Find the Best Car Deals Near You ⤵
6 Cars You Should Avoid Buying
July 3, 2014
Just like anything you can purchase, popularity doesn't necessarily mean high quality. Case in point: Consumer Reports recently released a list of six cars that are actually very popular with consumers, but they recommend you should stay away from based on their testing and research.
Vehicles on the list include the Volkswagen Beetle, Honda Crosstour, Scion tC, and Mercedes-Benz CLA. Problems with these vehicles include high repair costs, cheap interiors, stiff rides, poor visibility, and lack of cargo space. Below are the six vehicles you should avoid and suggested alternatives you should consider.
Vehicle to Avoid | Better Choices |
---|---|
Volkswagen Beetle | Mazda3, Subaru Impreza, Volkswagen Golf |
Nissan Versa Sedan | Chevrolet Sonic, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio |
Mercedes-Benz CLA | Acura TSX, BWM 320i, Mercedes-Benz C250 |
Honda Crosstour | Subaru Outback, Toyota Venaz, Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen |
Scion tC | Mazda3 hatchback, Subaru Impreza Sport |
Mitsubishi Outlander | Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Subaru Forester |
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
Select the vehicle you're interested in to see if there are local dealers in my network who will provide you with their best upfront price. You will get direct access to an internet sales manager who you can further negotiate with online (no need to visit dealership).Select Vehicle to Get Local Pricing
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
Signup for The Weekly Newsletter

Each week, I'll keep you up-to-date on the latest car deals and news that might affect your purchase. This includes...
- Best Rebates, Incentives, and Lease Deals
- Latest Car Buying Scams and Tricks
- The Best & Worst Time to Buy a Car
- Which Cars You Should Avoid
About The Author

Latest Weekly Car Buying Tips
March 2023
- Best 0% Finance Deals April 2023 Mar 30, 2023
- Best Car Deals by Category Mar 30, 2023
- Lease Deals with Loyalty & Conquest Rebates Mar 30, 2023
- Real Prices of Pickup Trucks Mar 30, 2023
- Worst Cars to Lease Right Now Mar 23, 2023
- Cars With the Largest Rebates Mar 23, 2023
- Real Prices of Compact Cars Mar 23, 2023
- Which Cars Better to Lease or Buy Mar 23, 2023
- Top 100 Cheapest Lease Deals Mar 16, 2023
- New Cars with the Most Available Inventory Mar 16, 2023
- Biggest Discounts on New Cars Mar 16, 2023
- Real Prices of Large SUVs Mar 16, 2023
- Best Bang for Your Buck Lease Deals Mar 09, 2023
- Best Electric, Hybrid Lease Deals Mar 09, 2023
- Price Comparison of Subcompact SUVs Mar 09, 2023
- Top 100 Cheapest New Cars Mar 02, 2023
- Best Car Deals Around the Country Mar 02, 2023
- Real Prices of New Compact SUVs Mar 02, 2023
- New Cars You Should Wait to Buy Mar 02, 2023
February 2023
- Real Prices of Midsize SUVs Feb 23, 2023
- Real Prices of Midsize Cars Feb 16, 2023
- Cheapest Luxury Lease Deals Feb 02, 2023
I welcome your car buying questions. Email Me and I'll be glad to answer them!