Shopping for a new car or truck is both a thrill and serious business. Two of the most important tasks during vehicle shopping are information gathering and test drives. Both are critical components of the car buying decision making process. First it is essential to gather data on all vehicles in your consideration set. To begin that process one needs to know what vehicles to compare. Next test driving as many similar makes and models as possible helps to confirm the shopper's need for specific features, size, functionality, comfort and price. Comparative research and test drives help to insure that car shoppers buy the right car, for the best possible price.

In the New Car Comparison Guide For 2000 Bob Storck created easy to follow market segments based on size, car type, functionality and price. Below is a list of the vehicle categories and the cars they contain. Click on the category to read a segment overview, then move on to the concise, clearly written discussion of each product in the list.

The vehicle discussions are not complete reviews. They are designed to help shoppers understand the important features of each vehicle and how they compare to one another. Complete reviews are available by visiting the Reviews section of this publication.

Additional research information can be found by clicking on the buttons Invoice Pricing, Reliability Ratings and Comparison Reports to the left of all articles. For a complete overview of the shopping process read the New Car Buying Guide Sponsored By CarSmart.com.

Whichever category (or categories) the vehicle (or vehicles) you are attracted to fall in, there will be a number of offerings from other automakers. We recommend that shoppers research and drive as many of the vehicles in the categories of interest as possible. This is both enjoyable, informative and critical to making a solid buying decision.

• Compact Cars: Nubira, Neon, Escort/Tracer, Focus, Civic, Sephia, Protege, Sentra, Impreza, Esteem, Corolla, Golf GTI/Jetta/Beetle

• Economy Cars: Lanos, Mirage, Metro, Accent, Swift, Echo

• Small Cars: A4, 318ti, Cavalier, Malibu, Cirrus/Stratus/Breeze, Leganza, Contour/Mystique, Elantra, Altima, Alero, Grand Am, Sunfire SC/SL/SW, Legacy, S/V40

• Mid-Size Cars: Century, Lumina, Malibu, Taurus/Sable, Accord, Sonata, 626, Galant, Maxima, Grand Prix, L-Series, Camry, Passat

• Full-Size Cars: LeSabre, Concorde/Intrepid, Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis, Bonneville, Avalon

• Near Luxury Cars: TL, A6, 5-Series, Catera, 300M/LHS, G20, I30, S-Type, ES300, LS6/8, Millenia, C-Class, Diamante, Intrigue, 9-5, S/V70

• Luxury Cars: A8, RL, 7-Series, Park Avenue, DeVille, Seville, Q45, XJ8/R, LS400, Continental, Town Car, E Class, S80

• Sports Cars: NSX-T, TT, Z3, Corvette, Viper/GTS, 360 Modena, S2000, XK8/R, Miata, SLK, 3000GT, Prowler, Boxster, 911/Carrera 4, MR-Spyder

• Sports Coupes and Sedans: Integra/Type R, 3-Series, Regal, Eldorado, Camaro, Monte Carlo, Sebring/Avenger, Sebring Convertible, ZX2, Mustang, Prelude, Tiburon, GS300/400, SC3/400, CLK, C43/E55, Cougar, Eclipse, Aurora, Firebird/Trans Am, 9-3, Solara, Celica, Cabriolet, C70

• Minivans: Astro/Safari, Venture/Silhouette/Montana, Caravan/Town & Country/Voyager, Windstar, Odyssey, Oasis, Sedona, MPV, Villager/Quest, Sienna, Eurovan

• Compact Sport Utility Vehicles: Blazer/Jimmy/Envoy, Durango, Explorer, Passport/Rodeo, Cherokee, Discovery II, RX300, ML320/430, Mountaineer, Montero Sport, Pathfinder, Bravada, 4Runner

• Small Sport Utility Vehicles: Tracker, Amigo, Wrangler, Sportage, Xterra, Grand Vitara

• Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicles: SLX, Hummer, Escalade, Tahoe/Yukon/Denali, Suburban, Expedition, QX4, Trooper, VehiCross, Grand Cherokee, LX470, Navigator, Montero, Range Rover, Land Cruiser

• Compact Pickup Trucks: S-10/Sonoma/Hombre, Dakota, Ranger, Frontier, Tacoma

• Full-Size Pickup Trucks: C/K, Ram, F-150/250, F-250-550 Super Duty Full Size Pickups, Tundra