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NFT: How does one research car vehicles these days?

Motley Two : 8/9/2017 6:27 pm
I've been looking online the past couple of days and there doesn't seem to be any kind of consensus on any vehicle.

All of the user sites, pretty much read the same where 95% of the people who own a certain model "Love it!"

Then the publications are all over the place and just end up reading like commercials or bias against certain manufacturers, depending on which publication.

How does BBI research their potential vehicle purchases?
I'd concentrate on residual values  
UConn4523 : 8/9/2017 6:30 pm : link
of the style of car you want. That usually is a good indicator of how well liked a car is.
RE: I'd concentrate on residual values  
Motley Two : 8/9/2017 6:33 pm : link
In comment 13554270 UConn4523 said:
Quote:
of the style of car you want. That usually is a good indicator of how well liked a car is.


So like bluebook resale values?
Consumer reports  
superspynyg : 8/9/2017 6:34 pm : link
Is the best site for research. Then true car for price.
JD Power is the only reliable source left  
Ed in Ann Arbor : 8/9/2017 7:11 pm : link
Let me start by saying there are no bad production vehicles on the market any more. The worse car today is more reliable that the best car 10 years ago. You should put together a priority list for yourself, reduce it to 3 to 5 and drive them. Alot.

As for research, Web rating are biased by owner justifying there purchases and padded by web marking firms who credit phony reviews for a fee.
Consumer Report has lost all credibility since the 2012 reorg as they now all manufacturers 3 month to select and hand pick the one car they review. They also now attend promotion release events from manufactures hyping their cars to them and have stop publishing there test methods.

JD is will give the the actual repair histories, real time, by model year. They compile this from the repair history database similar to carfax reports. The also test multiple cars and models, not just one. If they ever run into the financial issue Consumers did there will be no sources left.
In the act myself x 2 months  
Tom in Kzoo : 8/9/2017 7:15 pm : link
1. Consumer reports an excellent STARTING point
2. Consumer digest and any other Guide you can find- it's crticical t identify what you want and narrow to 2-4 choic s
3. Then new or used car buying guides : trucar, Kelly blue book etc . Note that not all car dealers participate with trucar, and all of these sites have different used cars- that is, to find the best fit for what you want, you'll need to go to multiple sitesfor right year, miles Then cross reference with kbb or other for rough guide to fair price range
4. Make sure the car fax if free or auto check ( better value for 30 days( are clean : often a low price that's too good to be true is t - accidents ,etc

5.have a list of cars in area you are interested in don't get locked into 1 car- so you can feel good about walking away if something Doesn't feel right
6. Consumer reports has a new car buying price guide service but I don't know how well it's recived I think you have to be prepared to shop a lot of dealers to find a bite

Good luck !
You've hit upon something general in society  
Jim in Fairfax : 8/9/2017 7:40 pm : link
When people make big decisions about something they "take ownership" of that product or idea. People like to think they are smart and make wise decisions. So when they make big ones -- like buying a car, buying a computer or choosing a political party/candidate -- they don't want to feel they made the wrong choice. That choice becomes a part of their identity. And they then go out if their way to extol the product/person/idea that they chose, even in the face of good evidence that they made a bad choice.

Such it is with cars. Ask someone if they like their car, and few will say no. It's difficult to get truly unbiased opinion from car owners. They're too invested in the choice they made.
RE: You've hit upon something general in society  
pjcas18 : 8/9/2017 7:46 pm : link
In comment 13554320 Jim in Fairfax said:
Quote:
When people make big decisions about something they "take ownership" of that product or idea. People like to think they are smart and make wise decisions. So when they make big ones -- like buying a car, buying a computer or choosing a political party/candidate -- they don't want to feel they made the wrong choice. That choice becomes a part of their identity. And they then go out if their way to extol the product/person/idea that they chose, even in the face of good evidence that they made a bad choice.

Such it is with cars. Ask someone if they like their car, and few will say no. It's difficult to get truly unbiased opinion from car owners. They're too invested in the choice they made.


Is this true? The vehicle part at least, I'll leave politics out of it.

I hated the Ford Explorer I bought and would never buy another one.

I hated the Toyota Sienna minivan we had and would never own another.

My wife had a Honda Civic she loved, totaled it and got a Nissan Altima that I hated and would never buy again.

Even when they were new, well the minivan and Altima at least, the minivan was terrible in snow and the Altima just seemed like a real POS.

And the Explorer was ok, until it reached around 100k miles, then shit started breaking, major shit, transmission and other things, in reading other online reviews it seemed the same things were common to other owners.

I have zero issue telling people I made a bad choice with any purchase I made that doesn't work out as well as I'd like.

