Consumer Reports Auto Issue: Best and Worst Cars for 2011
Published on - March 10th, 2011 (by J.D. Roth) 
It’s that time of year again! The annual auto issue of Consumer Reports landed in my mailbox yesterday, and I spent some time browsing its pages. I’m not nearly as interested in car info as I used to be; I’ve had my beloved Mini Cooper for two years now, and am quite pleased with it. Still, I know that many folks are in the market for a new car, and I think Consumer Reports is a great source for info. Plus, it’s fun to review their findings to see what (if anything) has changed.
This year, the Consumer Reports website — even the part that’s not behind a paywall — has more useful information than in past years. In fact, there are video reports on each of the magazine’s top cars, plus other video content scattered around the auto section. Nice! Here, for instance, is their preview of the upcoming Nissan Leaf:
You can access all of the free, public content from the site’s April 2011 issue homepage. But let’s review some of the major news.
Here are the Consumer Reports top-rated vehicles in ten categories (with previous years’ top cars in parentheses). Note that I’ve linked each category to its corresponding page at the CR website, where you can watch informative video profiles of each top vehicle.
- Budget car: Honda Fit (new category, replacing Luxury Sedan — a sign of the times?)
- Family hauler (formerly Minivan): Toyota Sienna (2010: Mazda5, 2007-2009: Toyota Sienna)
- Family sedan: Nissan Altima (2010: Nissan Altima, 2007-2009: Honda Accord)
- Family SUV (formerly Midsized SUV): Kia Sorento (2010: Chevrolet Traverse, 2009: Toyota Highlander, 2008: Hyundai Santa Fe, 2007: Toyota Highlander Hybrid)
- Green car: Toyota Prius (2007-2010: Toyota Prius)
- Pickup Truck: Chevrolet Avalanche (2010: Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2009: Chevrolet Avalanche, 2008: Chevrolet Silverado 1500, no pick in 2007)
- Small car (formerly Small sedan): Hyundai Elantra (2008-2010: Hyundai Elantra SE, 2007: Honda Civic)
- Small SUV: Toyota RAV4 (2010: Subaru Forester, 2007-2009: Toyota RAV4)
- Sports sedan (formerly Upscale sedan): Infiniti G37 (2009-2010: Infiniti G37, 2007-2008: Infiniti G35)
- Sporty Car (formerly Fun-to-drive): Ford Mustang (2010: Volkswagen GTI, 2007-2009: Mazda MX-5 Miata)
In previous years, Consumer Reports selected a “best car overall”, which was usually the luxury Lexus LS 460L. With 99 out of a possible 100 points in the magazine’s road test, the LS 460L is still a fine vehicle — but because they no longer pick a top car or a top luxury car, it didn’t make any particular list. (By comparison, the Mini Cooper still scores an 81 on the road test.)
I was sad to see the “most overlooked cars” list didn’t re-appear this year. In the past, it’s shown which cars are safe and received good road scores, but don’t sell well too the public. As usual, though, there are plenty of other lists.
For example, here are the least expensive cars over five years (based on total owner cost):
- Honda Fit (base) — $26,250
- Smart ForTwo — $27,000
- Toyota Yaris sedan — $27,250
- Scion xD — $27,750
- Toyota Corolla LE — $28,000
The most expensive car to own? A Mercedes-Benz SL550, which costs an average of $112,250 over five years. Yikes! No wonder there’s a small group of GRS readers who have chosen to go car-free. Even the cheapest car — the Honda Fit — costs an average of $444 per month during the first five years of ownership. You could save a heck of a lot if you didn’t have that cost. (And most families have more than one car!)
CR says that Honda makes the best cars overall, taking the top spot from Toyota (which falls to number three). Subaru is second best. The worst cars (by a long shot) come from Chrysler, though Consumer Reports sees glimmers of hope for them on the horizon. Ford has made great improvements over the past couple of years.
As I mentioned, some of the material from the Consumer Reports 2011 Auto Issue is freely available on their website. Other information, however, is locked behind a paywall. And don’t forget that you can always find great info on the Consumer Reports car blog.
