Consumer Reports: Popular Used Luxury Cars to Avoid

by Gabrielle DeSantis

There are many options on the market for luxury cars, even in the used car universe. Lexus, Cadillac, and Mercedes-Benz. But don’t worry, Consumer Reports has a more reliable option to offer. What makes a popular luxury car worth avoiding? Low reliability scores and a lack of advanced safety features make a used car worth skipping over.

Consumer Reports says to avoid the 2018 Lexus LS used luxury car | Lexus

Consumer Reports suggests avoiding some popular used luxury cars, like the 2018 Lexus LS. The scoring of the 2018 LS is out of character for the Lexus brand. CR gave the luxury car far below average scores of one out of five for reliability and owner satisfaction. In addition to the low scores, there are three recalls for the 2018 LS.

“This generation LS is anything but the embodiment of stress-free comfortable motoring,” CR said. Overall, the car doesn’t drive as well as it could, and the technology lacks a relatively new vehicle. If you happen to love the LS, CR says to go back one year further for a better all-around choice. Both years of the LS offer many standard safety features.

What to buy instead: 2017 Lexus LS

The ‘Under the Radar’ Alternative: 2019 Genesis G80

The 2017 Cadillac CT6 is a luxury car with low reliability

The 2017 Cadillac CT6 didn’t live up to expectations. It scored OK on the road test but didn’t impress Consumer Reports in the area of reliability. The reliability scored one out of five, and the owner satisfaction only scored four out of five. The 2017 CT6 also has an open recall and very few safety features were offered standard. Most of the features like Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) are optional.

The cabin was quiet even with the 335 hp V6 engine. CR says the interior is comfortable and luxurious, but the reliability was a considerable drawback overall. If you are big on the Cadillac sedans, skip this year.

What to buy instead: 2018 Audi A6

The ‘Under the Radar’ Alternative: 2018 Toyota Avalon

Consumer Reports says to avoid 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class used car

The 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class suffered a similar fate. The reliability score only came in at one of out five. The owner satisfaction came in at three out of five. However, the luxury car did OK in the road test. Overall, the 2.0L turbo engine was quick enough and strong enough to appease drivers. It also managed to get 26 mph overall. AEB is standard, but the rest of the features like FCW and LDW are only optional.

However, even luxury brands like Mercedes have off years. Much like the 2018 Lexus LS and 2017 Cadillac CT6, the 2016 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is worth skipping. The low reliability score is a warning to find another year that won’t give owners more headaches as time passes.

What to buy instead: 2018 BMW 3 Series

The ‘Under the Radar’ Alternative: 2018 Acura TLX

There are a lot of options out there

These are good suggestions for those looking for used luxury cars, but don’t worry about it too much. Consumer Reports also offered some under-the-radar alternatives for people. Don’t be afraid to look around and use sites like Consumer Reports, Kelley Blue Book, and Edmunds offer a lot of advice. Also, always get a pre-purchase inspection before driving off in your new luxury car.

RELATED: The Most Reliable Luxury SUVs of 2021 According to U.S. News

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Mazda, Ford, and Chevrolet Make the Top 3 Best Performance Convertibles

by Gabrielle DeSantis

A convertible often isn’t the most practical car, but that’s not the reason drivers love them. For instance, the Mazda MX-5 Miata comes loaded with tech features and a luxurious interior. Opulence aside, it’s hard to beat the feeling of driving with the top down.

And don’t forget the prestige of driving a car with an unconventional yet coveted body style. According to MotorTrend, the top three convertibles are also exceptional performers. Here’s what each model offers.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is the smallest of these performance convertibles

2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th-anniversary soft-top convertible | Mazda North American Operations

Even lighter with its soft top, the Mazda MX-5 Miata boasts the automaker’s trademark performance and handling prowess. It packs a Skyactiv-G inline-four engine producing 181 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque. Old-school fans will appreciate the six-speed manual gearbox, though an automatic is also available.

With the manual, you get Bilstein shock absorbers and a limited-slip differential. These models can also wear Brembo brakes and Recaro sports seats. The Miata’s ride might be stiffer than other convertibles, but this little roadster is responsive around corners and doesn’t feel short on power.

During MotorTrend’s testing, the MX-5 Miata needed 5.7 seconds to reach 60 mph. However, that’s on the Club model, so the soft-top version is probably faster.

The Miata comes with either a hard or soft top, each one folding down or up in 13 seconds. The soft-top version is the cheaper of the two.

