I'm wanting to compare new cars. Based on MPG, features, companies producing them, etc. etc.?

I have to get rid of my Ford F-250 super duty pick-up truck! I can't afford to drive it any longer! It has a 7.3 ltr. diesel engine in it that just sucks up the gas.


I'm looking to find comparisons of the new cars on the market today to see where my money would be best spent!


Where could I find this information on the internet without having to pay for it? Similar to what I might find in consumer reports.|||First of all, disregard the above poster's crack on Consumer Reports. CR's focus is on reliability of the various systems in cars and the car as a whole, based on feedback given from customer surveys and other research. "Yuppy ammenities" has nothing to do with it; they'll put "black eyes" on a BMW 7 series just like on a Ford Focus.





I'm car shopping as well and there are two avenues I'm taking:





1) Use of Consumer Reports, Consumer Guide Auto along with other test drive reports such as Car %26amp; Driver, Road %26amp; Track, etc. Besides all the comparison data, I also want to know what the critics thought when they test drove it. You may to pay for CR's, but Consumer Guide is FREE.





2) Once, I found a list of cars I wanted to consider, I looked up enthusiast groups online for that particular car (i.e., do google search for "volvo S60 enthusiasts"). There's nothing better than getting info from current owners of the car you're considering (here's where "epinions.com" comes in handy too!). Of course, things like Chevy Aveo enthusiasts groups may be hard to find! That's where epinions.com will come in handy.





In my opinion, if you're coming out of an F-250, a compact car might be too much of a shock to the system. You can still get great mileage in a midsize without feeling like you just moved from a 5 bd house to a studio apt! Considering the mpg on your F-250, even a midsize with a strong V6 will be a HUGE improvement in your pocketbook!|||CarMAx|||edmunds has some very good comparison..don't go with that consumer car report crap because it's for fat yuppies who want "amnemities" in cars...


I'll give you two cars you should seriously look into...


now, granted these are small vehicles but if you're serious about using less gas and getting a great value..comfort and style should and can be sacrificed for greater purposes...


like just worrying about getting from point a to point b.





ford focus----awesome car...if didn't buy my chevy truck i would have bought that...


chevy aveo----don't listen to anybody cracking on this car..it's reliable...very cheap and extremely good on gas.


honda's and toyota's are always pretty good although i really think the american cars i listed are much better.





don't listen to people telling you just to buy a jap car because their heyday ended a couple years ago..sure civics and camrys and corolla's were great in the 90's but they manufacture differently now with all the computer tech they've put in the car they're actually a big pain in the butt now and they aren't as reliable as they were.


also, ask a trusted mechanic at a busy shop..that works on all different types of cars. (after all they're the ones who see which cars in in the most)


and try not to put too much faith into anything you read in a "consumer" report...they rarely ever get anything right...and a lot of the times are paid by manufacturers or dealers to give good reviews...


good luck