From the archives
Don’t forget that Get Rich Slowly features car-buying tips from time-to-time. Notable articles include:
- Dave Ramsey says ‘Drive free, retire rich’
- The best way to buy a new car and A real fighting chance
- Two approaches to car-buying
- How to sell a used car
I also recommend two older AskMetafilter threads:
- Fix it or junk it? At what point is a car not worth repairing?
- What is a reasonable offer for a new car? Don’t miss this fantastic response from a fellow who just bought a car.
The Consumer Reports car issue is an excellent resource. If you think you might purchase a vehicle soon, I recommend it. But I think it’s a little dangerous to pick up just for the sake of browsing. You may find yourself moved from merely curious to “itching to buy”!
GRS is committed to helping our readers save and achieve your financial goals.Savings interest rates may be low, but that’s all the more reason to shop for the best rate.Find the highest savings interest rate from Ally Bank, Capital One 360, Everbank, and more.
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How we bought a new car:
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/11/07/reader-story-how-we-bought-a-new-car/
Though I hope we don’t have to do it again any time soon.
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I’ve relied heavily on the reliability ratings from Consumer Reports when buying used cars. But I drive my cars into the ground so I haven’t read any car issues for a long time.
However, I am finding CR harder to rely on for other consumer information. They seem to be getting a little sloppy. For example, in a review of refrigerators, they stated that french door refrigerators used more energy than conventional, single door fridges. But the number of kilowatts they reported each fridge using contradicted that.
I spot contradictions between the text and the charts whenever I pick an issue up (although that’s pretty infrequently). Are their car reviews still a good source of information? I’d love to hear from someone else who reads it regularly.
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Sigh. We’re a keep cars for a long time family and were just last December thinking how nice it was that we could get another 2-3 years minimum out of our 11 yo Honda van. Then it was hit while parked on the street (hit and run, by a Lexus no less — we found the front insignia across the street) and…totaled.
What we got for it was certainly not enough to replace it, let alone get a newer car. We’d had less than 90K miles on it as well.
And that’s our tale of woe.
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I wonder how many GRS actually intend to buy new cars? I just went car-free 3 weeks ago and if I ever buy another vehicle it will be used.
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I would like to update my family hauler with a budget, green, sporty car all rolled into one. That would make a formerly fun to drive, gas sipping, no longer luxury sedan car category.
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“I wonder how many GRS actually intend to buy new cars? I just went car-free 3 weeks ago and if I ever buy another vehicle it will be used.”
We’ll be buying a new minivan this year, either the Odyssey or Sienna. I grew up in a family that generally alternated between buying used and buying new; and in either case, drove them until they collapsed. I still drive cars until they collapse, but used cars don’t seem to offer the value that they once did. In fact, I think that many of the used models from the more reliable brands are overpriced. Sure, they’re cheaper, but they’re not discounted far enough considering the amount of their service life (miles) that has already been exhausted. Often you’ll see Hondas and Toyotas, six years old with 100k miles (let’s say they’re about halfway through their useful lives) with used prices for about half of what they cost new. Linear depreciation is not appropriate for a car, in my opinion.
The old saw about “It’s worth 20% less when you drive it off the lot” is nowhere near the truth any longer.
Based on the current car-market economics, I’ll never buy a used car again.
I would also feel miserable if I ever went “car-free.” I’ll save that for when I’m 90 and am a danger to others on the road. Then I’ll hire a chauffer.
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No kidding on Chrysler being the worst. They hide everything they can so are very difficult to work on. The battery? underneath the front wheel well. You have to take off the wheel to get to it properly. It is our back up car soon to be someone else’s problem.
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I used to use Consumer Reports religiously to select new and used cars, but had a very negative experience a few years ago. I bought a VW Passat in the early 2000′s based on the fact that it had been CR’s top-rated family sedan for several years running at that point. Worst car I have ever owned. I, too, am an own it until it dies person, but sold that car after 5 years due to continuous problems. Made me pretty angry that the year after I bought the car, CR reviewed again and gave the model very bad reliability ratings. Have since discovered the best resource is a mechanic unaffiliated with a dealership – they generally know what models have the most issues.