Am I unique in this regard? I wouldn't think so.
Thanks everybody.  
Motley Two : 8/9/2017 7:48 pm : link
This has already been a big help. I've always bought used and without much care for what I want. Need & money & timing & convenience have always dictated my purchases. Plus a good 11 years and a handful of Ford Explorers company vehicles that I didn't have to pay for.

But now I want something that is what I want and this process is new to me.
RE: You've hit upon something general in society  
Motley Two : 8/9/2017 7:52 pm : link
In comment 13554320 Jim in Fairfax said:
Quote:
When people make big decisions about something they "take ownership" of that product or idea. People like to think they are smart and make wise decisions. So when they make big ones -- like buying a car, buying a computer or choosing a political party/candidate -- they don't want to feel they made the wrong choice. That choice becomes a part of their identity. And they then go out if their way to extol the product/person/idea that they chose, even in the face of good evidence that they made a bad choice.

Such it is with cars. Ask someone if they like their car, and few will say no. It's difficult to get truly unbiased opinion from car owners. They're too invested in the choice they made.


Agree. It's a trait you see a lot with just about anything these days. TV shows, phones, Olive Garden, ect.
I agree with that take  
UConn4523 : 8/9/2017 7:58 pm : link
although my Sentra from a few years ago was deplorable. Got a lemon, but I wasn't shy about discussing how much that car sucked.
Agree with pjas18  
Samiam : 8/9/2017 7:59 pm : link
You buy a shit car, especially if there warranty issues, you want to give the car a bad review to either help others or be vindictive. Why the hell would I want others to make the same mistake I made
RE: RE: You've hit upon something general in society  
Motley Two : 8/9/2017 8:01 pm : link
In comment 13554330 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
In comment 13554320 Jim in Fairfax said:


Quote:


When people make big decisions about something they "take ownership" of that product or idea. People like to think they are smart and make wise decisions. So when they make big ones -- like buying a car, buying a computer or choosing a political party/candidate -- they don't want to feel they made the wrong choice. That choice becomes a part of their identity. And they then go out if their way to extol the product/person/idea that they chose, even in the face of good evidence that they made a bad choice.

Such it is with cars. Ask someone if they like their car, and few will say no. It's difficult to get truly unbiased opinion from car owners. They're too invested in the choice they made.



Is this true? The vehicle part at least, I'll leave politics out of it.

I hated the Ford Explorer I bought and would never buy another one.

I hated the Toyota Sienna minivan we had and would never own another.

My wife had a Honda Civic she loved, totaled it and got a Nissan Altima that I hated and would never buy again.

Even when they were new, well the minivan and Altima at least, the minivan was terrible in snow and the Altima just seemed like a real POS.

And the Explorer was ok, until it reached around 100k miles, then shit started breaking, major shit, transmission and other things, in reading other online reviews it seemed the same things were common to other owners.

I have zero issue telling people I made a bad choice with any purchase I made that doesn't work out as well as I'd like.

Am I unique in this regard? I wouldn't think so.


Haha. I wouldn't say your unique either, but I'm guessing if you have ever left a Yelp review, somebody Really F'ed up bad.

I'm cracking up at your Ford Explorer 100,000 mile comment. Having driven 5 of them. 100,000 miles, That's when the electrical problems start.
You need to have an idea of who the reviewer is and what they value.  
Red Dog : 8/9/2017 8:11 pm : link
Researching vehicles of all kinds for many years has taught me that if you don't know who the reviewer is and what they value, the review is totally worthless.

For instance, if the reviewer is a young male, like most of the guys writing for car magazines, chances are they are going to value acceleration and handling more than comfort, safety, or long-term reliability. Young guys like to have fun and don't worry much about some of this other stuff. So what else is new?

Or if the reviewer is a woman, particularly one with young children, she may be more focused on safety and access concerns than the typical young male. People who live in the southern half of the country have absolutely no concept at all of winter handling and related traction issues. Urban dwellers often don't value ground clearance like country folks do. And so on.

Or consider the materials controversy currently highlighted in truck commercials on TV. A guy who is going to beat up a pickup truck with really hard work will care about having a steel bed more than a guy who is buying it mostly to tow a trailer or carry lighter stuff in the bed. But a guy who lives where it snows will care a lot more about aluminum body panels because they won't rust.

Your typical consumer magazine reviewer is much more concerned about things like cost factors (including resale value which is about the LAST thing to consider in my opinion), safety, and environmental issues more than prestige, performance, or ability to do any real work. Which ones are more important to you? Only you can decide that. But you really need to know where the writer is coming from to get the most value from his or her information presented.

