How to read car buying guide of consumer reports

Here I would like to share my experience with reading car buying guide of consumer reports. (See http://www.consumerreports.org)

Consumer Union (CR), the main body to develop consumer reports, publishes an Annual Auto Issue for new and used cars each year. It includes annual rating of new cars, reviews of all the new models, Best & Worst Used Cars and Detailed Reliability.

Every year when the new rating is published, media always talk about it for a while. By watching TV or reading newspaper, you are led to believe that number 1 car in rating means the best car to buy. However, it is simply wrong to make this assumption. To understand how to decipher the buying guide, you need know more about the background of the guide.

The annual rating and reviews for new cars are based on testing all available new cars by specially trained technicians hired by consumer union. CR doesn’t accept the cars sent directly by the manufacturer. Instead, CR buys the new cars from market like we do.

Detailed reliability is based on surveys to its broad base of consumers, measured by millions. It basically asks car owners about the cars consumers own. I personally responded to the poll request each time I received it.

Please note the difference here. All the ratings refer to the new cars only. In other word, it helps you on how you will feel about your new car in the first two years. If you don’t plan to trade in your car every two years, this rating does not mean much to you. As most of car owners keep the cars for more than three years, it is best to pay more attention to Detailed Reliability which is a survey results from car owners. You will see how a car performs after wearing and tearing. You can know which part to check when you buy a used car.

Personally I skip the rating and reviews when I read the guide. The section of Best & Worst Used Cars is very helpful for the first-time buyer. You will have some ball-park value for your budget. Then Detailed Reliability shall be the part you study when you compare different models. Even for the same model, different year sometimes bring big differences. Now you know the secret of consumer reports for car buying. You can limit your choice and have a good start to buy your new car. Just remember to check driving history for your car and don’t save money on inspection before you pay for it. For more information, you can check http://www.consumerreports.org and www.aaa.com. Good luck to you.