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New Car Buying Guide, 2003-2004
The Facts You Need Before You Choose
Get the right vehicle at the best price with this up-to-date guide to buying and leasing. Find out which vehicles are rated highest and are the most reliable. Read expert reviews on all major 2003 and early-2004 models.
* Top picks in 8 categories
* Which cars are safer?
* 5 steps for getting a great deal
* The best time to buy
* Internet guide to auto information
* Best and worst in owner satisfaction
* Crash-test results and safety features
The 2003-2004 edition of the "New Car Buying Guide" is thoroughly revised and updated, with the latest information from the automotive experts at Consumer Reports.
216 cars, wagons, SUVs, minivans & trucks
Get the right vehicle at the best price with this up-to-date guide to buying and leasing. Find out which vehicles are rated highest and are the most reliable. Read expert reviews on all major 2003 and early-2004 models.
* Top picks in 8 categories
* Which cars are safer?
* 5 steps for getting a great deal
* The best time to buy
* Internet guide to auto information
* Best and worst in owner satisfaction
* Crash-test results and safety features
The 2003-2004 edition of the "New Car Buying Guide" is thoroughly revised and updated, with the latest information from the automotive experts at Consumer Reports.
216 cars, wagons, SUVs, minivans & trucks
- GenresNonfiction
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1901
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 12, 2008
2008 New Car Guide
Even if you are looking to buy a used car, this is still a good resource. It gives you a good sense of the qualities of the new versions of used cars you might be considering. There's a lot of overlap between the two books, but this one has more info about trim lines and gas mileage that would still be useful for a car that might be two or three years older. As with the Used Car Guide, the tone is neutral but blunt. Every car is treated with the same sober respect, no matter how glamorous or pedestrian it may be.
The real fascination of the New Car guide is that it provides a compelling snapshot of the US auto market ca. 2008 at a time when consumer tastes are clearly in flux. First of all, it's just incredible how many SUV's are available. Ford, Dodge, and Chevy are especially excessive in this regard. It will be interesting to look at the 2009 or 2010 guides. I was also struck by how large cars, in general, have become. Even Toyota and Honda make sedans that are just as big as their American rivals. The era of the "rice rocket" seems to have passed. Honda, I should note, is the only company whose entire model line achieves the coveted status of "Recommended." Lexus misses this mark by only one model - their biggest SUV.
What's really striking is the sheer variety of cars that are available, signaling the robustness of the US market, despite the current decline in sales. There are over a couple dozen major companies, each making at least six or more models. Some, like Ford, Toyota, Chevy, etc. strive for universal reach, while others make an admirable effort to serve a particular niche. Subaru, for example, will never make a "universal" car, but if you want a car that can handle virtually any terrain, carry a heavy load, accelerate like a sports car, last forever, and is still urban friendly, you literally can't go wring with a Forester or Outback. Buick, Lincoln, Mini, GMC, and Jeep also serve very specific markets very well. Nagging environmentalists who want us all to buy small cars and like it, are probably doomed to failure. small cars are good for singles living in urban areas, but cannot address the lifestyle needs of a family of four that wants to be able to commute, pick up the kids, carry groceries, and drive to the lake on the weekends. You can't do that by bus, or in a "Smart Car," or even in a Prius.
Nonetheless, a glance at the product lines of US companies will make anyone think they could do a better job running one of the Big Three than present management. One of the oddest phenomena is Detroit’s practice of selling the exact same car under different brand names. For example, Chrysler seems to offer stylish vehicles that people love or hate (to which I say, “Keep up the good work!”), but which remain distinctly “Chrysler.” However, it also owns Jeep and Dodge. Jeep is synonymous with off-road vehicles and SUV’s, but Dodge seems to make just as many SUV’s as Jeep, which seems silly. Why not have Jeep concentrate on off-roaders, while Dodge concentrates on pick-ups, muscle cars, and other macho chick magnets?
Ford is the worst offender in the “twin” car line practice. The Ford Fusion, Expedition, Escape, and Taurus also exist as rebranded versions under the Mercury and Lincoln brands. Are there people out there so attached to the Mercury “brand” that they will only by a Fusion (a great sedan) if it is a Mercury? I doubt it. Lincoln is especially cheapened by this practice. That’s a brand known for stately, stylish cars. Why sell Fords under its name? I say ditch Mercury and treat Lincoln the way Chevy treats Cadillac and Toyota treats Lexus.