The convertible option doesn’t mean less cargo space, but the Miata doesn’t have much to begin with.

Only two passengers can fit inside, but the interior is accommodating enough for most adults.

For 2021, the top-tier Touring trims also come with wireless smartphone integration and optional white leather seats.

The Ford Mustang convertible delivers smooth cruising power

The Ford Mustang EcoBoost convertible packs a more powerful engine — a turbo-four making 330 hp. You can also get a convertible version of the EcoBoost Premium and GT Premium models. With the High Performance package on the EcoBoost, this pony car can reach 60 mph in a clean five seconds. 

MotorTrend didn’t think it exhibited great handling like the Miata, and the convertibles don’t feel particularly stable. Still, the Ford Mustang retains its agility and smooth cruising power even with a removable top.

Trunk space is slightly compromised, but it still has over 11 cubic feet. The Mustang also has the fastest top on the market, opening in a lightning-fast seven seconds, Motor1 reports.

Some hard plastics mar the Ford Mustang’s interior, but the seats are roomy and supportive. Unfortunately, the infotainment screen is tiny unless you’re riding in one of the Premium convertibles. These models come with Ford’s SYNC 3 touchscreen infotainment interface with more features, plus an upgraded sound system.

The Chevy Camaro flexes its top-down muscle

With power comparable to the Mustang, the Chevy Camaro convertible has a four-cylinder engine making 275 hp on the LS trim. The convertible option is also available for every other trim except the range-topping ZL1. The most powerful convertible, the Camaro 2SS, harnesses 335 hp and can reach 60 mph in just four seconds.

However, MotorTrend recommends sticking with the V6 or four-cylinder models because they’re lighter. With one of these engines in the SS models, you get the best handling and smoothest power delivery, MT says. These models can also come with summer tires, lighter wheels, and an engine cooling system.

The Camaro’s power-folding roof needs 15 seconds to deploy and retract, longer than the Miata and Mustang. Plus, MotorTrend says the interior trails behind rivals in roominess.

It has the smallest trunk of the three contenders, with only a little over seven cubic feet of space.

But despite some small flaws, all are stylish and comfortable performance convertibles that are well worth the spend.

RELATED: The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF Is the Performance Car You’ve Been Seeking

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Volkswagen ID. LIFE Electric Crossover SUV: Release Date and Pricing

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Volkswagen continues to make a push for an all-electric future. With the ID. LIFE, the German automaker unveiled another concept model for its ever-expanding lineup of ID electric vehicles. The ID. LIFE is a compact crossover SUV that’s geared toward environmental sustainability and urban mobility. To find out the release date and pricing information of the Volkswagen ID. LIFE, read more. 

Is a production version of the ID. LIFE coming soon?

Volkswagen ID. LIFE Concept | Volkswagen

If you caught a glimpse of the Volkswagen ID. LIFE and are wondering if a production version of the electric concept will be available in the U.S., you have reason to have hope. Volkswagen already announced that it will release a production version of the ID. Life in Europe in 2025. While Volkswagen didn’t definitively state that the ID. LIFE will be released in the U.S., it didn’t rule it out either:

“I think a car like that, strategically, it’s got some SUV-esque proportions and the packaging, (it) is something certainly we want to do. You can’t get to all these dreams of (up to) 70 percent (of new cars being EVs) . . . if you can’t hit a price point that’s lower. So I wouldn’t say no. I would say take a look at it.”

– Scott Keogh, President of Volkswagen of America

The expected starting price of the ID. LIFE is around $24,000. For eco-minded crossover shoppers in America, here’s hoping that the ID. LIFE will arrive stateside after it becomes available in Europe.

Electric range and performance specs of the ID. LIFE

RELATED: How Much Does it Cost to Charge the Volkswagen ID.4?

For the ID. LIFE, Volkswagen created a smaller version of its modular electric drive kit. Also, it is the first time that Volkswagen utilized the modular electric drive on a front-wheel drive model. The modular electric drive in the ID. LIFE features a 234-hp electric motor, which enables the crossover to go from 0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds. The estimated electric range of the ID. LIFE is 249 miles.

The ID. LIFE uses recycled and natural materials for greater sustainability

Steering wheel and touchscreen in Volkswagen ID. LIFE
Volkswagen ID. LIFE Concept | Volkswagen

In addition to its emissions-free electric powertrain, the Volkswagen ID. LIFE also has eco-friendly credentials courtesy of its recycled and natural materials. The benefit of using recycled and sustainable materials is it improves environmental sustainability, and there’s less waste. 

