Detroit, Michigan (NAPSI) - Car shopping may be easier than ever thanks to some surprising technology.

Put A New Car In The Palm Of Your Hand

It’s not due to an improvement on the car, however. It’s because there’s now a free smartphone app that can give you unprecedented access to car dealers via text message. Texting is an increasingly popular way to do business with all kinds of companies—and it’s a practice that more than one in three car buyers said they’d prefer. To meet the demand for customer-to-business texting, car-buying platform Edmunds.com updated its mobile app so shoppers can send text messages to thousands of dealers across the U.S. with just a touch of a button.

Users can make sales or service appointments, review pricing, and get instant video and picture messages from dealerships to really see a particular vehicle. Most importantly, the service is not automated, meaning users connect directly with actual dealership personnel for a true customized interaction.

You can opt out at any time and you don’t have to provide a lot of personal information just to get the price of a car.

Text messaging is just the latest of many useful car-shopping features offered by the app. With it, car shoppers can browse and identify inventory nearby, get up-front price guarantees on cars in stock through Price Promise, and use a calculator to easily crunch monthly payment figures. Also available with the app is Edmunds’ roster of car-buying experts who can answer any questions about the car-shopping process, such as whether you’re getting a good deal or what sort of options are available on specific models.

Helpful Hints

Edmunds also offers helpful car-buying tips such as:

1. Get preapproved for a car loan before you go to look for a car. Then you’ll know what you can afford and the interest rate for which you qualify. Find out what the insurance will be, too.

2. Test-drive all the cars you are considering back to back so you can compare your impressions.

3. New cars should come with a full tank of gas and a detail job. Before you take delivery, look for scratches in the paint, or dings and dents on the body.

Learn More

Car buyers can also connect with Edmunds’ free Live Help service by calling (855) 782-4711 or by texting ED411. You can download the app from the App Store at http://apps.edmunds.com/vxgg-1.