How to Find Car Specs

Whether you are selling, verifying information or buying yourself a new vehicle, it is important to familiarize yourself with the car's specifications. Often referred to as the car's specs for short, this provides people with important data about the performance, handling, exterior, interior and standard equipment of any given vehicle. For this reason, one must know how to locate this information when necessary.

1. Locate and look through your car's user manual.


2. If your car is a new car, go the auto manufacturer's website. Search for the make and model of your vehicle. The website should include all of the specifications for the current year's vehicles.


3. Write down the vehicle's identification number, or VIN. Run a vehicle history report through a service such as CarFax. This will provide you with specifications for the vehicle in question.


4. Go to the MotorTrend website and select either “New Cars” or “Used Cars” from the menu bar that runs across the top of the page. From there, click on the “Specs” tab and then look for box titled “Car Specs By Make.” Click the correct make and on the next page, pick the model of the car by clicking the box labeled “Car Specs by Model.” Lastly, select the year from “Car Specs By Year” and view the listed vehicle specifications.


5. Go to the Edmunds.com website. On the homepage click the make of your vehicle in the “Browse By Make” box. Locate your vehicle in the list of current year models, or if researching the specs for an older car, go the the box marked “Research Models” and from the drop-down boxes select the appropriate model and the year.