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Too bad there aren’t many American cars on that list. I refuse to buy foreign (live near Detroit) and I wish there was an American-only feature. (yeah, many people probably think I am foolish for only buying American, but my husband’s work is tied to Ford and GM and he can’t be driving a foreign car around.)
We are in the market for another car right now, and I am having the hardest time coming up with something I really like and trust.
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Everyday Tips: I am in the same situation, my husband will only “Buy American” even though I’ve argued with him over whether a traditional American brand like Ford counts if the car was made in Mexico? vs. the Honda that is made here in Ohio? We have had wonderful luck with our 4 Fords (Ranger, E150 Van, F150 and Windstar). We’re looking for a replacement for our 2000 Windstar and are happy that Ford will be coming out with a “micro” mini-van this fall 2011, the C-Max. I’m hoping it will be the mini-van for us, with better gas mileage. They will have a hybrid and electric/gas back-up in 2012.
http://www.ford.com/crossovers/cmax/?searchid=426441|28125566|205373347
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“my husband’s work is tied to Ford and GM and he can’t be driving a foreign car around.)
We are in the market for another car right now, and I am having the hardest time coming up with something I really like and trust.”
Nothing wrong with that at all.
I prefer Japanese cars, personally, but there are A LOT of really good, technologically advanced, stylish Fords and GM’s right now. Just in the car segment:
GM: Cruze, Malibu, Regal, LaCrosse, CTS
Ford: Fiesta, Focus, Taurus (and, not a sedan, but the new Explorer is totally redesigned–although pricey!–and very nice looking.
It’s a shame that those companies just don’t have a minivan.
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#4 – Suzanne – I bought the Toyota Yaris (on the list – yay!) new 4 years ago. Paid cash for it. I also go new because every car I’ve had I’ve driven until it was too expensive to fix or somebody hit it and totaled it.
Being a single parent who lives in a bedroom community which is walkable in itself but with poor transportation options, I needed reliability and low gas mileage. The Yaris has been great for that.
In a couple of years (hopefully passing this car off to my son), I’ll be in the market for another new car. One of the factors I have to consider is that if I hope to have the vehicle for 15+ years, will it fit my lifestyle when I’m 65 vs. now when I’m 45?
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I would love to know if anyone has any experience using carsala.com? For the first time in my life I am having to buy a new car, and I am leaning toward using them BUT they are a new company so I am a little leary of using them.
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My 2001 Ford Focus Wagon just hit 197,500 miles. I’m praying it lasts to 200,000….and beyond. Every once in awhile (okay, probably once per month), I get the new car itch. I rely on CR for their car issue. Can’t wait to read it.
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Wow, $444! My husband and I have been car-free for a year and lately I’ve been reconsidering. We live in walking distance of everything we need on a regular basis (grocery store, gym, work) but have a lot of family in the suburbs and exurbs. It’s such a pain to get out there!
Still, right now we only spend about $80 a month on transportation (Zipcar and public transportation), so I guess this is right choice for now… sigh.
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My wife and I are hoping to expand our family this year as first time parents. We both have old late model cars that are starting to get too expensive to maintain. We’re looking to buy new, and to move to a one car family. I know that my friend just bought a new Toyota with 0% financing, so that is very intriguing to me. I would love to hear recommendations from this group. We’re looking for an affordable, fuel effectient, four door vehicle that will last and be economical to maintain. Any suggestions?
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@Everyday Tips: I’ve heard that the Malibu is good, and that GM’s quality has gotten very good in the past few years, it just didn’t improve quick enough to gain back all the customers they’ve lost to Honda and Toyota.
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What do people think of Edmunds.com? I’ll probably be buying a car in the next few years. My current car is a 96 Pontiac Grand Am, so I should upgrade soon.
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My wife and I own both of our cars (Honda Odyssey and a Honda Accord). Both of which run perfectly.
Yet, we are still making an “imaginary car payment” every month.
We put in our monthly budget anywhere from 300 to 500 dollars a month towards a new car.
