Strategies for Smart Car Buyers

Scott Barr, a school teacher from Pennsylvannia, takes notes on the 2008 Honda Accord at Willow Springs Race Track.

It was a tough assignment for a group of rookie automotive critics -- decide which was the best, Detroit steel or one of two Japanese powerhouses that have dominated the market for decades.

Edmunds has embarked on an interesting experiment, to give six "ordinary" consumers the change to be automotive experts for a day. Their task, to decide between the newly redesigned 2008 Chevrolet Mallibu, the new 2008 Honda Accord or the 2008 Toyota Camry. Six people -- two women and four men -- were chosen from some 800 applicants who wrote short essays to prove they had the skills to judge which car was best and could write their critiques in an entertaining manner.

The participants were taken to Willow Springs Race Track recently and, with members of the Edmunds.com and Inside Line staffs, they poked, pried, opened, closed and drove all the cars. They accelerated from 0 to highway speeds, slammed on the brakes and drove hills and straightaways.

I went along and watched their evaluation process. They learned a lot about the road test process; I got to learn how car shoppers shop. It was a great day.

But the question remains: which car won? These were just plain folks from the heartland and the northeast. They were unconnected to any sponsor or car company. What's your guess about how they felt the cars stacked up? And while you're pondering that question, you might want to read more about this unique event on the Straightline blog.

I will give you a small preview. Rick Bancroft, (pictured in the smaller photo) a police officer from Maine, started the day really liking the Mailbu. By early afternoon he was on the fence. "This will be tough," he said bending intently over his clipboard.