Consumer Reports: Used-car recommendations - Hartford Courant
Consumer Reports has long advocated buying used as a way to get the biggest bang for your buck. It's simple math: After one year, a new car has depreciated 27 percent of its sticker price. But picking out a good used car from a sea of bad ones has never been easy. Add in the desire to avoid a car that has been damaged in an accident or a natural disaster, and the process can feel overwhelming. It doesn't have to be. Consumer Reports created this handy guide to help you find the small cars, sedans and SUVs that are most likely to fulfill your needs without breaking down and soaking you in repair bills. SUVs: Acura MDX (2005-06). Toyota Highlander V-6 (2005-07). $15,000 to $20,000. Small Cars: Toyota Prius (2010-13). Hyundai Elantra (2013-14). Sedans: Honda Accord (2008-12). Toyota Camry (2010-12). SUVs: Lexus RX (2006-08). Toyota RAV4 (2009-11).... According to Carfax, a service that provides vehicle history reports, about 20 percent of cars on the road have some sort of accident damage. But a 2009 Consumer Reports investigation showed that reports from Carfax and its main competitor, AutoCheck, can't catch everything. Source: www.courant.com