With our tax refund, we put in an extra $1,000.
We plan on LOOKING for a new car in a year. At this rate, we will have enough money to be able to pay CASH for a used car that is maybe 4 or 5 years old.
I recommend starting now on making an imaginary car payment. Then, forget about it. Before you know it, youll have $10,000 in your bank account that you have dedicated to buying a car should you need one one day.
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How timely. My car and I were in a wreck on Monday and I’ve been looking for a replacement all week. The Hyundai Elantra and Honda Civic are at the top of my list – the safety is a bit better for the Civic and (talk about inspiring brand loyalty) it already saved my life so that’s at the very top of the list!
Also looking at the Fit (nervous about how it handles snow though) and the Corolla. Guess my thinking is right in line with CR.
Thanks for posting, I’ll head over there now to review what they say “behind the curtain” (membership really is fantastic – use the site a lot before I buy something expensive).
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That $444-a-month figure is hard enough, but it leaves out a lot! My car has been paid off for years and hasn’t needed much maintenance (it’s a Honda), but it STILL costs me $75/month for parking (I live in a big city where you might spend an hour circling the block if you don’t own a spot) and $150/month for insurance (ouch). I daydream constantly about getting rid of it, but I’m required to have a car for my job.
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My husband and I are a no-car couple. When my 2002 Subaru Forester dropped it transmission, it would have cost $5K – $7K to repair it, which was not much less than the blue book value. We biked to work and only used the cars on weekends, at most. So, it was a pretty obvious decision. We sold the car and now use ZipCar and Enterprise (our employer gives us a discount). It’s not easy, especially in rainy days, but it’s so worth the savings. Last December, we spent 10 days in Hawai’i — money well spent, I think.
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Wow, that $444/mo number seems shocking! But when I start adding up insurance ($100 each, we’re lucky our policy is pretty cheap) and then add in gas and car payment it’s easy to see that with a little car maintenance I’m almost there. On top of that I bought used, and drive the green vehicle. I can only imagine what some people pay (and cringe to think about what I once did for a luxury SUV).
At least once the cars are paid off, we can continue to drive them for a long while and greatly offset that monthly cost. I don’t even want to think about buying a new car anytime soon!
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The $444 per month includes, presumably, quite a few variable costs that don’t apply in each individual situation.
Leasing a Honda Fit–the car used in the example–would cost far less than $444 per month, and since the dealer is not in the business of losing money, the simple cost of depreciation is obviously less than what the dealer is willing to lease it for.
That leaves fuel and insurance, primarily. For fuel, they probably assume something like 12,000 miles per year. However, if you live in a very walkable area, but elected to own a car and drive, you likely would never drive that many miles. So it’s not an even comparison to say, “Hey, public transportation only costs me $X per month, which is a lot less than $444, so I’m doing great.” Of course, depending on your situation, the additional costs of parking could factor in as well. On the other hand, you’re often paying higher real estate costs, in price and/or property taxes, to live in an area that allows you to be car-free.
Also, what J.D. implies is not very accurate when he writes “And most families have more than one car!”
Yes most families do, but considering that much of this estimated monthly cost is variable based on miles driven (fuel) and the number of drivers, mostly (insurance), plus the fact that much of the depreciation we see these days is mileage-based rather than age-based, simply owning additional cars often adds very little additional cost to those figures. It certainly doesn’t double it. Really, you’re just looking at age-based depreciation, possibly some small extra insurance costs, and perhaps an additional state or local property tax assessment.
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@Everyday Tips, I understand your dilemma, living near Detroit, but I want to point out that many Hondas & Toyotas ARE AMERICAN MADE. I grew up in “Honda country” in Ohio, and have numerous friends & family members working for Honda or their suppliers. I will never buy anything other than a Honda – not only because of their reliability (my ’03 Accord just turned 140K miles – lots of life left in it), but it supports our local economy.
A recent news report said that new cars are cheaper to purchase right now because of the lower interest rates that dealers are offering – but I guess if you’re paying cash, interest rates don’t matter…
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“Buy used” has historically been good advice, but it is becoming much harder to get a good value on a late-model (3-4 years old) used car.
