NOTICE

The Consumer Reports story listing the Best and Worst Used Cars of 2000 from their April 2001 issue is available. This article was published years ago.

Press Release

Consumer Reports Lists Best and Worst Used Cars

03/18/97

Consumer Reports Lists The Best and Worst Used Cars: Readers'
real-life experiences can point you to a reliable used car


YONKERS, NY - A used car was once considered one the chanciest
purchases you could make. It may have looked good - but what unseen
problems lurked under the hood, waiting to flare up the minute you
paid for the vehicle?  Today, used cars are less of a gamble than they
used to be; most autos are generally more reliable.  In its annual
April Auto issue, Consumer Reports magazine offers its selection of
the best and worst used cars.

Based on its unique Frequency-of-Repair data, Consumer Reports
complied these lists from the first-hand accounts of its readers,
collected in the 1996 Annual Questionnaire.  Each list starts with the
very best and the very worst, and covers `89-`95 models:

Best (most Reliable)                     Worst (least reliable)
--------------------                     ----------------------
Infiniti G20                             Chverolet S-10 Blazer
Lexus ES300                              GMC S-15 Jimmy
Lexus LS400                              GMC Jimmy
Honda Accord                             Jeep Wrangler
Honda Prelude                            Ford Bronco
Mazda MX-5 Miata                         Chevrolet Camaro V8
Toyota Camry                             Pontiac Firebird V8
Acura Legend                             Chevrolet K-Blazer
Acura Integra                            GMC Yukon
Toyota Previa                            Chrysler Town and Country
Honda Civic                              Dodge Grand Caravan
Toyota Celica                            Plymouth Grand Voyager
Nissan Maxima                            Ford Tempo
Toyota Corolla                           Mercury Topaz
Nissan 240SX                             Ford Taurus SHO
Toyota Tercel
Geo Prizm
Subaru Legacy

Every year, Consumer Reports asks its readers to report on what
happened to their cars in the year just past.  In this survey, they noted
their experiences with 604,000 cars, minivans, pickup trucks, and
sport-utility vehicles (SUVs).

Readers were asked to report on problems they considered serious -
ones expensive to repair, putting the car out of commission for a
time, or causing a safety problem.  The lists are complied from the
trouble summaries, which were averaged over the 1989 to 1995 model
years.  Problems with the engine, engine cooling, transmission,
clutch, driveline, and body rust have been weighted more heavily than
other problems because they are difficult and costly to fix.

In the "worst" list, the GM SUVs were in 1995, so 1995 data were
excluded; reliability might have improved in newer models.  And
several of the models in the "worst" list are actually "twins" or
"triplets": Chevrolet S-10 Blazer (redesigned; now the Blazer)/GMC
S-15 Jimmy (redesigned; now the Jimmy)/; Chevrolet Camaro V8/Pontiac
Firebird V8; Chevrolet K-Blazer (redesigned; now the Tahoe)/GMC Yukon;
the Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth minivans; Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz.

And to further help those who want to but a reliable used car, the
Auto issue provides a table -- divided into nine price categories that
range from less than $6000 to $25,000 and up -- that includes a wide
variety of American, Japanese, and European models whose overall
reliability was better than average.  Additionally, there is a list of
used cars to avoid, by make, for models whose overall reliability was
worse than average.

In addition to providing sound advice on used cars, Consumer Reports
auto issue provides:

The Consumer Reports auto issue provides:

   -profiles of nearly 186 new passenger cars, minivans, SUVs, and pickup
    trucks

   -easy-to-read charts for comparing ratings and reliability of 123 new
    models, based on recent history

   -detailed reliability data on 222 models covering model-years 1989 to
    1996

   -a look at how Consumer Reports tests cars

   -information on crash-test evaluations, what they signify, and safety
    equipment to buy

   -how to buy or lease a car

The April issue of Consumer Reports will be available March 25
wherever magazines are sold.  For information on subscribing, call
1-800- 234-1645.  Copies of the full report covered in this release
will also be available by fax or mail starting March 25, under code
number 9559 for The 1997 Cars, via Consumer Reports by Request,
1-800-419-9824, at a cost of $7.75 per report.