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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
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- 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
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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