car
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Blog
How to Make Your Car Last 200,000 Miles and More
To help your money-saving journey to the 200,000-mile club, our experts have mapped out what you need to do to get there. We’ve used a 2023 Toyota RAV4 as an example—the bestselling vehicle in America and popular among Consumer Reports members—but the checklist will be similar for most vehicles. Our guide focused on a used model rather than a 2025…
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Thousands of Chicco MyFit Car Seats Are Being Recalled
Seats recalled: 30,984 Chicco MyFit Zip Air Harness + Booster car seats across two models have been recalled: Refer to the model number below to see if your car seat is affected. You can find the model number on the manufacturing label on your car seat (you may have to check under the seat cover or the seat itself). Model…
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Your Car Maintenance Checklist – Consumer Reports
More expensive oils and fluids: Stick with the owner’s manual recommendations. “A shop may recommend synthetic fluids for a service, but if your car’s owner’s manual doesn’t require them, there’s no need to pay extra,” says Michael Crossen, a CR mechanic. Flushes: Coolant, power steering fluid, differential oil, and brake fluid occasionally need to be changed. Fluid flushes use a…
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Where Are Car Tires Made?
We bought four Pirelli models. Three were from Brazil and one from Mexico, but none from Italy, where the company is headquartered. The tires that have filled our tire shop these past three years have come from Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand,…
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How to Test-Drive a New or Used Car
Get a sense of ride comfort. Take any available opportunity to drive over a stretch of imperfect pavement. The better cars have suspensions that swallow up pavement flaws without sharing them with the vehicle’s occupants. They feel tight and controlled over bumps while quickly regaining their composure. Soft suspensions feel pillowy over holes and ruts but allow the vehicle body…
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7 Questions to Ask Before You Buy a Car
What to know before you head to a dealership, and what to ask once you’re there By Keith Barry, Jon Linkov Finding the right car and then negotiating the best price can be a whirlwind experience. So what do people who have recently purchased a new car wish they had considered more carefully? We asked CR followers on social media…
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Why Choosing the Right Car Matters More Than Ever
“If you have to buy a car now, the best way to take the edge off the chaos of tariffs is to choose a safe, reliable, and satisfying model that will last a long time and have a high resale value,” says Jake Fisher, senior director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center. “Paying more for a reliable car might prove…
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How to Get the Best Car Lease
Buying and leasing have one thing in common: You should first negotiate the price of the vehicle. Only after you have a firm price should you discuss leasing. After all, it’s a form of financing. Whether you’re comparing leases or evaluating a single offer, pay particular attention to the lease interest rate, aka the “money factor.” This is a small…
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Should You Buy a New, Certified Pre-Owned, or Used Car?
As with all extended warranties, whether from an automaker or other provider, it is important to understand what the warranty covers and where the coverage pays for the work to be done. CPO cars generally cost more than regular used cars but are still far less expensive than buying new. The added expense can be considered an investment in future…
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How to Avoid High Car Buying Fees
Advertising FeeDealers sometimes add an extra few hundred dollars to recoup the cost of national and regional advertising campaigns. The fix: If the dealer says he will sell a car at the invoice price but you have to pay an advertising fee, just say no. The cost of advertising the car is baked into the sticker price. Delivery and Preparation…
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