Buyer's Guide

Choosing a new car

Tips: These Are the Most Important Things When Choosing a New Car

Choosing a new car can be a costly decision if you get it wrong. The moment you buy a car, even if you head to the used car market, it depreciates in value the moment you drive it away.

Toyota Prius Prime

News: Dozen Greenest Cars of 2020 Named

The ACEEE (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy) uses its own methodology to determine the most environmentally friendly cars offered for sale. This year they picked 12 top candidates, including the expected electric cars (EVs), but also a variety of gasoline-electric hybrids, topped by the Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid.

Buyer’s Guide: Six Used Electric Cars for Less Than $15,000

However, if cost is the barrier to driving an EV, there’s an easy solution—get a used one! You’ll need to live with less range, as cars that can go 200 mile or more between charges have only been available for the last few years, but if you can live with around 84 to 125 miles, there are several options. I’ve listed six below, in my order of preference. I’ve tested them all, and they are worth owning, especially at $15,000 or less.

Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid

How to Find the Best Price for an Electric Car

Consumers interested in plug-in cars got more good news this month as the Mercedes-built Smart and Chevy Volt both joined the recent moves to drop prices on their models. The Smart dropped lease prices to $139/month, substantially below much of the competition, and GM lowered the 2014 Chevy Volt price by $5,000.