Amazon releases auto buying research tool

Shopping for a car? You might want to do your research on Amazon. The ecommerce giant just announced and released www.amazon.com/vehicles, and it’s as impressive as it is comprehensive, one of the most complete vehicle research tools I’ve seen.

The service does not let shoppers purchase cars, but rather is just a comparison and research tool. Due to auto dealer rules and restrictions, it’s unlikely Amazon will directly sell vehicles to buyers.

Interested in seeing the different features found in the various trim levels of, say, a 2016 Ram 3500 Laramie? Amazon Vehicles can do that quickly and painlessly.

Once a user selects a vehicle, they’re taken to a sort of product page that features all the specs, photos and trim levels available for each model. Currently, at launch, the tool features vehicles from 1998 to 2017 though the older models seem to have less information.

Similar tools have been available for years from sites like Edmunds and Aol’s Autoblog (Aol owns TechCrunch). I find Amazon’s tool to be more immersive and easier to navigate in part because it operates like Amazon’s standard shopping pages.