom price.
Next, I clicked over to the used-car section to check the value of my old Honda: base original list, and wholesale and retail used prices. Many models are also rated, in case you're interesting in buying a used vehicle - even something as unusual as a 1995 Kia Sephia.
Finish deal by phone
I wish I could end this column by describing how I closed the deal on a silver V6 Accord, but my wife, the money manager, says we can barely afford gas, let alone a gas-gulper. But if I could, I probably would have tried Auto-by-Tel (http://www.autobytel.com).
Ever try calling a dealer and getting a price over the phone? Forget it. But this service allows you to place an order for a specific car through a Web site. Then the order is transferred to dealers in your area who will call you with their best price.
The dealers know they're competing for your business, so they're willing to negotiate over the phone.
Apparently, it works. A recent article in U.S. News & World Report recounted how the reporter saved a bundle - and a bundle of haggling headaches - buying an Acura this way.
Oh well. When I can retire my dented Civic, maybe I'll try it too.
E-mail Charles Brewer with questions, comments and suggestions at cbrewer@enquirer.com.