Cars To Buy 2018
In addition to using data from our rankings to measure quality, we also teamed up with some outside partners to measure value. For pricing data, we turned to TrueCar, a company that tracks real-time transaction prices for new cars.
cars to buy 2018
Because the best cars are good values over the long haul and not just the day you buy them, we worked with Vincentric to gather total cost of ownership data. This data takes factors like fuel, insurance, and repair costs over five years to give you a clear picture of how much owning a given car will cost you.
Announced plans to update its 5-Star Safety Ratings program and encourage automakers to produce cars with better crash protection and new crash avoidance technologies to save more lives and reduce passenger and pedestrian injuries.
Added automatic emergency braking systems to the list of recommended technologies to help prevent or reduce the impact speed of rear-end crashes starting with model year 2018 vehicles. Automakers committed to making it standard in all vehicles by 2022.
And Suze Orman, who keeps her cars for 12 years or more, says to buy used and choose a model that you can afford over one that looks impressive. "One of the best ways to build financial security is to spend the least amount possible on a car that meets your needs," she wrote in a 2017 blog post. "Forget about the bells and whistles you want. Paying less helps you pay off the car faster."
Buying a car is for many, one of the biggest purchases they will ever make. There are a lot of factors to consider in choosing the right one, but which are prioritized by potential buyers in the United States? According to data from Statista's Global Consumer Survey, at the top of the checklist are fuel efficiency and safety (switching places since 2018). With 56 and 55 percent, respectively, these two characteristics easily outpunch a low price, with 46 percent saying this was a top priority when shopping around.
Welcome to Critic's Notebook, a quick and off-the-cuff car review consisting of impressions, jottings, and marginalia regarding whatever The Drive's writers happen to be driving. Today's edition: the 2018 Toyota Yaris iA.
They don't make them like they used to. That old line is usually trotted out to shred some new performance model for dropping the manual transmission option, or a $100,000 pickup truck that's not exactly the farm tool it once was. But the same is true for economy cars. The buzzy, bare-bones subcompacts of yesterday embraced their quintessential cheapness in a honest way that today's econoboxes are mostly incapable of recapturing.
I say mostly, because there's still one car out there in this price range that's flight of foot, flinty of character, and freely admitting of its appeal to cheapskates: the 2018 Toyota Yaris iA, one of the more surprisingly enjoyable cars I've driven recently. That's partly because of the six-speed manual transmission, and partly because it's really a rebadged Mazda 2, but the whole package shows that Toyota still believes a cheap-ass car doesn't have to feel like a punishment.
Pricing debate aside, there's no doubt that the 2018 Toyota Yaris iA is pretty much the only game in cheap car town that's worth playing these days. Its direct handling and low curb weight make it more go-kart than commuter coffin, and underneath that unapologetically cheap skin is an extremely solid subcompact sedan.
Instead, you have to judge the 2018 Toyota Yaris iA on the merits passed down from its forbearers, and in that regard, it's an unqualified win. Is it a light, nimble little thing with a manual transmission? Yes. Is the interior clean and sensibly designed? Yes? Will it get you from A to B safely and economically? Yes. And most importantly, will you still feel alive at the end? Yes.
Crafted initially by Ford Brazil in 2003, the Ford EcoSport is a 5-door SUV given a significant update when it entered the North American market in 2018. Improvements included an overhaul of the front end design and the rear bumper and the addition of a touchscreen infotainment system.
Reacquired Volkswagen and Audi diesel cars sit in a desert graveyard near Victorville, Calif., on Wednesday. Volkswagen AG has paid more than $7.4 billion to buy back about 350,000 vehicles, the automaker said in a recent court filing. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters hide caption
As part of the settlement after it got caught cheating on its emissions tests, Volkswagen has bought back about 350,000 of its U.S. diesel vehicles. The automaker so far has spent more than $7.4 billion on the cars, according to court filings seen by Reuters.
People who own or lease one of the affected vehicles can choose to sell their cars back to VW, terminate their lease or have their car modified for improved emissions. Owners and lessees have until Sept. 1 to submit a claim.
The number of all NY State vehicle registrations considered active in the year 2018, listed by county and type of registration. Excludes vehicles with suspended, revoked and surrendered plates.
