These days, there are many advantages to buying a used car over a new car. Unfortunately, purchasing a used car may pose a greater risk to the consumer. A used car in its nature will most likely need more repairs, lack newer safety measures, and may come with a short warranty or none at all. That is why it is so important for consumers to do extensive research so they can avoid all of the pitfalls of the used car market category. The auto experts at "Consumer Reports" have done the work for you and have compiled their extensive research and report their findings into the 2006 edition of "Used Car Buying Guide." This fabulous tool will help steer any consumer who is in the market for a used car towards the better-performing and more reliable used car models and away from those models with a troubled past or substandard performance. Before consumers set foot on a used car lot, they should read all the valuable information provided in this book so they can be armed with as much information as possible and the knowledge to make an educated choice. "Consumer Reports" knows cars and offers the most detailed and revealing used car reliability information available anywhere including: - Reviews of every major model from 1998 - 2005 - Lists of the best and worst used vehicles and how to avoid a lemon - A checklist of what to look for when inspecting a used car - Tips on negotiating the best price Reliability and crash test information - Making sense of safety information The majority of this book is devoted to the profiles of 256 cars and trucks, presenting all major 1998-2005 models. Each profile contains a photo from the representative year, a write-up of the vehicle, reliability history, crash-test data, and the model years when key safety gear was added and when a major redesign was made.