Articles — Before you buy

Before you buy How to Pick Up Your Car from the Dealership the Right Way If you've decided to buy a car from a dealership, it isn't enough to simply choose a model you like, pay for it, and sign the paperwork to complete the deal.

Before you buy 10 Best Cars for Cyclists Here is a quick look at modern imported models that are especially well suited to carrying a bike over any distance inside their roomy cargo areas.

Before you buy The Most Useless Car Features The American company J.D. Power and Associates ran a study to find out which modern car features owners actually find useful. The results showed that some drivers don't just dislike certain features. They don't even know how to use them.

Before you buy European Car Classification: What Do All Those Letters Mean? Letters are commonly used to describe a car's class, but even today not everyone fully understands what a given letter actually means.

Before you buy Used Haval Jolion: What Breaks and When — 5 Checks Before Buying The Haval Jolion has no disastrous flaws, but plenty of small issues: what breaks before 100,000 km, a mileage scale and five checks before buying.

Before you buy How to Spot a Flood-Damaged Car When tsunamis struck Japan, they destroyed many homes and damaged countless vehicles. As a result, a large number of flood-damaged cars ended up on the used car market.

Before you buy How to Avoid Buying a Wrecked Car Planning to buy a used car? Read this article first.

Before you buy German Turbo Engines vs. Chinese Ones: Which Lasts Longer? An Honest Look at Engine Life Volkswagen 1.4 and 2.0 TSI, BMW N20 and Mercedes M274 versus Haval, Chery and Geely engines: lifespan benchmarks, typical problems, and how to extend the life of any turbo engine. An honest caveat: there are no failure statistics by brand, so every figure here is an estimate from mechanics and repair shops.

Before you buy Which Drivetrain Should You Choose: FWD, RWD, or AWD? If you've decided to buy a car and still aren't sure which drivetrain it should have, read this article!

Before you buy Hybrid Cars: Pros and Cons Thinking about buying a hybrid car? In this article, we break down the main advantages and disadvantages of these powertrains.

Before you buy Automatic Transmissions: Pros and Cons Thinking about buying a car with an automatic transmission? Read this article and decide whether it's right for you.

Before you buy Used Haval F7: Recalls, Engines, Gearbox and 5 Checks Before You Buy Two recalls, oil consumption after 100,000 km, the quirks of the dual-clutch gearbox and five checks before buying a used Haval F7, in plain words.

Before you buy Diesel vs. Gasoline Engines: How to Choose the Right Engine for Your Car Owning a car is no longer a luxury. Most of us face the question of which car to buy at some point, and the first thing future owners usually ask is which type of engine to choose. Which is better: gasoline or diesel?

Before you buy What Actually Breaks: Engines and Transmissions in Popular Chinese Cars, a Reliability Breakdown How long the engine and transmission last in the Haval Jolion and F7, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, and Geely Coolray and Monjaro. Lifespan benchmarks based on estimates from Za Rulem and Avto.ru, typical failures, and what to check before buying a used one. One honest caveat: there are no failure statistics by brand, so every figure here is an expert estimate.

Before you buy How to Choose Your Car's Color Picking a color for your next car is usually a surprisingly tough decision. When you buy a vehicle, color is one of the main criteria, right alongside design, price and technical specifications...

Before you buy Which Used Chinese Crossover to Buy: Haval Jolion, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, Geely Coolray or Monjaro Engine and gearbox life of four used Chinese crossovers and what to check before buying: the pre-2023 Coolray's timing belt, the Tiggo 7 Pro's CVT, the Jolion's dual-clutch box and the Monjaro's water pump. Figures are mechanics' estimates, not factory promises.

Before you buy How to Buy a Used Car This article lays out a clear, proven step-by-step routine that will help you avoid getting burned when buying a used car, and save you the cost of a professional inspection at a service center.

Before you buy How to Choose a Family Car In this article, we share a few tips to help future car owners make the right choice.