Car Shopping

Can a Hyundai Be Better Than a BMW?

Last updated: Dec 12, 2019 at 3:15PM
Published on: Apr 30, 2015 by tgriffith

2015_hyundai_sonata_limited-pic-8680423485392394084

There’s something seductive about the idea of buying a used luxury car.

Getting a car that will make friends and family swoon is exciting, so why not cruise around in the kind of style only a used Jaguar or BMW can offer?

Stepping a few model years into the past can get you a car that costs less than an entry-level new car. Plus, used luxury cars usually have better driving dynamics and possess way more brand panache than your average new Hyundai.

However, buying older luxury can cost you more than you might realize, and not just in maintenance costs.

What We’d Buy with 100K+ Miles

Last updated: Dec 12, 2019 at 3:13PM
Published on: Apr 24, 2015 by zwaller

Of course every shopper wants to purchase a reliable car. When pouring this much money into a single item, you probably expect that purchase to last a good long while, especially one as important as a car. That’s why reliability in a vehicle becomes such an important metric when considering where to throw your money. But how do you measure reliability? It certainly is a measurement that has to be taken with quite a few grains of salt. But, by the way we look at it, the issue of reliability can be addressed with one question: Would I feel comfortable buying this vehicle if it had over 100,000 miles on it?

Will Your Car Last 200,000 Miles?

Apr 14, 2015 by tgriffith

2015 Honda Accord

This used to be a fairly common rule regarding car ownership:

Get rid of it before it hits 100,000 miles.

In fact, I once knew people who firmly believed in trading in their cars before the 60,000-mile mark. They were a strict Chevy family, and experience told them that anything over 60K meant trouble.

Of course, that’s just silly today. Cars at 60,000 miles, regardless of the make, are barely broken in and can easily pass 100,000 miles and even hit 200,000 or more.

A recent list from Consumer Reports rubbed me wrong, because it announced the 10 cars most likely to make it to 200,000 miles. They all had one disturbing thing in common:

Where Do You Get Your Car Buying Advice?

Last updated: Dec 12, 2019 at 3:08PM
Published on: Apr 7, 2015 by tgriffith

The last time someone knocked on my door, I answered to the flashing lights of a fire truck.

While scary, it turned out to be nothing more than a warning about a burn ban and a firm request to put out the remains of a campfire I had smoldering in the front yard. I mention this only to illustrate the fact that I live in a rural area, and people simply don’t come knocking on my door.

So when the rat-a-tat-tat of a door knock happened again last weekend, I prepared for the worst.

How Well Do You Know Your Cars?

Last updated: Dec 12, 2019 at 3:07PM
Published on: Apr 3, 2015 by tgriffith

We shall call them the Badge Swappers.

We’ve all seen these guys and gals on the road, hidden behind the steel-and-glass veil of their cars. Unlike the rest of us, who are proud of the cars we drive, the Badge Swappers try to convince the rest of us that they are driving something much more special.

Some people try to be blatant and pass their car off as a different brand entirely. Others are more subtle and adhere a performance badge to a base-level car.

Here’s the thing that the Badge Swappers must not know, though: The only people who would care about the badge are the people who notice the fraud. Keep reading and see if you can identify the car behind the badge.

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