Which Cars Would Owners Buy Again?

A great article from Consumer Reports about which cars consumers loved so much, they would purchase again.

Last reviewed: October 2011

Chevrolet Volt

Despite having a new electric/gasoline drive train and a sticker price exceeding $40,000, the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid now tops our list of the most satisfying vehicles. That's one of the highlights from our latest Annual Auto Survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. 

The Volt's rating is based on a relatively small sample of respondents who had owned the car for a relatively short time. We have found that most newly introduced models often score highly in their first year but often begin to drop off in their second and third years. For example, the Smart ForTwo scored an 84 in 2008, but by 2010 it had dropped to a 67.

However, some fuel-efficient vehicles such as the Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion Hybrid and sports cars like the Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette tend to have staying power. Other fuel-efficient cars at the top of this year's list include the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the new Lexus CT200h hybrid, and the diesel-powered Volkswagen Golf TDI. The Prius also made our list of most satisfying vehicles after dropping off last year.

Overall, sporty cars have made a comeback among our subscribers over the past two years, accounting for almost half the cars that earned a Most Satisfying rating, compared with just 34 percent in 2009.

Behind the Volt, the next most satisfying vehicles overall in our survey were the Dodge Challenger and the Porsche 911 sports cars. The Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang GT, and Chevrolet Camaro SS also proved very satisfying, and the Mazda Miata made another appearance.
We also found that owners of turbocharged versions of mainstream cars were often more satisfied than owners of non-turbo versions. The Ford Flex Ecoboost and turbocharged Hyundai Sonata, for example, made our list of most satisfying vehicles, while the naturally aspirated versions were well liked but not to the same degree.

Other types of cars posting relatively high satisfaction scores are luxury sedans, large and luxury SUVs, upscale sedans, pickup trucks, family cars, and upscale compact SUVs. Small cars, midsized and small SUVs (other than upscale or luxury models), minivans, and compact pickup trucks scored much lower.

The percentage of cars from domestic manufacturers on the Most Satisfying list dropped slightly after surging up last year. The number of American-badged cars on the list tied with the number of European models at 10. Satisfaction with Toyota and Lexus models recovered a little after free falling last year.

For a car to make our Most Satisfying list, at least 80 percent of owners must answer "definitely yes" to the following question: "Considering all factors (price, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?" This year's Ratings are based on more than 314,000 reports from Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org subscribers on vehicles from model years 2009 through 2012.

On the other end of the spectrum are vehicles very few owners would buy again. No car was as unloved as the now-discontinued Chevrolet Aveo, which only 37 percent of owners said they would definitely buy again. The all-wheel-drive Toyota Matrix and the Chevrolet Colorado pickup rounded out our short list of the least satisfying cars.

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*Article source: Consumer Reports

Drive Smart to Save on Gas Money

Great article about saving gas money!  With gas prices high and rising, I thought this was a great article to share!

Consumers who modify their driving habits and properly maintain their vehicles will get more miles per gallon. The Car Care Council recommends the following ways to drive smart and save gas money:

• Observe the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly above 60 mph.

• Avoid excessive idling. Idling gets zero miles per gallon. Warming up the vehicle for one or two minutes is sufficient.

• Avoid quick starts and stops. Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in the city.

• Consolidate trips. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much gas as one longer multi-purpose trip.

• Don’t haul unneeded items in the trunk. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces fuel economy by 1 to 2 percent.

• Check the gas cap. Damaged, loose or missing gas caps allow gas to vaporize into the air.

• Replace dirty or clogged air filters on older vehicles to improve gas mileage by as much as 14 percent.

• Replace dirty spark plugs, which can reduce mileage by two miles per gallon.

• Change oil regularly and gain another mile per gallon.

• Keep your car properly tuned to improve gas mileage by an average of 4 percent.

• Keep tires properly inflated and improve gas mileage by 3 percent.

