Consumer Reports New Cars November 2019

INSIDE CR’S LABS BUYING A NEW CAR can feel more overwhelming than ever. With all the new tech out there, it can be hard to separate the features you need from the bells and whistles you don’t. That’s where CR’s experts come in. Our guide to the latest technology (p. 5) will get you up to speed on the safety and convenience features you should pay extra for—and which ones you can skip. You can also be confident choosing your next new car based on our ratings. Only CR buys its own test vehicles, putting each one through more than 50 evaluations. And only CR conducts annual reliability and owner satisfaction surveys of its members to find out how cars perform over the long haul. In 2018 alone, we gathered data on about a…

Q. My city recently lowered its speed limits. Is this just an attempt to collect more speeding fines? There’s a really good reason for lower speed limits, especially where pedestrians are present. “Just a few miles per hour can be the difference between life and death for someone outside the car, especially when the collision involves a pickup or SUV,” says Jennifer Stockburger, director of operations at CR’s auto test center. The risk of severe injury to a pedestrian in a collision with a motor vehicle is 25 percent when the vehicle is traveling 23 mph, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. At 31 mph, the risk of injury increases to 50 percent. At 42 mph, a pedestrian’s risk of death is 50 percent, and a serious…

New features you need, how to shop at an auto show, and top-rated car seats TODAY’S CAR BUYERS are presented with a dizzying array of jargon and acronyms describing options, packaged features, and dealer-installed accessories to choose from. There is great temptation to grab them all, but the costs quickly add up. Consumer Reports receives questions all the time from car shoppers asking what they should be looking for in today’s models. Frequently, they have some vague notions about what is available, but they’re not clear on what’s worth the added expense. To help these new-car shoppers who haven’t checked out the market in some time, CR’s experts have assembled a list of key features they should consider getting, including safety and convenience items. Just as important: We have also flagged the nonessential…

BIGGER WHEELS AND LOW-PROFILE TIRES These often make the ride less comfortable, primarily because smaller sidewalls make tires stiffer. In addition, larger wheels and thinner tires are more susceptible to costly damage from potholes and curbs. “Don’t be fooled by how they look,” says Gene Petersen, who runs CR’s tire-testing program. “Low-profile tires and larger wheels mean there’s less rubber to absorb road bumps. You’ll definitely feel the difference, and not in a good way.” BUILT-IN NAVIGATION SYSTEMS Most are expensive and may require map updates. Instead, use Android Auto and Apple CarPlay by plugging your smartphone into your car through a USB port. Doing so allows drivers to directly tap into their phone’s map apps—such as Google Maps or Waze—and display them on the car’s screen. LANE KEEPING ASSIST Automatically steers or brakes when the…

CAR SHOWS ARE an excellent place for shoppers to compare and contrast the latest offerings without salespeople looking over their shoulders. Although the biggest events are in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York, there are over 50 other auto shows in cities across the U.S. throughout the year, where shoppers can check out cars in person while avoiding the stress of a dealership visit. Low Pressure The ability to compare cars side by side is a major benefit of going to an auto show, according to Barbara Pudney, vice president of Paragon Group, which produces auto shows in Denver, Boston, and other major U.S. cities. “You’re thinking in your mind, ‘Camry,’.” she says. “And you suddenly get to match it to Sonata and Accord, and they’re right there next to each other.” Jake Fisher,…

CHILDREN GROW UP FAST. That means they need the right car seat as they move through each milestone. While it might be tempting to move your child to the next seat or stage, don’t be in a rush, or you’ll risk losing out on the safety benefits of the seat that’s best for them. A Seat for Every Size For that first ride home from the hospital, most children will be in an infant seat. These rear-facing-only seats provide the best fit for newborns and have weight ranges from 4 to 40 pounds. They feature a convenient removable carrier that connects to a base that stays installed in the car. Many infant or rear-facing-only child seats have weight limits of up to 35 pounds or more, but a child is more likely to grow…