auto research

  • ***** get your MPG data HERE *****

     

    Name __________________________________                               Per ____________

     

    Start by going to consumer reports (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/04/the-best-used-vehicles-for-under-20-000/index.htm) and decide what category of car you want.  Your choices are:

     

    Small car –better gas mileage, lower price, a great choice for a first car

    Midsized & large sedans- has 4 doors and more space for friends, might lose cool points

    Sports and Sporty cars- look nice but bad mileage, bad in winter and hard to find cheap

    Minivans & wagons- lots of room for people or items, major cool-point deduction

    Small or Large SUV- lots of room for people or items, great in snow but pricy and bad mileage

    Trucks- bad mileage and friends will pester you to help them move

     

    Now look at the list of cars in your category.  These represent the best in terms of reliability and owner satisfaction.   Now, copy down four that you might want in that category and write the names in the chart below under make/model.  Now head over to google and click; images.  Type the year 2008 and your make/model in the search window and click search.  For example: 2008 ford mustang.  Record what you think of the cars looks on a score of 1 to 10 in the second column (10 being tops).

     

    Make/Model

    Looks?

    Price Used

    MPG city/HW

    Insurance

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Now let’s get gas mileage and price.  Go to: http://www.nadaguides.com/Cars

     

    Select your make, click 2008, now scroll down and find the model of your car and click it.  You might have to select options, such as covetable etc. Enter the mileage as 50,000 and click continue.  Now look at the: average trade in price, this is about what you should expect to pay.  Record it in the Price used column. 

     

    Now find the words Specs & Performance to the lower left of the average trade in price and click.  What you are looking for is average fuel data, and you want the MPG city and highway.  Record it in the MPG city/HW column.

     

    Now we need insurance.  Go to: http://www.iihs.org/research/hldi/composite  

    There are many factors affecting the cost of your insurance, but we just want to know about the car itself.  Scroll down and select your car’s category on the dropdown menu.  Now find your car and record the; “Collision" value in the insurance column.  Lower is cheaper!

     

    Now just fill out the chart for your other three cars!