Consumer Reports New Cars March 2023

When you're buying a new car, it can feel like everyone you encounter just wants to sell you something and there’s nobody out there you can trust. CR is here to help! You can rely on our recommendations because we have detailed data that nobody else does. This issue of Consumer Reports New Cars has the latest data from our exclusive annual reliability surveys of our members. We ask them about the problems they had with their vehicles that cost them time and money. We also ask if they’re satisfied with their vehicle. Because the only thing better than a reliable car is a car that owners love, too. This year we gathered data on over 300,000 cars, trucks, SUVs, minivans, and wagons. But that’s not all. We buy our…

Q. Is it safe for me to use cruise control when driving in the rain? Cruise control can make it easier to drive your car by holding the vehicle at a steady rate of speed. But when roads get slick, you’re safer controlling your speed yourself. In wet conditions, when gentle braking and throttle control are needed, a human touch may be better at that than even modern adaptive cruise control systems, particularly when responding to hydroplaning. In addition, the system could cause the car to accelerate just to maintain speed, which may not be desirable because it can induce a slide. If you do lose traction, the safest way to deal with it is to let up on the throttle and coast until you regain control. Q. Should you…

EXCLUSIVE RELIABILITY SURVEY RESULTS AND RATINGS, TOP-SCORING TIRES, BUYING AND LEASING STRATEGIES Among all the things consumers learned as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the length of our supply chains ranks at or near the top. The automotive industry has long been a global one, with manufacturers operating factories around the world and using suppliers from a growing number of countries. Yet many buyers shop with the location of a company’s headquarters in mind. This is why we present how every mainstream automaker performed in this year’s survey and highlight key findings for each brand, broken out into Asian, European, and Domestic regions. ASIAN AUTOMAKERS Seven of the top 10 brands ■ Toyota’s redesigned Tundra was the brand’s only model to score below-average reliability, due to some members reporting…

It’s hard to overstate how important tires are to safe driving. After all, they’re the only part of the car that touches the road. That’s why so many consumers in colder climates take the time, make the effort, and spend the money to switch to winter/snow tires once a year to ensure that their vehicles have the best grip possible. With the inconvenience of swapping tires in mind, some manufacturers have introduced all-weather models designed to perform well in winter conditions and year-round. Some cost more than the average price of the all-season tires they typically replace, but buyers come out ahead by avoiding the cost and hassle of seasonal tire changes. “The best all-weather tires provide year-round traction that truly combines all-season and winter/snow performance,” says Ryan Pszczolkowski, Consumer…

The choice between buying and leasing a car is often a tough call. On the one hand, buying usually involves higher monthly payments, but in the end you own an asset—your vehicle. On the other hand, a lease typically costs less each month and lets you drive a vehicle that may be more expensive than you could afford to buy, but you could get into a cycle in which you never stop paying for a vehicle. Buying a vehicle with a loan is straightforward. You borrow money from a bank, credit union, or other lending institution and make monthly payments for some number of years. A chunk of each payment goes toward interest and the rest covers the principal. The higher the interest rate, the more the loan will cost…

To accurately compare one car with another, you should test-drive all of your candidate vehicles on the same day, preferably on the same or similar roads. But the ongoing supply chain headaches may make that impossible. If you can’t do all of the driving in a day, take down notes on your cell phone so that you can review your findings after you’ve completed your final drive. Before your test-drive, be sure to check these items off your to-do list: GRADE YOUR CURRENT VEHICLE Make a list of the things you like and dislike about it, including performance, comfort, features, fuel economy, controls, and any idio-syncrasies. And put down all of your gripes—large and small—so that you don't overlook those things in the new car. PLAN YOUR OWN ROUTE If…