Car Buying Advice

Step-by-step: Buying a new car

Not sure where to start? Whether you are looking for a fuel-efficient small car, a sporty convertible, or a family minivan, Consumer Reports can help guide you through the new car buying experience. We give you the essential information you need to choose, buy, finance, and maintain a new car. Also, see our used car guide.

Choosing a car:
In this section

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At the dealership

Model reviews

Different models can provide dramatically different driving experiences. To get an in-depth perspective on what a particular model is like to drive, read vehicle reviews from sources you trust. Good reviews can tell you about a vehicle's driving character; how it handles, accelerates, and brakes; and how comfortable and user-friendly the interior is for everyday use. They can also give you insight into deficiencies that may not be apparent on a test drive. Because different sources have varying points of view, we recommend reading a variety of them.

There is no shortage of vehicle reviews, both in print and online, but keep in mind that most are in publications or on Web sites that are supported by automaker advertising, and they can pull punches to avoid offending their advertisers. So while you can get insight into a vehicle's performance and driving character, you will seldom find hard-hitting analysis or an in-depth exploration of safety or reliability issues. Moreover, only a few organizations conduct their own instrumented testing, which allows more accurate comparisons.

The key is to find reviews that are in-depth enough to give you a good, solic overview of the car and cover the aspects that are most important to you. You can get started by reading the summary reviews in the vehicle profiles. Subscribers to ConsumerReports.org can also search for our full road-test reports for the models that we've tested in the past few years.

Many newspapers print auto reviews geared toward the everyday driver rather than the enthusiast. A word of caution, however: Special newspaper auto sections are often intended to draw advertising from automakers and local dealerships. As a result, reviews can shy away from hard-hitting criticism or comparisons with competitive models, particularly as newspapers consolidate and cut staff to save money. Reviews may be with more of an advertising then editorial influence.

Personal experiences

Hearing about the problems and experiences of vehicle owners can give you insight into what it's like to live with a model, and there are plenty of Web sites on which you can either voice your opinion or read those of others.

The sites can be very informative and even entertaining. But be careful. Sometimes the reliability of the information can be questionable. For example, you have no way of determining the source of an entry: It could be from a disgruntled automaker employee, a dealer, or a dealer's competitor.

Web sites and forums such as Epinions are a bit different in that they publish reviews that have been submitted voluntarily by owners. It's always insightful to get the perspective of an actual owner, but keep in mind that they usually haven't experiences a wide range of vehicles for comparison. They don't rely on expert opinions and don't review, or test products and services themselves.

You can also find a range of topics, including car-buying experiences, discussions of recurring problems, and service frustrations that owners are having.

Similarly, ConsumerReports.org publishes user reviews submitted by subscribers. But it also provides expert forums that feature discussions on various subjects.

In the free content, go to the Consumer Reports Car Blog, from which you can get updates on vehicles that are being tested and read about our staff's personal experiences with the cars.

Last reviewed: February 2011

Next: Reliability information