Consumer Reports Names Best Used Cars for Every Budget

CR identifies “Good Choices” and “Used Cars to Avoid” to help guide
used-car buying decisions

YONKERS, N.Y., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Finding a reliable
car for a reasonable price may seem difficult, but consumers willing to
consider buying a used car may be in luck. Consumer Reports’ latest survey
results reveal that there are hundreds of used-car models that provide good
reliability. Many can also be safe, fuel-efficient, and affordable. The
report, featured in the magazine’s 2008 April Auto Issue, identifies the
best and worst used vehicles for the last 10 model years, 1998 through
2007.

Vehicles featured in Consumer Reports’ “Good Choices” and “Used Cars to
Avoid” lists include all models that showed above- or below-average overall
reliability, respectively, in CR’s 2007 Annual Car Reliability Survey,
which drew responses on about 1.3 million vehicles. CR has found that
improved reliability has made used cars more appealing. Another added bonus
when buying a used vehicle is that the impact of depreciation, which is the
biggest expense associated with buying a new car, is reduced. In addition,
insurance rates tend to be less expensive.

The “Good Choices” list is categorized by price and features a variety
of used vehicles from various manufacturers that are available for less
than $4,000 to $30,000 and up. For consumers on a budget, CR found 30 cars
that can be purchased for under $4,000 including the 1998 Acura CL and the
1999 Buick LeSabre.

Consumer Reports’ “Best of the Best” vehicles list, which is derived
from “Good Choices”, includes vehicles that have performed well in CR’s
road tests and have had several years of better-than-average reliability
according to survey respondents. Models from Acura, BMW, Buick, Honda,
Infiniti, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Nissan, Pontiac, Porsche, Scion, Subaru,
Toyota, and Volvo appear on the “Best of the Best” list.

Vehicles that have had multiple years of much worse than average
reliability earned a spot on the “Worst of the Worst” list. Models from
Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Lincoln,
Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, and Volkswagen
consistently had more problems than other models overall.

If fuel economy is another major consideration when buying a used car,
Consumer Reports has identified affordable and reliable vehicles that
returned some of the best results in its real-world fuel-economy tests from
under $10,000 and from $10,000 to $20,000. There is also a list of reliable
cars that have performed well in CR’s tests and in independent crash tests
that are suited for teenagers.

For a full list of “Good Choices” and “Used Cars to Avoid”, check out
the full report in Consumer Reports’ Annual April Auto Issue which goes on
sale March 4 and is available wherever magazines are sold. Free highlights
from the April Auto issue will be available at http://www.ConsumerReports.org.

Consumer Reports is one of the most trusted sources for information and
advice on consumer products and services. It conducts the most
comprehensive auto-test program of any U.S. publication or Web site; the
magazine’s auto experts have decades of experience in driving, testing, and
reporting on cars. To subscribe to Consumer Reports, call 1-800-234-1645.
Information and articles from the magazine can be accessed online at
http://www.ConsumerReports.org.

APRIL 2008

Consumers Union 2008. The material above is intended for legitimate
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