What car should I buy?

[tw]

Originally Posted by Lola Bunny

I'm thinking between the Camry or the Altima. As for the Camry, I'm looking at the LE or SE. What one do you think is better? As for the Altima, I'm looking at the 2.5S.

SE and LE is mostly about peripherals and colors. How much do you want to spend on the stereo, GPS map system, fancier floor mats, etc.

As others demonstrate, start with Consumer Reports. Then what others are saying will not be overlooked or misunderstood.

Do not waste money on a six cylinder engine or turbo. Those are mostly for the naive who drove, for example, GM (Chevy) cars. And then suffered obsolete technology and balky engines. Better quality and engineering goes into the automaker's benchmark engines - the four cylinder.

View Consumer Report's recommendations and previous year history for each cars. Important facts are in every April issue. All discussed models have a reliable history. But again, never take anyone's word for it. Read it yourself to learn what details are more important.

Also read Consumer Report's page entitled "Used Cars to Avoid". That further illustrates which cars have had 'lesser' histories.

Also view history for the many Chevy models. To appreciate why your considerations are superior and what some consumers (and reporters) foolishly called reliable.

Do not get deceived by an all-wheel drive myth. All wheel drive means getting started easier. To do that, all wheels must fight each other once you get moving; resulting in less stability and control at higher speeds. That means increased tire wear, less gas mileage, and higher costs. Some all-wheel drive models add expensive computers to reduce those problems. If working the farm, then you might need all-wheel drive for the driveway. But all-wheel drive only increases safety and handling in advertising myths.

Why do rental fleets buy white cars? They are statistically safest. The car hardest to see in inclement weather is red. Another critically important feature is orange (not red) rear turn signals. Cars with red rear signals are more often hit because red cannot be easily seen in snow, sleet, heavy rain, fog, etc. Orange cuts through bad weather resulting in increased safety.