Divide the ideas into logical categories. For example, body styles, frequency of repair, safety rating, condition, and fuel efficiency. Assign individual students or teams to research each category.
Students create a decision grid on a spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet will list possible vehicle choices vertically along the left side. Criteria to apply to choosing the vehicle are listed horizontally along the top. Students search newspaper ads for new or used cars that might meet their criteria and select 3 or 4. Vehicles are listed along the left of the decision grid. Then they are compared to the criteria that were selected for the horizontal axis of the grid.