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11 Japanese Cars to Avoid

There's a common misconception that Japanese cars are reliable while domestic cars tend to be plagued with problems. That may have been true in decades past, but that's no longer the case today.


Consumer Reports recently released a list of the 10 Japanese cars they say don't make the grade in terms of their reliability and road-test score. All of the vehicles listed earned a score of less than 60 -- or an "F" -- on Consumer Reports' overall road-test score. Check out the full list below and make sure to reconsider if any of these vehicles are on your consideration list.

VehicleOverall Road-Test ScoreLows
Scion IQ29Ride, noise, acceleration, steering, driving position, fit and finish, radio controls, blind spots, tiny rear seat.
Mitusbishi i-MiEV SE31 Short range, long charge time, weak heat, acceleration, ride, agility, driving postion, spartan interior, radio.
Toyota FJ Cruiser36Visibility, ride, handling, noise, fit and finish, access.
Toyota Yaris LE41Noise, ride, agility, driving position, front seat comfort, fit and finish, radio controls, rear visibility.
Toyota Tacoma (V6)50Ride, handling, driving position, high step-in, low rear seat.
Toyota Prius C Two53Acceleration, ride, noise, driving position, rear visibility, fit and finish.
Nissan Versa SV53Handling, engine noise, front-seat comfort, fit and finish, reliability.
Honda Insight EX54Acceleration, handling, ride, noise, rear seat.
Toyota 4Runner SR5 (V6)55Handling, ride, driving position, fit and finish, access, turning circle.
Honda CR-Z EX57Only two seats, noise, ride, visibility, access, AC shut-off at stop.
Mitsubishi Outlander SE (4-cyl.)57Noise, ride, agility, acceleration, front-seat comfort, fit and finish





3 Steps Every Car Buyer Needs to Take to Save Maximum Money

The key to getting the best deal is to gather price or lease bids from as many local dealers as possible. Then shop that best price around until no one can beat it. Here are the steps:

Step 1 Get Prices From My Trusted Network

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Step 2 Get Prices From TrueCar / CarsDirect

TrueCar, and CarsDirect are my top 2 online price quote recommendations. These services show you pre-negotiated prices from dealers closest to you - and the deals are usually pretty decent. But remember, you can still negotiate further.

Step 3 Complete my Checklist

Follow this up with my checklist to make sure you squeeze out every last bit of savings.
- Gregg Fidan

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About The Author

Gregg Fidan Gregg Fidan is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.

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