Most of the Japanese (and, increasingly, Korean) imports are of high enough quality that the prices for used cars are not much lower–and are actually sometimes higher, depending on geography, options, and demand–than the prices for new models. If you doubt this, just look at any Toyota, Honda, or Subaru dealer’s website.
Also, the economic crunch of the past few years has meant far fewer new cars being sold, which will in turn mean far fewer available used cars in the near future.
In addition, most 3-4 year old used cars are coming off of leases, which (as every financial advisor/ TV host/ blogger has pointed out) are not economical and have been declining in popularity–also leading to fewer available used cars.
Most 3-4 year old American cars are such junk that they’re not worth buying. Ford may have been improving lately–but it will be a while before today’s better cars are available on the used-car market.
You may be better off buying new.
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I will not be purchasing a new car until gas stations run completely out of fuel, or I’m walking away from a burning heap of metal on the freeway.
What’s the point? Although it is necessary for my job and logistical reasons, my vehicle is one of my single biggest monthly recurring expenses.
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Bought a 1993 Range Rover for $2800 2 years ago – 200K miles on it…Got a 1995 Acura Legend for $5000 with 120K 5 years ago. These quality cars both were 50K new and I am loving driving these. Just find a good mechanic – and put your car payments in a mutual fund. My neighbor bought a porsche for about 50K…thinking the payment is about $800 not even considering the gas,insurnce,maint… So Now i renamed my mutual fund porfolio the Porsche Fund and will toss in $800 a month and drive my “beaters”
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@Everyday Tips:
Maybe your husband could get his colleagues over at Ford and GM to do a better job and some more American cars will be on the list next year.
I’m personally kind of tired of the xenophobic car-buyer phenomenon, though. Especially since so many “American” cars are made in Mexico and so many “Japanese” cars are made in the US.
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We loooooooove our Honda Fit! Because of our excellent credit scores we were able to get 0.9% financing. With a sizeable downpayment, the total interest we’ll pay over 5 years is less than one car payment – I’ll take that over being out ALL the cash at once.
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I guess the ol’ “wagon” category is gone.
Viva la Subaru Outback!
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Again, you intuitively know what I need. I need to buy a car in the next couple of years (or sooner) and I don’t know what I want yet. I started saving, but I needed to sit down and update the math on driving my car.
I did read the metafilter link about repair or replace this morning. I drive a 2001 Saturn sl with 75K (I’m the original owner),and had to make the decision: repair or replace this week. Repair=value of the car. I opted to repair. I trust the mechanic.
I did a quick evaluation afterward on cost of running my car over the past ten years: purchase, insurance, yearly local taxes, repairs,and gas. Those are really valuable numbers to know on any car, but especially in part of the repair/replace equation of car ownership.
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Everyday tips did not say that they didn’t like foreign cars, or that she felt obligated to buy domestic vehicles in order to support American manufacturing. She simply said that, based on her husband’s professional associations, there is an expectation that he will drive a Ford- or GM-made vehicle.
Similarly, a Range Rover might be a great car, but an attorney working for Greenpeace probably ought to avoid driving one.
On a different topic, interest rates are low right now, but the real, market rate for auto-secured consumer debt is still higher than 0%. And it’s higher than 1.9%. Therefore, if the dealership offers you this rate, their company is taking a loss on the lending, and making up the difference from you somewhere else.
This was proven to me when I talked to a few salesmen about purchasing a car for the price quoted to me buy several buying services to which I have access.
“Sure, you can have the car for that price, that’s what we agreed to with the buying service.”
“Can I have the 1.9% financing with it?”
“No, I’m sorry, I can’t give you that rate with the buying-service price.”
It’s as simple as that.
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There was a NYT article in recent years explaining which cars or parts of cars are made in America now across all brands of cars. Cool and surprising list. I would love to see an update of that. I want to buy a car made with US labor/parts if possible. Please post if you have more information on this. (thank you for the Ohio Honda info- good to know!)