“Some motorists think they are saving money when they put off needed vehicle maintenance. What they don’t realize is that neglecting routine maintenance can end up costing a lot more,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “Keeping your car running efficiently and adjusting your driving behavior are the best ways to improve your vehicle’s fuel economy and keep more money in your pocket.”

The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For a free copy of the council’s Car Care Guide or for more information, visit www.carcare.org


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We need your help!

Irion Books needs your help!  We are going to be updating the book Car Dealer Hell, and we are hoping you can help us.  Car Dealer Hell exposes the scams, gimmicks and deceitful practices used by dealers every day. This book includes useful checklists, summaries and resources that will help you avoid car dealership traps while getting the best deal for your new or used car.

How can you help?  We are looking for individuals with inside knowledge to how the car sales industry works.  We want you to share with us the tricks some car salesmen have pulled on car buyers.  Anyone that has worked in the car dealer industry would be a huge help in contributing to our changes.

Perhaps you have a car buying horror story of your own... tell us about it.  If we choose to print something you've contributed, you can either choose to remain anonymous, or we will print your name in the book!

If you have insider information or a horror story you can contribute please email Jennifer at Jennifer@Irionbooks.com

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The Smart Sequence of Buying a Car

Too many people walk into a dealership with no plan about how to proceed.  Do you start by saying, "I can afford a $200 monthly payment.  What can you do for me?"  No, you don't.  You need a proven plan for this operation.  Let's call it a battle plan to fight the dark forces trying to lure you in Car Buyer Hell.  You can bet the dealership has its own plan, and they'll follow it to victory unless you counter with one of your own.

It's like my old daddy used to say:  "Son, you need to plan your work and then work your plan."  I hated it when he said corny things like that, mostly because he was right.  Anyway, here's your plan.

1. Do the Research - The process of buying a car should begin before you leave the house.  Do the research I have already recommended.  A lot of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts grew up as successes because they followed the motto: Be prepared!
2. Find a Car and Settle on the Price - Get the best price you can for the car you want, including all the options.  Don't prematurely agree to offer a trade-in or finalize monthly payment amounts.  That information would just be ammunition for the dealership to inflate your final costs.
3. Present Your Trade-In - You've already established how much you'll pay for the new car, so now is the time to get the best deal on a trade-in and subtract that amount from the new car cost.  If you had acted earlier on the trade-in, they would have probably inflated their "bottom price" for the new car to cover the "high trade-in value" they offered for the old one.
4. Arrange for Financing - Now is the time to arrange the financing.  You'll already know what is reasonable because you've checked you credit rating and available interest rates; you've investigated your own financing, perhaps have been pre-approved, and have even researched the cost of warranties available from independent vendors.

This smart sequence for buying a car actually works for you!  Dealerships hate it because it doesn't work so well for them.  It leaves less room for manipulation and disguising expensive add-ons.

This excerpt is from Car Dealer Hell.  For more car buying tips, order your copy now by clicking HERE.

Car Dealer Hell - Helpful Tip

Helpful Tip

Like horse traders, car dealerships rely on customers thinking they're smarter than the salesperson.  That's one of their most powerful weapons.  Check your ego before driving onto the lot or you will be your own worst enemy.

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*excerpt from Car Dealer Hell by Charles G. Irion

Helpful Hints

If you want to help your daughter by buying her a new car, remember:

• Safety is first, but don't expect her to be happy with an ugly car.  And don't expect that you know what "ugly"means to her generation.
• Bring her along to the lot so she can experience the process for herself.
• Try to pull off the toughest trick for a father: allowing her to make decisions buy not really bad decisions, especially if you have to pay for them.
• Don't use one of these preachy sermons to share information with her or tell her what to do.  (Honestly, how well has that worked so far?)  Instead, give her short bits of information and then let her ask questions so you can fill in the details.  This is called a "conversation!"
• Enjoy her while you can, even her naivete.  She'll be grown and gone in the wink of an eye.

Excerpt from Car Dealer Hell 

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