2018 marks another high point for electric vehicles (EVs), with an update to the best-selling Nissan LEAF and debuts from Hyundai, Kia, and Honda. Every year that passes brings new alternatives to vehicles powered by the internal combustion engine, and the 2019 model year will ratchet it up a notch with the introduction of the Jaguar I-PACE and Kia Niro EV. And, there are SUVs available this year as well, including the 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
The Volkswagen e-Golf made its debut in the 2015 model year and was upgraded in 2017 with tweaks to the electric motor and battery pack. The 2018 e-Golf is offered in two trim levels, with a starting MSRP of $30,495. A full suite of advanced safety technologies is optional in the SEL Premium model.
The compact Chevrolet Bolt changed the game with a gigantic 60 kWh lithium-ion battery pack providing a generous 238-mile range. Those extra miles come with a price tag. The 2018 Bolt is offered in two trim levels, with the base LT model starting at $37,495. This little critter is wicked fun to drive and is surely one of the best electric cars to buy in 2018. The 200-horsepower motor delivers a 0-60 mph time under seven seconds and it zips through the corners like a slot car.
The 2018 BMW i3 is quick and quirky, in a very good way, with a truly unique design both inside and out. Carbon fiber construction and unusual interior materials set it apart from the crowd. Two trim levels are offered, each with an available gasoline-powered range-extender. The EPA estimates the pure EV range at 113 miles, with range extender-equipped vehicles stretching out to 180 miles.
The 2018 Kia Soul EV is capable, roomy, and stealthy, with a starting price of $33,950. It stands out from the EV crowd by not standing out. The 30-kWh lithium-ion battery provides 111 miles of range and is fully charged in under five hours on a 240-volt charger. 480v DC Fast CHAdeMO charging fills the battery to 90% in 46 minutes.
The 2018 Honda Clarity EV is an intriguing proposition. Although limited to an 89-mile range, the Clarity EV offers a spacious upscale interior and Honda Sensing safety technology as standard equipment. The electric motor delivers 161 horsepower, with a 0-60 mph time of slightly under nine seconds. Charging the 25.5 kWh battery takes a bit over three hours on a 240V charger. DC Fast Charging provides an 80 percent charge in 30 minutes.
The 2018 Tesla Model 3 is sleek, fast, and insanely popular, with over half a million initial reservations placed. The base sedan starts at $35,000 for the standard battery model which is EPA-rated at 220 miles of range. A 240-volt Tesla home charger provides approximately 30 miles of range for every hour of charging time. Charging via Tesla's proprietary Supercharger (paying per use) adds 130 miles of range per hour. The long-range battery option ($9,000) bumps driving range up to 310 miles while dropping the 0-60 mph time from 5.6 seconds to 5.1. The long-range option speeds up charging time as well.
Simply put, yes, the 2018 Volkswagen Jetta is a good car. The Jetta features a stylish exterior with a spacious cabin and Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Edmunds compares that exterior styling and modern cabin to more expensive rivals, which suggests that the Jetta is a great deal.
Also, the Volkswagen sedan is standard with a 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder engine with good fuel economy and usable mid-range torque. Consumer Reports (CR) says that shoppers could also find the Jetta with a 1.8L turbocharged engine, which owners touted for its good passing power. Furthermore, buyers with the need for speed can get a 2018 GLI with a compliant DSG automatic transmission.
The 2018 Volkswagen Jetta gets high marks for fuel economy. The smaller 1.4L turbocharged Jetta accomplished a commendable 47 mpg at highway speeds and 32 mpg overall. Further, the larger 1.8T engine still manages 30 mpg.
Edmunds says that the 2018 model brings a lot of value to the table, with an average list price of just $17,233. Considering you get admirable fuel economy, a generous cabin, and contemporary styling for that money, it seems like a bargain. Further, CR suggests that shrewd shoppers could land a 2018 Volkswagen Jetta for as little as $16,925.
Other sources included the Census Bureau, for data on vehicle registrations and information on electric cars a century ago, and the Idaho National Laboratory for information on the past, present and possible future of electric cars.
By contrast, sales have slowed in the U.S. in the past few years, largely due to the declining popularity of plug-in hybrids and the phaseout of federal tax credits on some of the most popular models. Last year, about 64,300 plug-in hybrids were sold, about half as many as in 2018, according to the IEA. Meanwhile, about 231,000 all-electric vehicles were sold in 2020, down 3.2% from 2018. In each of the past three years, EVs accounted for about 2% of the U.S. new-car market. The COVID-19 pandemic may have affected vehicle sales of all types in 2020, making comparisons difficult. 041b061a72