Consumer Reports New Cars April 2019

WHETHER YOU SWIPED a screen or turned over a calendar page, it’s a new year. That means buying a car has just gotten more difficult. Do you buy a leftover 2018 model, or do you get that new 2019 version? And what about those 2020s—is one of them worth waiting for? To answer that, you’ll need data from people who own those cars. Fortunately, we have a lot of that data. CR members tell us about their experiences with their personal vehicles through our member surveys. In our Annual Auto Survey, these owners reported the specific problems they have experienced with their car or cars. From this, we can provide detailed reliability histories and predict the new 2019 models that are most likely to be either trouble-free or trouble-prone. But that’s not all.…

Q. I want to shop around for a car loan. How do I keep it from hurting my credit? It’s true that each time you apply for new credit—such as a car loan—it lowers your score a little for a limited time. However, a cluster of auto-loan applications over a short period are treated as a single application, and the negative affect should be minor and short-lived, according to Mel Yu, CR’s automotive analyst. As long as you keep all your applications confined to a short time period—about 30 days—that fear of hurting your credit score is no reason to take the first loan offer you receive. Q. What is a dealer markup, and how do I avoid one? A dealer may offer you a loan rate that’s higher than it has to be.…

SELF-DRIVING CARS may be years from reality, but partial automation is becoming more common in today’s vehicles. These driving convenience features use cameras, radar, and other sensors—and sometimes even mapping data—to try to keep a car centered in a lane and control its speed so that the car remains a set distance in traffic from vehicles in front. CR experts stress that these systems aren’t intended to be self-driving features, and that there are safety risks if automakers allow the systems to operate in situations where they can’t do so safely or if they make it easy for drivers to feel like they don’t need to pay attention. But in the right circumstances—such as on long highway drives or in stop-and-go traffic—advanced driver assistance systems can help relieve driver fatigue and stress. In…

The systems were put to the same tests at CR’s Auto Test Center and on nearby Connecticut freeways. Testers drove the cars multiple times over the same route, both as a leading vehicle and as a following vehicle. Super Cruise couldn’t be tested on our track because it’s designed to operate only on divided highways without intersections that have been mapped by General Motors. Our evaluation looked at the systems as they were operating in September 2018. ▪ How capable is the automation? CR tested the systems on their ability to automate speed control and steering. We looked at how well the cars stayed centered in their lane, how often they touched lane lines, and how many times they crossed those lines. We measured each system’s performance on straightaways and curves, and during…

AUTOMAKERS, DEALERS, AND startups are rolling out vehicle subscription services that let customers combine all the costs of car ownership into a single monthly fee, and even swap vehicles on-demand. Subscription services make car ownership easier by including insurance, maintenance, and sometimes even detailing. They often require less of a commitment than a lease, and some programs let drivers switch vehicles as their needs change. However, all those perks come at a cost, and that means subscribing to a car isn’t cheap. To help you learn whether a subscription is right for you, CR examines how some popular programs work, and what you get for your money. How Does It Work? Think of a car subscription service like Netflix or Hulu—you don’t own any of the movies or TV shows on either service, but…

Audi WHAT’S IT CALLED? Audi Select WHERE IS IT AVAILABLE? Currently only in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It’s operated by Audi-affiliated rental car service Silvercar. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? The service starts at $1,395 per month, with up to two vehicle swaps per month. Available cars include the A4, A5 Cabriolet, and S5 Coupe. SUVs include the Q5 and Q7. WHAT’S INCLUDED? Unlimited mileage, insurance, maintenance, roadside assistance, and one 48-hour car rental per month. BMW WHAT’S IT CALLED? Access by BMW WHERE IS IT AVAILABLE? Nashville HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? For $1,099 per month, the Icon level includes vehicles such as the 330 sedan, X2 SUV, and i3 electric car. The Legend tier costs $1,399 per month and includes the M2 coupe, 540i sedan, and X5 xDrive35i SUV. The $2,699 monthly BMW M tier adds high-performance M cars. WHAT’S INCLUDED? 2,000 miles per month,…