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I bought a used car last week, though it’s a 2010. I used edmunds.com and kbb.com for pricing, both on the car and my trade-in. I got the car for less than the listed value, but still a little more than I had hoped to pay; however, I negotiated hard on the trade-in and got what I wanted there.
One interesting thing that came out of the process: when I found the car I wanted online, I called my insurance company (USAA) to find out how my insurance would change (I like to know all associated costs before I buy). I mentioned it was a 2010 and she told me their car buying service could actually find me the same car, new, for LESS than the used price. I pursued this option for a week or so, but there were no new vehicles within a few hundred miles, and the transfer fee would more than wipe out the savings. I was able to use this to drop the price of the used car, however, so it all worked out.
I am a devout used-car buyer but in the future I’d probably check with USAA on new pricing, just in case. I also did my loan through them, so I could walk into the dealer with a “check” in hand; the loan has no early payoff penalty, and I’m paying the car off in 2.5 months. I also get a discount on my insurance for using a USAA loan. All told my insurance is going down almost $100/year.
My old boss told me that, once a person walks onto a car lot, there is an 80% chance he or she will buy a car within two weeks. I think that’s true; once you put the wheels in motion (no pun intended), you want to finish the transaction. You already have that new car in your mind, and it’s harder to drive the car you have (you’re trying to keep it clean, etc.). I also found it really distracting to manage this process and wanted to get it over with! So I think it’s very important to do as much research as possible before you step foot on a lot. Have all your ducks in a row and don’t let the idea of a new or “new” car cloud your judgment. In my case I had to drive 90 minutes each way to buy this car. I did *not* want to drive home without that car (and I’m sure they knew it), but I had already prepared myself to do just that. (Or tried to!)
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Without the having read the article I’ll say that in the last twenty years we’ve never owned anything but a subaru forresterlegacy or a RAV4 and with darned good reason. Current toyota difficulties to the cotnrary. When I bought my RAV4 I bought it because it had the hightes safety rating, the hightest longevity rating and the highest resale rating in its class. I loved my subarus as well, but when you have a child whose six six and growing, the headroom just doesnt work to well, lol
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We got the 2010 Mazda 5 last year. Pretty happy with it so far. It cost us about as much as a Honda Fit.
My brother is looking for a car now and I’ll recommend a used Hyundai Elantra to him.
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Just bought my first car (used – 06 Subaru Forester) and I love it! But it does really take a large chunk of my paycheck each month.
I really like Consumer Reports, and use them to help make a purchasing decision but I don’t make it solely on their recomendation. They put it in the ballpark for me, then I fine tune the choice. I know J.D. has said this before, but you can often find the Consumer Reports magazine at the library for free. That’s where I read it.
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I’m a professional automotive writer, and I caution people to not take Consumer Reports as gospel. It’s opinion, and while CR has managed to cultivate an aura of infallibility that has served them well on the market, not all of their test procedures or ratings criteria are above reproach.
When buying a vehicle, make sure to get a range of opinions, especially when investigating long-term quality and reliability.
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@24 “I understand your dilemma, living near Detroit, but I want to point out that many Hondas & Toyotas ARE AMERICAN MADE.”
I live literally minutes from the now defunct GM/Saturn plant, and have several friends and acquaintances who used to work there. The argument you put forth – while completely correct – doesn’t fly with those who work for GM/Ford/Chrysler. They are union-supported, which is the real sticking point – not where the car is manufactured.
Even if you’re not sympathetic to the UAW, if you work for one of the big three you pretty much have to drive one of their cars. Otherwise you’re likely to find your car keyed or tires slashed when you go home for the night, even if that car was built two counties over at the local Nissan plant.
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I have a Honda Fit. Bought it new for $16000. This would be my 5th year driving the car (and I have driven a LOT). That $444 figure sounds about right, may be I spend a little more for gas than normal because I drive so much. But I love my car, it can move a lot for a small car. And decent mileage too. I will be driving this car till it dies, when it does, our next car will be a Fit too.
