Contrary to what TV commercials might have you believe, there is no one perfect car for every person. The best car for you can depend on such things as your driving habits, your family, your financial status and more.
One of the first considerations is how much car you can afford, says The Credit Union National Association. If you are borrowing, it advises, you need to calculate how much monthly payment you can handle. All monthly installment payments, plus rent or mortgage, shouldn't be more than 40 percent of your monthly take-home pay.But there are other considerations as well. The folks at the Center for Auto Safety, an independent consumer group founded in 1970 to improve vehicle/highway safety and design, believe that the more you know about various cars, the easier it will be to choose the car that's right for you. This is why the center publishes "The Car Book," by Jack Gillis, which rates new cars in crash safety, fuel economy, repair costs, warranties, insurance costs and complaint history. This year's edition includes availability of air bags and anti-lock brakes. ("The Car Book" is available at bookstores or by writing to the Center for Auto Safety, 2001 S. St., W., Washington, DC 20009. Cost is $13.50 by mail.)
Some of the lists from "The Car Book" are included here.
Complaint index
Based on complaints registered with the government and analyzed by the Center for Auto Safety. Insufficient data is available on cars introduced in 1992 and 1993. Cars with the best ratings:
Honda CRX ('88-'91)
Mazda RX7 ('81-'85)
Plymouth Champ ('81-'83)
Nissan/Datsun 200SX ('84-'88)
Porsche 911 ('81-'83)
Honda Prelude ('83-'87)
Toyota Supra ('82-'85)
Datsun 200SX ('83-'85)
Toyota Corolla ('81-'83)
Mercury Zephyr ('81-'83)
Honda Civic ('81-'83)
Mercedes Benz 240 ('81-'83)
Mitsubishi Mirage ('89-'92)
Daihatsu Charade ('88-'89)
Oldsmobile 88 ('81-'85)
Toyota Celica ('81-'85)
Lincoln Mark Series ('81-'82)
Chevrolet Sprint ('85-'88)
Dodge Colt ('81-'84)
Nissan Pulsar ('87-'90)
Chevrolet Nova ('86-'88)
Toyota Corolla ('84-'87)
Crash test index
Measures a car's ability to protect its occupants in case of collision. Cars with best numbers are:
Subcompacts
Ford Escort
Subaru Justy
Geo Storm
Hyndai Excel 4dr.
Hyndai Excel 2 dr.
Compacts
Dodge Daytona
Chevrolet Beretta
Ford Mustang
Nissan 240SX
Honda Prelude
Intermediates
Saab 9000
Volvo 240
Toyota Camry
Ford Tarus Wagon
Honda Accord
Chrysler Concorde
Dodge Intrepid
Eagle Vision
Large
Ford Thunderbird
Mercury Cougar
Cadillac Seville
Buick LeSabre
Oldsmobile 88
Pontiac Bonneville
Minivans
Chrysler Town & Country
Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan
Plymouth Voyager/Grand Voyager
Chevrolet Lumina APV
Oldsmobile Silhouette
Pontiac Trans Sport
Fuel economy
Based on EPA's fuel economy ratings:
The Misers
CarMPGAnnual
City/HwyCost*
Geo Metro XFi53/58$328
Honda Civic HB VX48/55$353
Geo Metro LSi46/50$374
Suzuki Swift46/50$374
Honda Civic42/46$409
Geo Metro Conv.41/46$419
* Based on driving 15,000 miles per year
Preventive
maintenance costs
The cost of following the manufacturer's recommended program for preventive maintenance can vary significantly among automobiles. Costs are based on national averages for labor rate, retail parts prices and suggested time to perform each item on the schedule. Cars with the lowest PM costs for 1993 are:
Audi 90 $0
Audi 100 $0
Volkswagen Fox $350
Volkswagen Eurovan $375
Volkswagen Golf/GTI $375
Volkswagen Jetta $375
Volkswagen Passat $380
Volkswagen Corrado $420
Hyundai Elantra $480
Hyundai Excel $480
Hyundai Scoupe $480
Hyundai Sonata $480
Repair costs
In figuring typical repair costs, "The Car Book" selected nine items likely to need replacing during the first 100,000 miles. 1993 cars with the least expensive repair costs include:
Jeep Cherokee $1,344
Chevrolet Astro $1,464
GMC Safari $1,464
Saturn SC $1,492
Saturn SL $1,492
Buick Roadmaster $1,535
Chevrolet Caprice $1,535
Cadillac Fltwd. Brougham $1,555
Chevrolet Lumina APV $1,561
Oldsmobile Silhouette $1,561
Pontiac Trans Sport $1,561
Isuzu Amigo $1,577
Warranties
"The Car Book" compared 1993 warranties in five areas: basic warranty, powertrain warranty, corrosion warranty, transferability and deductibles. Based on a weighted index, cars with the best warranty include:
Cadillac Allante
Audi
Infiniti
Lexus
Jaguar
Resale value
Using statistics compiled by the National Automobile Dealers Association, the 1988 cars that held their value best include:
Honda Accord
Honda CRX
Toyota Camry
Honda Civic
Volkswagen Jetta
Toyota Tercell
Nissan Sentra
Toyota Corolla
Mazda 323
Acura Integra
Auto theft index
Based on statistics from the Highway Loss Data Institute, the following cars are the least likely to be stolen or vandalized:
Lexus ES 250 4dr.
Toyota Camry SW
Subaru Loyale 4WD SW
Honda Civic SW
Ford Escort SW
Plymouth Horizon 4dr.
Ford Escort 2dr.
Mercury Sable SW
Dodge Dynasty 4dr.
Maxda MPV
Subaru Legacy 4WD SW