Consumer Car Buying Advice Blog

Consumer Reports lists the best and worst cars in a new study that could help bad credit car loan buyers

We can help

If you’re currently thinking of financing a used car using car loans with bad credit, you might be wondering what the best used car for this situation might be.

During the past 20 years, we have heard this question from many customers here at Auto Credit Express, where our commitment to bad credit consumers includes a web site featuring a bad credit auto loan application – something we felt was needed after seeing the frustration and embarrassment which customers with poor credit often face if a car dealer doesn’t offer second chance auto loans.

And while most of these people with bad credit can always try a tote the note dealer, this won’t solve their car credit issues since these dealers don’t report loans or loan payments to the credit bureaus and these loans often end up in repossession.

Best used cars

Financing with a bad credit auto loan means it’s time to consider a small to midsize car to save on interest, insurance and fuel expenses. To accomplish this, most bad credit auto loan customers will pick an affordable used car, which is actually a great choice.

Over the past two decades, build quality has improved greatly so that 100,000 mile cars, with the proper maintenance, still have the capability to drive well mechanically. Advances in corrosion resistance also mean that the car body is still capable of being structurally sound. Even more importantly, Consumer Reports notes that an average new car loses up to “47 percent of its value in the first three years.”

Best and worst used cars

Recently, Consumer Reports came out with the results from their Annual Auto Survey, based on responses from subscribers covering 1.3 million vehicles, and listed the “best of the best” and “worst of the worst” when it came to reliability.

We took this information and picked out the most affordable vehicle types for credit-challenged buyers. Here’s what we found:

Consumer Reports Best of the Best

Small Cars

Honda Fit

According to CR, “The Fit has been an economical, reliable, and versatile hatchback ever since it went on sale in the U.S. in 2007. It packs a huge amount of usable space into a small package and has standard antilock braking and curtain air bags. But before 2011 electronic stability control (ESC) was available only on models with the optional navigation system.”

Other good small cars:

Toyota Echo, Honda Civic, Scion xB, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Matrix, Mazda3, Subaru Impreza (nonturbo), Honda Civic Hybrid, VW Rabbit, Suzuki SX4, Mazda Protegé

Family Cars

Although Consumer Reports top pick is the Toyota Prius, even a used Prius might be too expensive for a bad credit car loan. Other good family cars that might be more affordable include the Ford Fusion (FWD), Mercury Milan (FWD), Mazda6 (4-cyl.) and Nissan Altima.

Worst of the worst

If you’re looking for a reliable used car, Consumer Reports recommends that you stay away from the following affordable models: Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Impala V8, Chrysler PT Cruiser and Pontiac G6 Coupe.

The Bottom Line

Picking a used car that isn’t very reliable defeats the purpose of buying a used car in the first place. To be on the safe side, even if you pick a reliable used car it doesn’t hurt to also consider purchasing an extended warranty.

At Auto Credit Express, we specialize in placing customers with bad credit with dealers that can help them. These dealers are knowledgeable and work with a broad spectrum of lenders to ensure you have your best chance at getting approved for a car loan.

So if you are serious about getting your car credit back on track, you can begin by filling out our bad credit car loan application now.

Tags: Bad Credit, bad credit auto loan, bad credit car loan, best used cars, consumer reports, Used Cars, worst used cars

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