Car Price Check:  is a leading online car broker that shops around UK-based franchised car dealers for the best deal.  To find a price for the car you want, simply submit the details; an email comes back with a quotation, sometimes within 24 hours.  The deals are good, with a saving of more than 8%on a Vauxhall Astra (a 1.6i LS five-door is £12,187).  If you are shopping at your local dealer, give Car Price Check a try before you decide - the site features only dealer-supplied, UK-sourced cars.

Autotrader: You've found that bargain buy on the internet, but how do you get rid of your old Car?  A good bet is this online version of the offline market leader.  An internet ad costs £5 for two weeks, against £26 for a week in my regional Autotrader (although this includes free net advertising).  Getting your ad online is easy; a simple menu system ensures you don't forget to include any of the main facts about your old banger, and you can either upload a picture yourself or send a conventional snapshot to Autotrader.

Jamjar.  This is the car-buying site of Direct Line.  Buy here and you are not restricted to imported cars,with which you usually have to wait months for delivery.  There is a trade -in option, with a valuation facility to calculate the worth of your old car.  The range on offer is wide - a Citroen Xsara Picasso cost £9,340, a saving of 31% - and you can get a quote on your new motor without having to register, thus avoiding a lifetime of junk e-mail.  As you would expect from Direct Line, you can also sign up for competitive finance and insurance.

Virgin:  A recent but heavyweight entrant to the online car-buying market, Virgin has answered some of the web's knottiest questions, such as, "How can an online car dealer offer test drives?"  Most still cannot, but Virgin offers the use of hire cars for a day or two.  It also scores top marks for navigation that perfectly mirrors the decision-making process.  Virgin offers UK-sauced and imported cars, so its summary of which ones are available quotes both prices and delivery times.  A nearly new Vauxhall Corsa cost £5,750.