The paint of the ID. LIFE uses bio-based hardeners and wood chips as a natural coloring agent. The front cover and roof have air chamber textiles that are made of recycled PET bottles. Also, the tires of the ID. LIFE are made from rice husks, natural rubber, and bio-oil. Additionally, the cabin of the ID. LIFE has Artvelours Eco for the door panels and seat surfaces, as well as wood on the dashboard. 

ID. LIFE and Volkswagen ACCELERATE strategy

The ID. LIFE, as well as the proliferation of other ID concept vehicles, are part of Volkswagen’s ACCELERATE strategy. For the ACCELERATE strategy, Volkswagen aims to greatly expand its EV lineup. This includes expanding its offerings of electric compact vehicles. By 2030, the German automaker expects that 50% of its models sold in North America and China will be EVs. For Europe, it anticipates it to be even higher, with an eclectic vehicle share of 70%. 

RELATED: The New Volkswagen ID.4 Is the Automaker’s Answer to Its Biggest Mistake Ever

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Is it possible to gain 100 horsepower with $1,000 or less?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The short answer is yes. When on the hunt for more horsepower, often it’s accepted that the best way to accomplish this comes down to two things: engine rebuild, or forced induction. The rich car owners do both. 

However, for someone who maybe needs to win a [sanctioned] race in order to put hot food on the table, they may need to look into a few shortcuts. The following modifications do not guarantee 100 horsepower, they are starting points that should come well within the $1,000 range. 

Nitrous: cheap, immediate, temporary power

Nitrous Oxide bottle | Mark Boster/The LA Times/Getty Images

Fans of The Fast and the Furious will remember well, the one the only the great Paul Walker demanding two big tanks of NOS. It’s gaudy and powerful, but most of all, it’s cheap. A nitrous oxide kit from Summit Racing will net $350 out the door, and provide up to 150 horsepower. It’s problem solved, right? 

NOS is certainly a viable option. It’s easy to set up, and totally controllable with small red buttons. However, it’s not sustainable, since the tanks need to be refilled. For a longer-lasting way to get 100 horsepower, it might be time to look at forced induction.

Junkyard supercharger/Turbo: cheaper but sustainable

oakland pick-n-pull salvage yard
Pick n Pull Salvage Yard in Oakland | Getty Images

Supercharging kits that deliver 100 horsepower from the factory cost thousands of dollars, so those aren’t really options. However, there’s another way to get a supercharger and it’s through a junkyard. Pick-n-Pull, one of the best-known salvage yards in California and across the U.S., sells superchargers for $86.99. The next part of the puzzle is finding cars that came with superchargers from the factory.

Mid-90s Ford Thunderbirds are a decent place to start. These coupes came with 3.8-liter V6 engines delivering 140 horsepower while naturally aspirated, but the supercharged engines got 230 horsepower from the Eaton M90. Factory turbochargers are an option as well but generally require a lot more work. 

Turbochargers need plumbing, and plenty of space for it, not to mention new exhaust manifolds and oil coolers. Superchargers are belt-driven, and while they may not be much easier to install, they are simpler. Fabrication companies sell Eaton M90 adapter plates to make installation easier.

Tunes and exhaust can bridge the horsepower gap

pile of exhaust pipes at a junkyard in Germany
Old exhaust pipes lie in a junkyard in Peine, Germany | Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images

While a factory supercharger MacGuyvered to an engine may not provide all 100 horses, there are plenty of additional parts that can bridge the gap. Depending on the engine, a tune could help. Tunes can cost around $500, and coupled with the junkyard supercharger, this combination would be well within the $1,000 budget. Also depending on the engine, little modifications like a cold air intake and new exhaust could help as well. Exhaust systems can be found on SummitRacing for a few hundred dollars, as long as you’re willing to connect all of the pipes.

Is any of this a good idea?

1986 300zx on fire
1986 Nissan 300ZX burns on the side of southbound Highway 101 at Victoria Ave. | Bryan Chan/The LA Times/Getty Images

The short answer is, maybe. For long-term reliability, these may not prove to be the best options. However, for the quick [sanctioned] drag race, they are cheap and proven ways to get a serious horsepower boost.

RELATED: Are High-Performance Air Filters Actually Worth the Money?

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