Also consider that a whole lot of vehicle reviewers really don't have any farking idea of what they are talking about anyway, especially if they aren't automotive professionals. Look for key words and phrases like "pick-up" instead of acceleration or "smooth ride" instead of things like compliant suspension, floating, or harshness as indicators of people who don't really know much about vehicles and how they actually operate.

It also helps if you can get a glimpse of where they actually tested or use the vehicle. Is it in a similar type of driving that you will do? If not, the review probably isn't going to help you very much. Some vehicles excel in long distance use, others in urban settings.

And I rarely see reviews that take things like insurance and repair costs into the equation. But you can research those factors with your insurance company in advance. There can be a HUGE difference between competing vehicles in this area. Where you live, how much you drive, whether or not you garage the vehicle, and factors like that can also affect this greatly, too, and that usually works against you, so take any numbers you get this way as minimums.

In the end, there is no easy answer. Get as much info as you can from as many sources as you can, AND CONSIDER THE SOURCES CAREFULLY.

Hope this gives you some things to think about.




RE: RE: You've hit upon something general in society  
Jim in Fairfax : 8/9/2017 8:22 pm : link
In comment 13554330 pjcas18 said:
Quote:



Is this true? The vehicle part at least, I'll leave politics out of it.

I hated the Ford Explorer I bought and would never buy another one.

I hated the Toyota Sienna minivan we had and would never own another.

My wife had a Honda Civic she loved, totaled it and got a Nissan Altima that I hated and would never buy again.

Even when they were new, well the minivan and Altima at least, the minivan was terrible in snow and the Altima just seemed like a real POS.

And the Explorer was ok, until it reached around 100k miles, then shit started breaking, major shit, transmission and other things, in reading other online reviews it seemed the same things were common to other owners.

I have zero issue telling people I made a bad choice with any purchase I made that doesn't work out as well as I'd like.

Am I unique in this regard? I wouldn't think so.


Unique? No. Unusual -- yes.

A small number of people are able to stay detached from their big decisions emotionally and not make them part of their identity. More commonly, they do it with some things but not others.

Also, few people are COMPLETELY unswayable. People reach a tipping point where they give up their attachment and turn negative. And often they become the biggest detractors of the product or whatever. Having to admit making a major mistake makes people bitter.
For car vehicles  
Davisian : 8/9/2017 8:43 pm : link
I use the internet online.
RE: For car vehicles  
Motley Two : 8/9/2017 8:53 pm : link
In comment 13554378 Davisian said:
Quote:
I use the internet online.


LOL, I was waiting for this comment.
Alex on autos  
SCGiantsFan : 8/9/2017 8:56 pm : link
Search on YouTube. Guy does a 20 to 30 minute review that is very in depth. He provide comparable cars to compare with in the car segment. I have used his reviews as a reference. I listen to other reviews, such as Kbb and Consumer reports. Very rarely an I reading but watching the reviews. Cnet, has good car reviews (cnet on cars & the road show). TFL also provide good reviews. Everyman Drive reviews are okay. His best attribute is when he takes the vehicles to off road park, so can see the potential of the vehicles.

There are a host of reviewers on YouTube. Cars.com, is good as it allows you to compare 2,3, 4 cars against one another.

Good luck with your search.
You have to make a list  
section125 : 8/9/2017 9:10 pm : link
of the features you want.
Go to the dealers and look at the cars you have drifted to with those features.

Drive them. You'd be surprised that reviewers will say something is great and when you drive it, it sucks.

Repair history - Consumers used to have a very nice report on various cars repair history.

I like most of what the other posters have said. But you really need to drive it and play with the controls.
I work at a dealership  
Steve L : 8/10/2017 7:02 am : link
Easily 75% of the people who walk in know exactly what they want. Most corporate sites (chevy, ford etc) have a "build your car" function. Do that so you know what your car should cost going in. Then, as others have said, consumer reports is the best.

Also, leases are getting just as costly as buying now. With so many leases coming up, the used car market is getting flooded. This brings up two things....don't be afraid of buying new. And don't be afraid of buying used. With so many on the market, prices are down.
Research? Consumer Reports is tops...  
x meadowlander : 8/10/2017 8:31 am : link
But it's hard to trust any major publication. Who knows what backroom deals occur that could influence a report?

For me, it's come down to a life of experience. Sad to say, I'll take Jap over domestic almost every time. Build quality gap, while smaller than in years past still exists and it really shows in the used market.

DON'T BUY a FIRST YEAR new design of anything. Unless you love bringing your car back repeatedly for recalls. (Got bit by this with a 2014 Altima, great car but 4 recalls in 2 years) Designs that have been rolling for 3 or 4 years are a much safer bet.

Most important is to TEST DRIVE everything in the category you're looking at. Don't be a sucker - don't fall in love with a car, quality and performance matter, but price point often matters most.

