(NUI) - Ever wonder how much your car is worth on the open market? Or whether you're getting a good deal on a used car?

Until recently, the National Automobile Dealers Association offered such appraisals only in its Official Used Car Guide, the nation's top-selling used-vehicle guidebook.

Now, online visitors can go to NADA's Web site to learn the "low retail," "average retail" and "high retail" values for specific years, makes and models of domestic and imported cars and light-duty trucks -- at no charge. Simply click on http://www.nada.com.

"We've been besieged by requests to make NADA vehicle values available online," said Scott Lilja, executive director of the NADA Official Used Car Guide Company.

"Making these values available online should help millions of consumers make better-educated vehicle-purchasing decisions."

The company's interactive site adjusts values automatically to reflect vehicle options and mileage. The site can also produce side-by-side vehicle comparisons.

To further assist buyers and sellers, visitors to NADA's consumer site can link directly to the association's dealer locator, which can search for member dealer locations and information by zip code.

Online consumers can also purchase print versions of NADA's Official Used Car Guide directly through authorized Internet re-sellers, or find an authorized re-seller near them via zip-code search.

NADA consumer motorcycle, recreation vehicle and motor-home values also are available online through a link to NADA's Appraisal Guides Company Web site, http://nadaguides.com.

Nearly a quarter million consumers visited the NADA Official Used Car Guide Consumer Web site during its first month of operation.

"Consumers are eager to access NADA's up-to-date and accurate vehicle values," Lilja said. "We expect 3 million visitors to the site in the first year."

In a review of the site, Dow Jones said that nada.com. is "an essential resource for anyone looking to determine the value of a used vehicle, whether you are buying or selling."

The NADA Official Used Car Guide Company, founded in 1933, develops products and services using auction, wholesale and retail sales data to help businesses and consumers make sound decisions in buying or selling a vehicle.

NADA represents more than 19,500 franchised new-car and truck dealers around the country.