Also, just wanted to point out that a lot of libraries provide consumer reports access for free. I am not talking about the paper magazine you would have to borrow. I am talking about full online access to consumer reports (paid portion too) via your library. All I have to do in my library is to login to my library website and in the resources section, there is a link to consumer reports website, which gives full access to all the information. Just fyi…
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It’s interesting reading many of the comments! I’m considering buying a used or new car, but in my area, the prices for used cars seems too high when considering milage and the years left before it becomes unreliable (I need any car I buy to reliable for at least another 10 years after purchase and am from the “Use a car until it’s not reliable” camp) It seems others are finding similar issues with used car prices being too high for what they’re offering.
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I went car free for a while when I first moved to Portland. Yes, PDX has one of the best public transportation systems, but when it takes 1+ hour to get from one part of the NE to the other when its only a 10-15 minute drive, I have to be out a lot at night, and I have a disability, I made the decision to buy a 2010 Mazda3 (slightly used) and haven’t regretted that decision.
Its not too big, or too small. The sub compact category of cars scares me on the freeways since I have to be on I5 a lot, and the Mazda3 is the perfect size for me.
I was starting to spend more money on rentals and my needs went from weekend only to during the week…
I was looking for a more used car, but it seems most of the cars I was looking for were in the 90K + mile range, I figure it wont last me 10 years.
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I hope I don’t have to buy a new car anytime soon, so expensive and literally nothing I see myself driving. Hopefully my Jeep Cherokee makes it a few more years – I’m at 175k miles right now. I guess Chrysler made it better back in 1998.
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I just wrote about buying a new car on my blog. If you do decide to buy a new car (as opposed to a used one) be sure to read my tips on how to save big bucks.
http://www.pohlman.us/blog/2011/03/08/how-to-buy-a-new-car/
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Wow — this pricing information is really interesting. We bought a new Corolla LE five years ago for $15,250 (my first new car purchase). Put $4000 down and financed the rest for a very low rate for four months; then paid the whole thing off with a bonus check. Has the price of a Corolla LE really almost doubled in five years? That’s a serious additional incentive to my plan to keep driving this for at least five more years — probably ten more!
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The price of Corolla LE has not doubled. You are confusing MSRP with operating cost. The post discusses total ownership cost over five years. The current MSRP of a Toyota Corolla LE is $17,300.
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I have a ’99 Camry with 107K miles on it. Paid cash when it was new. Made in USA, and have had very little work done, other than routine maintenance (next up is a muffler), and a few oddities. Runs great, has a 5-speed for traversing MN snow, and gets pretty good mileage.
It’ll have to last for a few more years, as I’m in job transition, but I expect it will. Last summer replaced the original battery, so it had been through 10 MN winters. Even the guys at the shop were impressed!
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CR isn’t always that great – although in general I respect there opinion. In 2005 I bought a used 01 Acura TL – recommended buy. Within 3 months my transmission failed. I had a new one put in (under warranty) – it failed on the way home. I looked into the problem and it was pretty prevalent among TLs and some other Acura/Honda models. A few guys in the shop at Acura confirmed this – once guy even said “Wow you made it 50,000 miles without needing a new transmission.” For another 2 years CR called this car a recommended buy. I couldn’t believe it after what Acura apparently knew. I still have the car and it’s fine, but I’ll never take CR at face value. And I’ll do a little deeper internet research next time as well.
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Glad to see the Fit as choice budget car, hopefully it will increase the chance of my 08 sport model with <9k miles selling on eBay.
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Sadly, I am one of those people who also had a major problem with my Honda transmission, which needed to be replaced after 66,000 miles on my 01 Civic LX. This was Consumer Reports’ best buy in its class for that year. It turns out that the 99–04 Hondas/Acuras have had a host of transmission problems, yet CR still trumpets them as the most reliable compact cars you can buy. My sister’s 99 Civic went through 4 (!) transmissions before she finally traded it in at around 85,000 miles.
This has caused me to really question CR’s usefulness and even their motives. I really doubt that they are as independent as they claim. You may be better off surfing the internet, where you’ll find plenty of car sites where people give you, in their own voices, the real story.
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