PUBLIC MARKS from adfunk with tags shopping & auto

Leslie Vander Baan turned selling her 1997 Jeep Cherokee into a million-dollar business and she isn't even 30 yet. Four years ago, Vander Baan, who'd been around cars her entire life, found selling her vehicle a headache. She had to find time to meet with potential buyers after working long days at an auto auction. She had to sneak related phone calls during busy work hours. But she did all that because she knew she'd get more in a private sale than a dealer trade-in.

To make it as a smart deal, vehicles must have better-than-average crash test scores from NHTSA and the IIHS, and rate a combined 20 miles-per-gallon by the EPA. Smart deal cars must also be clean-running, with a minimum rating of "6" on the EPA's pollution index. Finally, a smart deal car is required to carry a discount, either by dealer incentive, automaker rebate or special finance rate. Regional differences may apply, and though we list expiration dates, rebates can end at any time. And though we list sticker prices on the following pages, be sure to use the invoice price as your starting point.

MOTORISTS will be racing to the forecourts next month when the new 56 registration plate is launched. But drivers could save themselves thousands of pounds by shopping online. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers, about 420,000 drivers will get behind the wheel of a new car on September 1.