Simple enough.  
Rick5 : 8/10/2017 8:45 am : link
My wife orders me to buy Toyotas and I comply. I can't complain as they have always been very reliable long-lasting cars.
RE: RE: You've hit upon something general in society  
superspynyg : 8/10/2017 9:26 am : link
In comment 13554330 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
In comment 13554320 Jim in Fairfax said:


Quote:


When people make big decisions about something they "take ownership" of that product or idea. People like to think they are smart and make wise decisions. So when they make big ones -- like buying a car, buying a computer or choosing a political party/candidate -- they don't want to feel they made the wrong choice. That choice becomes a part of their identity. And they then go out if their way to extol the product/person/idea that they chose, even in the face of good evidence that they made a bad choice.

Such it is with cars. Ask someone if they like their car, and few will say no. It's difficult to get truly unbiased opinion from car owners. They're too invested in the choice they made.



Is this true? The vehicle part at least, I'll leave politics out of it.

I hated the Ford Explorer I bought and would never buy another one.

Am I unique in this regard? I wouldn't think so.



I think its subjective. I bought my Ford Explorer in 2011 and I love it. Its been a great car. The only problem I had was fix right away. I would def get a new one. Now I will never buy a Chevy. I drive them for work and I think Chevys are ugly and terrible. But a lot of people on this board love them.

RE: Simple enough.  
Moondawg : 8/10/2017 9:28 am : link
In comment 13554646 Rick5 said:
Quote:
My wife orders me to buy Toyotas and I comply. I can't complain as they have always been very reliable long-lasting cars.


Freedom is a heavy burden.
Online reviews and consumer reports mostly  
Lawrence_Taylor_56 : 8/10/2017 9:43 am : link
I rent a few vehicles every year for work and change it up constantly. Rarely am I disappointed with what I drive as far as cars or SUVs. With that said I have a short list of absolute duds I have had.

Toyota and Hyundai usually hold their values and are reliable, that is something you can take to the bank in most instances.

There is only one consistent absolute truth about vehicles: don't buy, rent, or lease a fucking jeep.
RE: Online reviews and consumer reports mostly  
Motley Two : 8/10/2017 10:55 am : link
In comment 13554729 Lawrence_Taylor_56 said:
Quote:
I rent a few vehicles every year for work and change it up constantly. Rarely am I disappointed with what I drive as far as cars or SUVs. With that said I have a short list of absolute duds I have had.

Toyota and Hyundai usually hold their values and are reliable, that is something you can take to the bank in most instances.


Haha. The first two vehicles I wanted to check out were the 4 door Tacoma & the 4 door Wrangler. Both V6 versions, but I want to get at least another 3 or 4 comparable midsize trucks/suv to look at. Wrangler no good huh?
There is only one consistent absolute truth about vehicles: don't buy, rent, or lease a fucking jeep.
I love how jeeps look and wanted to buy one when I was 18  
Lawrence_Taylor_56 : 8/10/2017 1:56 pm : link
They are anything but rugged and reliable no matter what anyone says. I also don't think they hold value.
TrueCar for price  
lawguy9801 : 8/10/2017 2:01 pm : link
Consumer Reports for reviews.

Did that for myself last year and ended up with a Mazda CX-5. Exactly what I wanted at the price I was looking to pay.
RE: I love how jeeps look and wanted to buy one when I was 18  
GP : 8/10/2017 2:10 pm : link
In comment 13555142 Lawrence_Taylor_56 said:
Quote:
They are anything but rugged and reliable no matter what anyone says. I also don't think they hold value.


Jeep in general? Or Wranglers? Two separate categories, really. Wranglers consistently hold their value.
RE: RE: I love how jeeps look and wanted to buy one when I was 18  
Motley Two : 8/10/2017 2:33 pm : link
In comment 13555158 GP said:
Quote:
In comment 13555142 Lawrence_Taylor_56 said:


Quote:


They are anything but rugged and reliable no matter what anyone says. I also don't think they hold value.



Jeep in general? Or Wranglers? Two separate categories, really. Wranglers consistently hold their value.


Yeah, I've read that a lot about Wranglers. Don't know much about any other Jeep models. Some of them look really nice, but the Wrangler is the only thing I'm considering from Jeep. Some of their drawbacks I can even deal with, but wouldn't want them in other vehicles. Braking is pretty poor & side impact is pretty poor. Mileage pretty poor & not the most comfortable, but I have a very small 10 minute commute so... it would be fun to have for the 2 (if I'm lucky) camping trips I do each year & for getting to my local fishing spots.
i  
Les in TO : 8/10/2017 4:48 pm : link
ask my best friend who happens to be an auto journalist.
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