Despite its present woes, GM is actually producing some great cars. It’s heartening that Chevy is still making good middle class cars, as well as Corvettes, Suburbans, and Silverados. It’s also great to see Cadillac competing with, and surpassing, German cars that can cost tens of thousands more. GM doesn’t have a “twin problem.” Each of its seven brands retains a distinct style and market niche. However, there are times when their cars seem to be competing for the same customers, which can’t be good. Chevy, Cadillac, GMC, and Hummer are all producing SUV’s, for example. Even worse are Pontiac and Saturn, which each seem to be chasing the same youth market. I say merge Saturn with Pontiac and have them produce stylish cheap cars like Scion. GM should also use GMC as the exclusive source for SUV’s, except the Chevy Suburban and Cadillac Escalade. Also, where's the "Buy American" campaign?
Oh, and all Three of the Big Three should get out of Michigan. Its relationship with Michigan’s political class is a bad marriage that should have ended after the kids left home.
Even if you are looking to buy a used car, this is still a good resource. It gives you a good sense of the qualities of the new versions of used cars you might be considering. There's a lot of overlap between the two books, but this one has more info about trim lines and gas mileage that would still be useful for a car that might be two or three years older. As with the Used Car Guide, the tone is neutral but blunt. Every car is treated with the same sober respect, no matter how glamorous or pedestrian it may be.
The real fascination of the New Car guide is that it provides a compelling snapshot of the US auto market ca. 2008 at a time when consumer tastes are clearly in flux. First of all, it's just incredible how many SUV's are available. Ford, Dodge, and Chevy are especially excessive in this regard. It will be interesting to look at the 2009 or 2010 guides. I was also struck by how large cars, in general, have become. Even Toyota and Honda make sedans that are just as big as their American rivals. The era of the "rice rocket" seems to have passed. Honda, I should note, is the only company whose entire model line achieves the coveted status of "Recommended." Lexus misses this mark by only one model - their biggest SUV.
What's really striking is the sheer variety of cars that are available, signaling the robustness of the US market, despite the current decline in sales. There are over a couple dozen major companies, each making at least six or more models. Some, like Ford, Toyota, Chevy, etc. strive for universal reach, while others make an admirable effort to serve a particular niche. Subaru, for example, will never make a "universal" car, but if you want a car that can handle virtually any terrain, carry a heavy load, accelerate like a sports car, last forever, and is still urban friendly, you literally can't go wring with a Forester or Outback. Buick, Lincoln, Mini, GMC, and Jeep also serve very specific markets very well. Nagging environmentalists who want us all to buy small cars and like it, are probably doomed to failure. small cars are good for singles living in urban areas, but cannot address the lifestyle needs of a family of four that wants to be able to commute, pick up the kids, carry groceries, and drive to the lake on the weekends. You can't do that by bus, or in a "Smart Car," or even in a Prius.
Nonetheless, a glance at the product lines of US companies will make anyone think they could do a better job running one of the Big Three than present management. One of the oddest phenomena is Detroit’s practice of selling the exact same car under different brand names. For example, Chrysler seems to offer stylish vehicles that people love or hate (to which I say, “Keep up the good work!”), but which remain distinctly “Chrysler.” However, it also owns Jeep and Dodge. Jeep is synonymous with off-road vehicles and SUV’s, but Dodge seems to make just as many SUV’s as Jeep, which seems silly. Why not have Jeep concentrate on off-roaders, while Dodge concentrates on pick-ups, muscle cars, and other macho chick magnets?
Ford is the worst offender in the “twin” car line practice. The Ford Fusion, Expedition, Escape, and Taurus also exist as rebranded versions under the Mercury and Lincoln brands. Are there people out there so attached to the Mercury “brand” that they will only by a Fusion (a great sedan) if it is a Mercury? I doubt it. Lincoln is especially cheapened by this practice. That’s a brand known for stately, stylish cars. Why sell Fords under its name? I say ditch Mercury and treat Lincoln the way Chevy treats Cadillac and Toyota treats Lexus.
Despite its present woes, GM is actually producing some great cars. It’s heartening that Chevy is still making good middle class cars, as well as Corvettes, Suburbans, and Silverados. It’s also great to see Cadillac competing with, and surpassing, German cars that can cost tens of thousands more. GM doesn’t have a “twin problem.” Each of its seven brands retains a distinct style and market niche. However, there are times when their cars seem to be competing for the same customers, which can’t be good. Chevy, Cadillac, GMC, and Hummer are all producing SUV’s, for example. Even worse are Pontiac and Saturn, which each seem to be chasing the same youth market. I say merge Saturn with Pontiac and have them produce stylish cheap cars like Scion. GM should also use GMC as the exclusive source for SUV’s, except the Chevy Suburban and Cadillac Escalade. Also, where's the "Buy American" campaign?
Oh, and all Three of the Big Three should get out of Michigan. Its relationship with Michigan’s political class is a bad marriage that should have ended after the kids left home.
June 27, 2009
A must read before car shopping, even if looking for a used car.
February 28, 2011
Awesome book that tells all about cars (Reliability Included).
March 2, 2013
must read
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews