The company on Thursday announced 7Charge, an EV charging network that it aims to make one of the largest in North America. The plan includes DC fast-charging stations at 7-Eleven locations in the U.S. and, eventually, Canada, with access via a proprietary app.

While light on details, a 7-Eleven press release declared that the company “intends to build of the largest and most compatible electric vehicle charging networks of any retailer in North America,” and noted that charging is already available at some 7-Eleven stores in California, Colorado, Florida, and Texas.

Part of the emphasis on compatibility means offering both Combined Charging Standard (CCS) and CHAdeMO fast-charging connectors. The network won’t support Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS), however. Tesla owners will need a CCS adapter to charge at 7Charge sites.

Pricing is determined by either by energy consumed (in kwh) and/or time spent charging, depending on individual state regulations, according to 7-Eleven. As with other EV charging networks, drivers are also asked to move their cars as soon as they are done charging, and may be charged an extra fee for loitering at some sites, the company noted.

EV fast charging has primarily focused on highway routes, but 7-Eleven locations could represent an urban opportunity for charging that’s missing in many metro areas. The Biden administration is looking to fill some of these gaps with its $2.5 billion community EV charging program.

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Other retail chains are also looking to install EV fast chargers. Taco Bell recently announced plans to install fast-charging at many locations, while General Motors and EVgo are forming a coast-to-coast charging network around Pilot and Flying J locations. On a smaller scale, Starbucks is putting together a road trip charging network with Volvo.

Summary:

• The average new car is priced 8.8 percent above MSRP
• The 10 most-expensive new models are between 20 and 27 percent over MSRP
• The Genesis GV70, Jeep Wrangler, and Mercedes-Benz GLB are the most aggressively priced new vehicles
• The gap between dealer pricing and MSRP is slowly narrowing

A new iSeeCars study found manufacturer pricing for new cars has increased 7.6 percent in the past year from an average MSRP of $38,707 in February 2022 to $42,608 in February 2023.

Despite this increase, the average dealer listing price for new cars has increased 6.5 percent in the past 12 months, rising from $42,551 to $45,996. This means today’s average new car price is 8.8 percent over MSRP, on top of the higher MSRPs compared to a year ago.

“There’s no denying it – new cars are expensive!” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst at iSeeCars. “The manufacturers keep raising their prices and then the dealers raise them again, to the point where the average new car is priced above $45,000.” 

There are two pieces of encouraging news for consumers. First, average MSRP seems to have either peaked or plateaued in January 2023, coming down slightly in February. Second, the pricing increase over MSRP peaked back in July of 2022, at 10.2 percent over MSRP. Relative pricing has fallen ever since, with average new car prices now 8.8 percent above MSRP.

“The difference between dealer pricing and MSRP should continue to fall as the supply chain improves, though getting back to MSRP for most models may not happen this year," said Bauer.

These 10 Cars Are Priced the Highest Above MSRP

Consumers looking to avoid price hikes will want to steer clear of these 10 models, which are priced between 20 and 27 percent above MSRP.

“All but two of these high-priced models are luxury vehicles, reflecting the ongoing confidence and willingness of luxury buyers to spend whatever it takes to get the vehicle they want,” said Brauer. The two non-luxury vehicles are the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, SUVs with consistently high demand and passionate buyers.

These 10 Cars Are Priced the Closest to MSRP

While the average new car price remains 8.8 percent above MSRP, these 10 models are priced close to MSRP, with the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 actually priced below MSRP. 

“Chevrolet recently halted production of the Silverado, suggesting supply for this full-size truck is in the unique post-pandemic status of outstripping demand,” said Brauer. Other models priced right at MSRP include the Volkswagen Arteon, Cadillac Lyriq, and the Infiniti QX80. 

“The Lyriq is a brand new electric SUV, so it’s surprising to see it priced right at MSRP. Of course, it was recently caught up in the government’s recategorization of which models earn the $7,500 federal tax credit, which likely impacted how dealers priced it,” said Brauer.

Coupes, Convertibles, and Trucks Still Aggressively Priced; Hatchbacks Way Up

Coupes, convertibles, and trucks were the first vehicles to see large price hikes when the pandemic began. Almost 3 years later, coupes, convertibles, and trucks remain the most expensive vehicles relative to MSRP. This is true for these categories overall, even with the Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Ford F-150 Hybrid priced close to MSRP (as reflected in the previous table).

A more recent shift has occurred with hatchbacks, which are seeing much higher prices relative to MSRP this past month versus a year ago.

“The rise in gas prices has driven demand for smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles over the past year, as seen in the bump in hatchback pricing,” said Brauer. “Every other category is priced closer to MSRP compared to a year ago, but hatchbacks are 50 percent higher. Sedans, another relatively fuel efficient vehicle category, are also up slightly.” 

“With everything from interest rates to inflation working against vehicle demand it seems inevitable that car prices will drop,” said Karl Brauer. “And we’re clearly off last summer’s peak pricing. But, overall, consumers are still buying more cars than automakers can produce, which means dealers can still aggressively price their new models and find buyers willing to snap them up.”

New Cars Priced the Highest Above MSRP by City

iSeeCars also determined the new cars priced the highest above MSRP in the top 50 most populous metropolitan areas.

The vehicle priced the highest above MSRP in the most cities is the Genesis GV70, the top model in 20 cities.

Methodology

iSeeCars.com analyzed over 12 million new car sales from February 2022 through February 2023. The average list prices of new cars, as well as the average of their MSRPs, were aggregated by month, as well as by body style and model. Heavy-duty vehicles and low-volume models were excluded from further analysis. The differences between average prices and average MSRP were expressed as percentage differences. 

About iSeeCars

iSeeCars.com is a data-driven car search and research company that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars VIN check report and Best Cars rankings. iSeeCars.com has saved users over $372 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.

Reasons for Buying a Car Without a License

It may seem counterintuitive to purchase a car without a license, but there are many scenarios where someone may choose to purchase a car without a driver’s license. Some possible scenarios include:

• You are planning on getting your license, and you see your dream car before you become a licensed driver.
• You are gifting a car to a family member or a friend. In this case, you will have to put the car title in the person’s name to whom you are gifting the car.
• You are a business owner and need a vehicle for business purposes. 
• You are unable to drive and purchase the vehicle for a caregiver or nanny.
• A caregiver will be driving the car because you are unable to drive because of a disability. 
• You are a car collector or you are purchasing the car as an investment.
• You are purchasing the car for a minor to practice on with a learner’s permit. Keep in mind that a licensed driver has to be in the car with a minor who has a learner’s permit.

Do You Need a License to Register a Car?

A vehicle must be registered in the owner’s name before it can legally be driven on public roads. In order to register a vehicle with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), you need proof of insurance and a valid driver’s license. Since you don’t have a driver’s license, you’ll need to register the vehicle in another person’s name and make them the title holder. If you are buying a vehicle for your business, you can register it under your business name. Keep in mind that some states don’t require you to register antique or collectible cars, so a registration may not be necessary if you aren’t driving it on the road.

Can You Buy a Car With a Suspended License?

If your license is suspended, you will only be able to buy a car in certain states. You may have a provision that allows you to drive in certain circumstances like traveling to and from work or medical appointments. In many instances, you will be able to purchase a car, but you will not be able to get auto insurance or a vehicle registration. Having a suspended license will also affect your financing as some lenders will not provide financing to a motorist with a suspended license. Be sure to check with your state’s DMV to understand the rules.

Shopping for a Car Without a License

If you are shopping for a vehicle through a dealership or private seller, you won’t be able to test drive the vehicle without a license. If you are purchasing the vehicle for someone else, make sure you take them along to test drive the new car or used car.  

Can You Finance a Car Without a Valid License?

It is possible to finance a car without a license, but the process will depend on the lender. Many online lenders and auto dealerships don’t require a valid driver’s license for an auto loan. You will just need another form of photo ID like a state-issued photo identification card. However, some banks and dealerships won’t provide you with a car loan if you don’t have a license. Keep in mind that credit unions are often more accommodating and will likely be more willing to provide a loan to someone without a license. Bringing the primary driver along with you when you apply can help your chances of securing a loan. Other options include paying with cash or with a low-interest rate credit card. 

Getting Car Insurance Without a License

In most states, you can’t register a vehicle or get license plates without proof of insurance. It is possible for an unlicensed driver to get car insurance, but like every other step in the car buying process, it can be challenging. Some insurance agencies will not give you a policy if you're not the primary driver, so you will need to shop around. One workaround is to add a co-owner during the car buying process and have them apply for insurance coverage. 

Another way to get car insurance as an uninsured driver, you’ll need to list yourself as an excluded driver on the policy and name someone with a license as the primary driver.  Your insurance policy will be based on information about the licensed operator, so the insurance company will likely look at their credit score or credit report as well as their driving history. Keep in mind that you will pay high premiums if the licensed driver is reckless or unsafe on the road.  

The Bottom Line

While it is possible to purchase a car without a license, it adds additional complications to the already difficult car buying process. Even if you don’t plan on driving the vehicle, it may be worth your while to get a license for the car buying process if you are able to do so.

More from iSeeCars.com:

• What is a Car Lien
• Beater Cars: Why They Make More Sense Now Than Ever Before
• Buying a Car Out of State: What You Should Know

About iSeeCars.com

iSeeCars.com is a car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check reports and Best Cars rankings. iSeeCars.com has saved users over $332 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.

This article, Can You Buy a Car Without a License?, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.

This is the maximum driving range an electric vehicle can go on a single charge. Although most of us don’t drive hundreds of miles every day and deplete a full charge, no one wants to worry about running out of juice and not being able to find a place to plug in.

This concern around this issues is such that the EPA includes estimated range figures in its fuel economy evaluations for electric cars, although what you achieve in real-world driving may vary.

The constant expansion of the charging network makes it easier than ever to find a convenient charger, and the time it takes to fully charge an electric car is also improving. Electric vehicles also include infotainment systems with features that help make it easy to track your range and locate a charging station.

Gone are the days when there were only a few electric cars for sale. Today there are dozens of electric vehicles to choose from with a wide range of options from minimalist to luxurious.

Electric car powertrains include single-motor options with front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive and dual-motor options with all-wheel drive for slippery/snowy roads. Some electric cars have three electric motors for more advanced AWD capability, which delivers improved handling over FWD or RWD models.

Whether you want a luxury sedan, hatchback, crossover, entry-level compact car, or even a pickup truck, there’s an electric vehicle with an increasingly long driving range out there for you. Here we break down the longest-range electric cars you can buy both new and used along with pricing. We even take a peek at future electric cars due over the coming months and years.

New EVs with the Longest Range 

There are some electric cars with very low ranges. These include the Mazda MX-30, which has only 100 miles of range and the MINI Hardtop 2-Door, which gets 110 miles on a full charge. These cars have smaller battery packs, which makes them a challenge if you’re planning a road trip. Most new electric vehicles, however, get over 200 miles of range per charge, with a wide spread of price points and maximum range figures so you don’t have to worry as much about finding a place to plug-in. Note that some electric cars have both standard range and long range batteries so you can get a range version that best suits your needs

Sitting at the top of the range list for new electric vehicles is the luxurious Lucid Air sedan. It starts at $139,000 with a range of up to 520 miles on a single charge for the Lucid Air Dream Edition. If you want something with a long range and the performance specs of a sports car, you can’t beat the Lucid Air. The Tesla Model S ranks second with an EPA-estimated 405 miles of driving range with dual-motor all-wheel drive version, while the performance-oriented Plaid with 1020 horsepower has a maximum 396 miles of range There’s also the luxurious Mercedes EQS, which delivers a range of 350 miles. If you’re in the market for a truck, then the fullsize 320-mile Ford F-150 Lightning with its extended-range battery pack, or mid-size Rivian R1S with its 303 miles per charge, should be on your list. If a premium-branded full-size truck is more to your liking there’s the GMC Hummer, which gets 329 miles per charge. The Tesla Model X gets the top spot for an electric SUV with 348 miles of range while the more affordable Kia EV6 is the crossover with the longest range at 310 miles per charge. If you want more of a sports car with an electric motor and a long range, there’s the Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV with 312 miles of range per charge. Here’s the full breakdown of new electric cars and their ranges so you can avoid range anxiety.

Longest-Range EVS: Used Vehicles

EVs are still newcomers to the automotive landscape, so the selection of used vehicles isn’t as strong. The smaller number of models in existence means there simply aren’t as many used electric cars on the market. Some of the models on our list of new electric vehicles just came out this year, meaning they haven’t had time to make their way to the used car marketplace. There’s also a notable lack of trucks since those are currently new models only. If you want an electric truck you’ll have to go with a new one or wait a bit for used models to make an appearance.

The Tesla Model 3 sedan has the longest range of used electric cars at 310 miles per charge. Tesla also comes out on top for SUVs with its Model X getting a maximum of 295 miles per charge. If it’s a crossover you’re after the Chevrolet Bolt EV with its 238 miles of range will get you further than the competition. While the selection of used electric vehicles is limited, you will save money by buying used as long as you don’t mind the limited number of choices. This can help you get a premium electric car at an entry-level price. 

Future Electric Vehicles With Even Longer Ranges?

What about the future? Despite the small number of electric vehicles available compared to the wide range of gas-powered vehicles you can buy, options are increasing. Just one year ago there were no trucks on the market, but today there are three. That number is set to increase with the introduction of the Chevrolet Silverado EV this spring with an impressive predicted range of up to 400 miles per charge.

If you want to go off-road you’ll want to look for the Jeep Wrangler EV, which is expected later this year with range figures under wraps. There are new electric vehicles coming from practically every automaker in every category over the coming years. If you don’t see what you want today, it won’t be long before the perfect zero-emission vehicle for you makes its debut.

More Electric Vehicle Resources:

• Best Electric Cars
• Best Electric SUVs
• Electric Trucks: What’s Here and What’s to Come?

If you’re in the market for a new or used electric vehicle you can search over 4 million used electric cars, SUVs, and trucks with iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check report and Best Cars rankings. Filter by vehicle type, front or all-wheel drive, and other parameters in order to narrow down your car search.

This article, Electric Cars with the Longest Range, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com. 

Two class action lawsuits (via Transport Topics) were filed Tuesday and Wednesday in San Francisco on behalf of two California residents who own Model S EVs. The plaintiffs allege that Tesla has violated antitrust laws by limiting competition by forcing owners to use company-approved service centers, and to source spare parts from Tesla.

Modern cars in general are more difficult for independent repair shops to work on due to the need to access vehicle data and proprietary software, but Tesla also exercises more control over the mechanical as well as digital aspects of car repair.

Tesla sells cars directly to customers without franchised dealerships, which means the company also operates its own network of service centers. Tesla has also been known to keep tight control of parts supplies, forcing independent shops to keep older cars on the road without factory support.

Other startup automakers, including Lucid and Rivian, have also eschewed franchised dealerships, but they have a much smaller population of vehicles on the road right now than Tesla.

These policies have caused Tesla owners “to suffer lengthy delays in repairing and maintaining their electric vehicles, only to pay sub-competitive prices for those parts and repairs once they are finally provided,” the filings state.

The lawsuits come as right-to-repair laws gain more traction with lawmakers.

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Massachusetts led the way, passing a right-to-repair law in 2012 and expanding that law in 2020 to include vehicle data. President Biden has indicated support for right-to-repair policies, and a federal bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in 2022.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law enacted in November 2021 includes $7.5 billion to help fund a national EV charging network, with the goal of building 500,000 EV charging stations by 2030.

This newly directed program, the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program, is one of two main funnels for that funding. It will provide its $2.5 billion (over five years) to cities, counties, local governments, and Tribes, according to a Department of Transportation press release.

The CFI program’s funding is turn split into $1.25 billion for a Community Program deploying EV chargers in publicly accessible locations such as schools, parks, and public buildings, and a $1.25 billion Corridor Program for chargers alongside Alternative Fuel Corridors, designated as being regular travel routes for EVs under a different program that originated in 2015.

The initial round of funding includes $700 million from fiscal years 2022 and 2023 for these projects, with additional funding rounds following during the CFI program’s planned five-year life span. Funding from both the Community and Corridor Programs can also be used for hydrogen, propane, or natural gas fueling infrastructure.

This follows the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, which sets aside $5 billion for states and primarily applies its $5 billion to highway projects, creating more EV fast charging routes, also mainly along Alternative Fuel Corridors.

The NEVI funding process began last year, with first plans submitted by states in the summer and all of them approved by the end of September. The federal government also outlined rules for qualifying charging sites in September. That has a number of charging networks—including Tesla—vying for some of these funds.

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Addressing the needs of rural and urban communities could prove even more complex and will take a number of novel solutions. For instance, convenience stores want to bring EV charging to rural America. And Seoul is closing the urban charging gap with plans to install more than 200,000 chargers over the next four years.

Only four of the 13 mid-size and three-row crossover SUVs tested by the IIHS earned top "Good" results in an updated test. Those vehicles were the Ford Explorer, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Subaru Ascent, and Tesla Model Y.

The Chevy Traverse, Toyota Highlander, and Volkswagen Atlas earned "Marginal" ratings in the moderate front overlap test that simulates a head-on collision of two vehicles of similar weight traveling at just under 40 mph.

The Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler four-door, Mazda CX-9, and Nissan Murano scored "Poor" ratings.

The update to the IIHS' oldest test, first launched in 1995, was introduced last year to extend passenger protection to rear occupants. The new test uses a dummy sized like a small woman or 12-year-old child positioned in the seat behind the driver, where protection has lagged recently.

“All these vehicles provide excellent protection for the driver,” IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement. “But only a handful extend that level of safety to the back seat.”

2022 Tesla Model Y, IIHS front overlap test results2022 Tesla Model Y, IIHS front overlap test results2022 Honda Pilot, IIHS front overlap test 2022 Honda Pilot, IIHS front overlap test

Historically, rear-seat occupants were cushioned from front crashes by the front seats and the front crumple zone. Since model year 2007 onward, however, the IIHS found that fatal injury is 46% higher for belted occupants in the rear seat than those in the front seat.

The rear seat hasn't become any more unsafe, but safety advances to front seat occupants have grown due to airbags, restraint technologies, and other areas of focus that the IIHS wants to see applied to the rear seats.

“Zeroing in on weaknesses in rear seat safety is an opportunity to make big gains in a short time, since solutions that are already proven to work in the front can successfully be adapted for the rear,” IIHS Senior Research Engineer Marcy Edwards said in a statement.

In recent years, car cabins have incorporated more rigid crumple zones so there is less deformation from a front crash in the passenger cabin.

The updated test was introduced last year and first applied to the most popular vehicle segment of compact crossovers. Most small crossovers—nine out of 15 tested—failed to protect rear passengers.

The front-overlap test remains the same, but the additional dummy gets tested for excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest, abdomen, or thigh. Chest injuries were a particular focus since they are the most common serious injury in the rear seat for adults. It also tests to see if the body "submarines" beneath the lap belt.

The top-rated mid-size SUVs had rear seat belts that remained in place on the pelvis, the side curtain airbag performed properly, and there was no "excessive force on the dummy's chest." There was a slight risk of head injury in all but the Ford Mustang Mach-E.

In vehicles with a "Poor" rating, the IIHS found a high risk of head or neck injuries to rear passengers.

The IIHS updates its tests as more automakers attain "Good" ratings. Last year, the IIHS instituted a tougher side-impact test to reflect the faster speeds and heavier, taller vehicles proliferating on modern roadways. Because of regular updates, IIHS's coveted Top Safety Pick (TSP) awards carry more weight than the outdated five-star NCAP tests performed by the NHTSA. Headlight testing and automatic emergency braking have been other areas of focus for TSP criteria because most fatal crashes happen at night, as do most pedestrian crashes.

The IIHS toughened Top Safety Pick criteria for 2023 once again, partly due to automakers meeting more rigid safety standards in prior years. Yet traffic fatalities hit a 20-year high in the first half of 2022, driven by sharp increases in pedestrian deaths.

Less than half of 2022 TSP winners have qualified for 2023 TSP awards, of the vehicles tested so far this year. Many vehicles that qualify for a TSP in one year might not in a subsequent year because of the production cadence. For instance, the 2022 Honda Pilot was tested by the IIHS, not the redesigned 2023 Honda Pilot, which may have different results.

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The new front-overlap test is not part of the TSP criteria, yet. Typically, the IIHS introduces an updated test and gives automakers a year or two to address the changes before including it in TSP criteria.

The RZ is the brand’s first all-electric vehicle that brings a vigorous driving experience with a unique, sharp design focused on performance.

The RZ is the ultimate-electrified vehicle in the lineup, which has a family of seven hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Lexus just took a giant running step toward their goal of being able to provide 100% BEVs globally by 2035. 

The 71.4 kWh battery makes good on its promise of delivering performance and fun with a total of 313 horsepower and a manufacturer-estimated 0-60 acceleration time of 5.0 seconds. The RZ has an EPA-estimated range rating of up to 220 miles when wrapped with 18” wheels and an EPA-estimated MPGe rating of 115/98/107 (city/highway/combined). When upgraded to the 20” wheels, the RZ has an EPA-estimated MPGe of 102/87/95 (city/highway/combined) with an EPA-estimated range of up to 196 miles.

The all-new RZ has a new lightweight e-TNGA steel platform, which is brand new for Lexus and exciting for all of us. The RZ possesses an optimal placement of mass and high body rigidity. RZ’s body employs high-tensile steel panels and an aluminum hood to reduce weight and increase rigidity. A urethane sealant provides extra security and protection to remove dust and water from the reinforced structure. At the same time, reliable and heavily tested water-cooling and water-heating systems work to maintain an ideal battery temperature.

The RZ's exterior is razor-sharp styled with a floating roof, a ducktail spoiler, and intense headlamps. The cabin is simple in design, with most controls manipulated using an enormous 14.0-inch touchscreen display.

Lexus added a yoke-style steering wheel, similar to what airplanes use. This will be offered as an option; a regular circular wheel will be standard, so if you're not ready for a yoke, you can opt out.

The steer-by-wire system takes getting used to, but once we got the hang of it, it proved beneficial for handling. The all-new Steer by Wire system allows the electronic exchange of steering and road surface information between the state-of-the-art steering control and tires through electrical signals, not mechanical linkage.

Lexus just broke through the competition with brand-new technology and features never seen before, all while only starting at $59,650

The RZ is the brand’s first all-electric vehicle that brings a vigorous driving experience with a unique, sharp design focused on performance.

The RZ is the ultimate electrified vehicle in the lineup, which has a family of seven hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Lexus just took a giant running step toward their goal of being able to provide 100% BEVs globally by 2035. 

The 71.4 kWh battery makes good on its promise of delivering performance and fun with a total of 313 horsepower and a manufacturer-estimated 0-60 acceleration time of 5.0 seconds. The RZ has an EPA-estimated range rating of up to 220 miles when wrapped with 18” wheels and an EPA-estimated MPGe rating of 115/98/107 (city/highway/combined). When upgraded to the 20” wheels, the RZ has an EPA-estimated MPGe of 102/87/95 (city/highway/combined) with an EPA-estimated range of up to 196 miles.

The all-new RZ has a new lightweight e-TNGA steel platform, which is brand new for Lexus.

The RZ possesses an optimal placement of mass and high body rigidity. RZ’s body employs high-tensile steel panels and an aluminum hood to reduce weight and increase rigidity. A urethane sealant provides extra security and protection to remove dust and water from the reinforced structure. At the same time, reliable and heavily tested water-cooling and water-heating systems work to maintain an ideal battery temperature.

The RZ's exterior is razor-sharp styled with a floating roof, a ducktail spoiler, and intense headlamps. The cabin is simple in design, with most controls manipulated using an enormous 14.0-inch touchscreen display.

Lexus added a yoke-style steering wheel, similar to what airplanes use. This will be offered as an option; a regular circular wheel will be standard, so if you're not ready for a yoke, you can opt out. The steer-by-wire system takes getting used to, but once we got the hang of it, it proved beneficial for handling. The all-new steer-by-wire system allows the electronic exchange of steering and road surface information between the state-of-the-art steering control and tires through electrical signals, not mechanical linkage.

Lexus just broke through the competition with brand-new technology and features never seen before. All while only starting at $59,650

Government incentives have recently been updated to encourage not only the sale of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), but increased domestic production of battery packs, electric motors, and EV charging stations. 

While the desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change is admirable, analysis of a gasoline vehicle’s total environmental impact must be compared to an electric vehicle’s complete carbon footprint to understand which vehicle design is truly better for the planet. Zero tailpipe emissions are the most obvious advantages electric cars have over gasoline cars, but if the power plant charging an EV isn’t using renewable energy sources the electric vehicle’s low-carbon advantage falls dramatically.

The manufacturing process – along with the eventual destruction and recycling – of an electric vehicle are two more critical factors in evaluating an EV’s total carbon footprint. This complete greenhouse gas emissions life cycle analysis (sometimes called “cradle-to-grave”) takes into account the CO2 emissions generated by both lithium-ion battery production and the overall vehicle manufacturing process for electric cars versus conventional vehicles. 

Does this mean electric vehicles really aren’t better for the environment? No, but it does mean their carbon emissions and overall contribution to air quality aren’t as clear cut as simply pointing to a Tesla and saying, “See, no tailpipe means no air pollution, which must be better for the planet.” 

The EPA’s website takes everything from EV battery production to renewable sources of electricity generation into account. The agency also evaluates an electric vehicle’s potential for reduced carbon dioxide production and overall lower emissions over the course of its lifetime. The EPA’s data confirms an electric vehicle’s higher CO2 emissions from EV battery manufacturing, but also shows the life cycle advantage for electric cars – IF they are charged by clean energy sources. 

Unfortunately, the primary source of electric energy across the U.S. remains coal and natural gas, which means most EVs are essentially transferring greenhouse gas emissions from their non-existent tailpipes to a power plant’s smokestack. However, some states, including Alaska and California, have a high percentage of clean energy generation from hydroelectric, solar, and wind power. Electric vehicles in these areas are likely generating fewer emissions throughout their total life cycle than a gasoline-powered vehicle. 

While the reality of electric vehicle emissions is higher than many people realize, don’t be discouraged if you thought electric vehicles were your only clean transportation option. Buyers looking to substantially reduce their carbon footprint, without going full EV, should consider a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (or PHEV). Examples include the Kia Sorento Plug-In Hybrid and Toyota RAV4 Prime. 

Most PHEVs are eligible for the same tax credits given to EVs. And because PHEVs offer between 25 and 50 miles of electric-only operation, they can essentially match an electric vehicle’s zero tailpipe emission operation for most consumers’ daily driving chores. And, even when a PHEV’s electric range is fully depleted and their engine’s fire up, they still deliver substantially higher MPG ratings than a traditional gasoline vehicle. 

While some automakers are rapidly moving toward an all-electric fleet, some see PHEVs as an alternative form of electrification that provides the best of both worlds – zero emissions under most driving conditions, with highly reduced emissions even when operating in hybrid mode. Until the U.S. electric grid is powered primarily by renewable energy, PHEVs can reduce both emissions and fuel costs in today’s world, often at a price substantially lower than a similarly-sized electric vehicle.

More from iSeeCars:

• Electric Cars Vs. Gas Cars: Which Is the Smarter Buy?
• Electric Car Companies: Automakers Finding Success with Electric Vehicles
• How to Buy an Electric Car

If you’re in the market for a new or used electric vehicle you can search over 4 million used electric cars, SUVs, and trucks with iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check report and Best Cars rankings. Filter by vehicle type, front or all-wheel drive, and other parameters in order to narrow down your car search.

This article, Are Electric Cars Better for the Environment?, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.

Results were based on a survey of 64,248 U.S. owners or lessees of 2020-2022 model year vehicles, asking them to rate the service at franchised dealers or equivalent aftermarket facilities. Customer satisfaction among EV owners was 42 points lower, using the study’s scoring methodology, than internal-combustion vehicle owners.

J.D. Power attributes this mainly to recall rates, which the company noted are more than double for EVs compared to internal-combustion vehicles. Service advisor knowledge was also a factor in the lower level of satisfaction, albeit a smaller one. EV owners rated service advisors at an average of 8.01 (out of 10) compared to 8.59 for internal-combustion vehicle owners.

The number of EV recalls in recent months alone has been quite large, including a fire concern in Chevrolet Bolt EV models due to an issue with seat belt pretensioners, the devices that cinch seat belts tight during an impact. This was the second major fire-related recall for the Bolt EV, following a 2021 battery recall that applied to every Bolt EV made, leading to a full battery-pack replacement for some vehicles.

In 2022, the Toyota bZ4X was recalled because its wheels might fall off. The recall, since remedied, occurred less than two months after the model’s launch. Also in 2022 Rivian, which doesn’t have franchised dealerships, had to recall nearly every truck it had built to that point over potentially loose fasteners.

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More recently, the 2023 Nissan Ariya was recalled because its steering wheel might detach, and the Tesla Model Y is under investigation for what sounds like a similar issue. While these recent issues have nothing to do with the propulsion system, fewer odd manufacturing issues could help make the relationship a little more positive for owners, dealerships, and automakers alike.

Fleet managers and wholesalers have been using the auction marketplace to locate and purchase inventory for dealership lots since the early-2000s. And even retail bidders have had access to auto auction sites like eBay Motors for over 20 years, though back then the thought of buying a vehicle through an online car auction, without seeing it in person or performing a pre-purchase inspection, was considered risky at best.

The automotive world has evolved over the past two decades, and in that time eBay Motors has sold millions of cars, most of them to first time online car buyers willing to take a chance on the digital marketplace. But we now live in a world where online car buying isn’t just common, it’s dominant, helped along in recent years by everything from a global pandemic to confidence-bolstering technology like high-resolution photos and vehicle history reports. 

But the biggest shift in the last year or two has been the explosive growth of car enthusiasts turning to car auction websites like Bring a Trailer (or BaT) and Cars and Bids when seeking their next exotic or classic car. Everything from a vintage Chevrolet Corvette or Ford Mustang GT to the latest Mercedes-Benz AMG or Porsche 911 regularly change hands on these sites.

For these buyers this isn’t like going to an Autotrader or Craigslist classified ad, where the used car pricing on a high-volume Dodge, Nissan, or Toyota might range from $5,000 to $25,000. These enthusiast auction sites often trade in rare collector cars or high-end coupes from brands like BMW, Ferrari and McLaren, with the highest bidders regularly committing to 6 – or even 7 – figure price tags.

Is spending that kind of money on a car you haven’t seen in person a good idea? Do sites like Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids have policies in place to ensure high-quality live auctions that protect buyers and sellers? Let’s take a closer look at the origins of Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids and then consider their policies that protect users.

Bring a Trailer (bringatrailer.com)

Bring a trailer started in 2007 as a pet project for founder Randy Nonnenberg. As someone who obsessively hunted online classified ads, Randy realized his efforts to identify the most interesting cars for sale online were going to waste – only he was seeing them. So he started Bring a Trailer to showcase his findings, and over the next 7 years BaT built quite a following of like-minded car enthusiasts. 

Randy credits Bring a Trailer’s well-established community, long before it switched from a classified ads aggregator to full-scale auction site, as BaT’s greatest asset. “The community, which is central and first and foremost, and everybody that looks at a BaT listing and the type of discussion, the way we interact with the community, the level of expertise in the existing BaT community, is a huge differentiator,” says Randy. 

This expertise shows up in the comments section of each BaT auction, which could almost be described as watching real-time forums, dedicated to specific special interest vehicles or sports cars, materialize out of thin air over the course of a 7-day auction. These comments come from the hundreds of thousands of registered BaT members, who organically find their way to the same vehicle auctions where they have the most interest and knowledge.

Additional Bring a Trailer factors Randy Nonnenberg calls out include the site’s listing descriptions, which he says avoid the hyperbole that pervades most car sales situations. Randy told us the car has to stand on its own and the virtues of the vehicle, and the community will help vet the car beyond that. Randy also called out BaT’s commitment to customer service. For example, the site doesn’t get a fee if a car doesn’t meet reserve, even if the seller finds a BaT buyer after the auction, and a deal is made below reserve. 

Cars and Bids (carsandbids.com)

Cars and bids was co-founded by popular automotive YouTuber Doug DeMuro and launched in 2020. Doug’s reputation for describing not only interesting cars but interesting details about interesting cars plays well in the online auction world, where half the fun and enthusiasm for a special interest vehicle derives from the “quirks and features” Doug is known for identifying.

Cars and Bids has grown quickly, with over 220,000 registered users. Doug says he’s got data to show Cars and Bids delivers a higher sale price than its competitors on a wide range of models, which he credits to the site’s engaged bidders, dedicated focus on modern enthusiast cars from 1981 and up, and ability to get a seller’s auction live quickly, usually less than a week after receiving all the vehicle information and photos.

Doug admits to not having the same ultra-high-end buyers as some others sites. At least, not yet. But he’s also confident about the strong prices he’s getting in the sub-$100,000 market. “I’m comfortable owning the $20,000 to $90,000 market. There are more of those cars, and we have the data to show we’re getting higher prices in that range.”

Other advantages Doug claims for Cars and Bids include its low buyer’s fee (4.5 percent), zero seller’s fee, and a chat support system to help users before, during, and after the auction. Doug also has a huge social media following within the automotive enthusiast community. In his words, “Simply put, we’re able to drive more attention to each auction, and the result is more views, more bidding, and more money.”

How does Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids Work?

The buying and selling process for both Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids is remarkably similar. Both sites require users to register with a credit card to cover the listing fees, both offer reserve price and no reserve auctions, and both have a support team in place to assist sellers when listing a vehicle and both buyers and sellers after the auction ends. 

Both sites require sellers to provide proof of ownership, and both encourage sellers to provide in-depth, high-quality photography that accurately represents the vehicle. Video showing the vehicle starting and driving is also encouraged. Both sites also offer free CarFax vehicle history reports for every vehicle listed, and both allow for real-time questions and answers between prospective buyers and sellers during the 7-day auction. You also don’t have to worry about last-minute sniping because any bids that come in during the final minutes of a live auction extend the auction to allow other bidders to respond.

What are the key differences between Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids? Beyond the items each site’s founder mentioned above, the differences come down to fees and a few policies.

Bring a Trailer auctions cost either $99 for sellers who take their owner photos, or $250 for sellers who want a professional photographer to take the pictures. You can also get a “White Glove” service from Bring a Trailer, designed for sellers who have high-end vehicles and want high-end service. The White Glove price is variable and based on the level of service a seller receives. The buyer’s fee for BaT is 5 percent, with a $250 minimum and $5,000 maximum.

Cars and Bids allows sellers to list vehicles for free, but the site will connect you with a photographic service offering a 1-hour, 50-image shoot for $149 or a 2-hour, 100-image shoot for $249. The buyer’s fee for Cars and Bids is 4.5 percent, with a $225 minimum and a $4,500 maximum. 

How Am I Protected if There's a Problem with an Auction?

This is the most important question related to any online auction or purchase process. Even with hundreds of photos, a video, a CarFax history report and a community of enthusiasts involved, a buyer in New York is still placing a lot of faith when buying from a seller 3,000 miles away in San Francisco. What provisions do Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids have in place to protect someone spending tens – or hundreds – of thousands dollars on a used car they’ve never physically inspected?

As mentioned, both sites require a credit card to register to bid and a phone number to sell, and both charge the winning bidder’s card as soon as the auction ends. That discourages buyers from not following through on the purchase…but it still happens. Randy Nonnenberg told us Bring a Trailer has a 97.7 percent success rate on completed auctions, which means only 2.3 percent have something go amiss after a winning bid is declared. If it’s a buyer that refuses to follow through they are still charged the buyer’s fee (up to $5,000) and they are banned from the site. 

Cars and Bids has similar policies in place and a similarly low “failure” rate on completed auctions, but they go a step further by not only charging the buyer’s fee but giving half that fee to the seller if a buyer flakes and doesn’t complete the purchase. Of course, Doug also confided that buyers can, and often do, request a “chargeback” in these situations, – meaning they dispute the charge with their credit card company and are refunded the buyer’s fee.

Conversely, what if the buyer follows through in good conscience only to receive a vehicle that’s nothing like what was described in the auction? Again, this is a relatively rare occurrence because of the in-depth photography and vehicle history report presented for most cars. But it does happen and, like the chargeback situation above, there’s not much a buyer can do after the purchase has been finalized and the money has changed hands.

This is why, despite the explosive growth of Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids recent years, buyers and sellers should perform their own due diligence before using an online auction site. Remember, at the end of the day these sites are essentially elaborate systems meant to introduce a seller and a buyer to each other. These sites don’t personally vet the cars, or the individuals, involved in the transaction.  

Examples of due diligence include contacting the buyer or seller directly, before the auction ends, to get a sense of who you’re dealing with. Better still, as a buyer it’s always in your best interest to only bid on cars you can physically inspect, and hopefully even test drive, before an auction ends. That might mean limiting your bids to local auctions, or it might mean booking a last-minute flight. 

Neither of those are preferred methods of buying or selling a vehicle, but they are prudent measures when spending the kind of money these auctions typically generate. Even with all the technology we have at our disposal in 2022 the classic mantra is still the best policy: 

Buyer (and Seller) Beware…

More from iSeeCars:

• How to Buy a Car in a Different State
• Autocheck Vs. Carfax: Which is Best?
• Fastest Cars Under 50k

About iSeeCars.com:

iSeeCars.com is a car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check reports and Best Cars rankings. iSeeCars.com has saved users over $332 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.

This article, Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids: How Online Auction Sites Work, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.  

What is a Car Lien?

A car lien is a contract that gives the lienholder the legal right to a vehicle until the borrower pays off the loan in full. All vehicles that are financed have liens on them. That means that if you take out a loan for a vehicle, your creditor is the legal owner of the vehicle and is entitled to repossess the car if you default on your loan payments. In other words, a car lien is an insurance policy for an auto loan lender so they aren’t responsible for payments if the borrower fails to pay for their vehicle. Liens can be placed on both new cars and used cars. 

Who Is the Lien Holder for a Car?

An auto loan lender is typically the lienholder on your car, and in most states is in possession of the vehicle’s title. The lender will usually file the lien with the state’s department of motor vehicles.

How Do I Obtain My Car Title After Paying Off My Loan?

When your auto loan is paid off in full, the lienholder is required to contact your state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) either electronically or by required paperwork. What happens next varies by state. Some states will automatically mail you your car title once your loan is paid in full. In other states, your financial institution will send you a lien release with documentation that the loan has been paid off. You will then have to visit the DMV to get your vehicle title and become the registered owner of the vehicle. 

You can learn more about your state’s process by visiting your state DMV’s website. 

Does Having a Lien on Your Car Affect Car Insurance?

Your car’s lien holder will likely require you to obtain certain auto insurance coverage in order to protect the creditor if the vehicle is in an accident, damaged, or stolen. Your lienholder may also appear on your vehicle’s insurance policy. After your loan is paid off, comprehensive coverage and collision coverage are likely optional and the lien holder can be removed from your policy.

Can I Buy a Car with a Lien?

If the car’s seller is unable to pay off their loan, they can sell the car while it still has a lien. If you’re considering purchasing a car with a lien through a private party, you’ll want to make sure that the lien is removed before you become the new owner. You can work directly with the lienholder to determine the payoff amount for the car, and you can either pay by cash or secure a loan through a lender. If you’re taking out a loan, your lender will complete the process of paying off the lien holder, and a loan for the vehicle will be placed in your name. 

How Do I Sell a Car with a Lien?

If you want to sell your car with a lien, you should first contact your lienholder for the loan payoff amount. Your lienholder can also guide you through the process of selling your car to a private seller.  When making a private sale, you’ll need to either pay off your loan prior to selling, or find a buyer who will pay off your car loan for you.

Because it might be difficult to find someone willing to pay off your loan, trading your car in at the dealership might be the easiest option. However, you won’t likely get as much money as you would get through a private sale. Dealers might pay off your loan as part of the vehicle trade-in process as well as handle the title transfer process. Beware that your trade-in amount might be less than what you owe if you’re upside down on your loan (i.e. owe more money on the loan than the car is worth). If this is the case, you will have to pay the difference between your trade-in value and the amount that you owe. 

What is an Electronic Lien?

The Electronic Lien and Title System is a paperless Title program that allows the Registry of Motor Vehicles and lienholders to electronically exchange title information.

What is a Mechanic’s Lien?

In some states, a mechanic can place a lien on your vehicle if you are unable to pay for maintenance or repair work within a certain amount of time. Depending on your state, an unpaid mechanic’s lien gives the lienholder the right to sell your car at auction. Paying for your repairs is the only way to keep you from losing your car if a mechanic’s lien has been placed.

How to Tell if a Car Has a Lien?

If you’re buying a used car from a private party, you should always check its lien status. Here’s how to find out:

• Run a Comprehensive VIN Search: Services like the iSeeCars free VIN check let you enter your vehicle identification number or VIN. The VIN check will provide a comprehensive analysis of the vehicle including title/lien information when provided by the state’s DMV. 
• Get a vehicle history report: A vehicle history report can provide a vehicle’s lien history. The iSeeCars VIN check also links to a CARFAX or Autocheck report, sometimes free of charge. 

Bottom Line

If a vehicle is financed, it will have a lien on it until it is paid off in full. If you’re the owner of a financed vehicle, it’s important to know who the lienholder is and what the insurance requirements are. If you’re selling the vehicle before it’s paid off, make sure you know which steps you need to take. Always make sure to check if a vehicle has a lien if you’re purchasing from a private seller. If the vehicle does have a lien, contact the lender to find out how to complete the car title transfer process.

More from iSeeCars:

• What is a Salvage Title?
• Buying a Car Out of State: What You Should Know
• What to Look for When Buying a Used Car

This article, What is a Car Lien?, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.

Under the so-called X-in-1 philosophy, core components of both battery electric and e-Power powertrains (3 for EV, 5 for e-Power) will be modularized, with some sharing between the two—an approach that allows them to be produced on the same line.

Such sharing and modularization of core components will help reduce powertrain costs by approximately 30% when it’s introduced in 2024, compared to 2019, and by around 2026, when they are due to be ramped up for mass production, it will enable that price parity.

Nissan E-Power shares tech between EVs and hybrids

Nissan’s e-Power models are series hybrids—meaning that a gasoline engine drives a generator, while an electric motor drives the wheels (with a modest battery buffer in the middle). Nissan hasn’t ruled out the idea of plug-in hybrids, but all of its e-Power models as of yet have stuck to the gasoline-fueled format.

E-Power made its debut in 2016 on the Japan-market Note small car, and since then it’s pushed the system out to more models and made the Note all-hybrid, with the tech now arriving in Europe.

The more focused sharing of motor and inverter technology between e-Power and its EVs will help lower the costs of both, and Nissan noted it’s heading into its third generation of in-house inverters, with significant progress in efficiency and downsizing. It’s also adding a newly developed motor that reduces the use of heavy rare earth elements to 1% or less of the magnets’ weight, Nissan says, while the modularization itself will reduce size by 10% and help control noise and vibration.

In a little more detail, the EV version combines the motor, inverter, and reduction gear, while the e-Power version combines the motor, inverter, generator, reduction gear, and engine-generator gear. Nissan’s affiliated transmission supplier Jatco will package the components together in modules.

Nissan e-Power hybrids for North America?

Nissan didn’t discuss applications for North America in a virtual reveal of the tech or in an accompanying press release. But according to Automotive News, citing senior vice president Toshihiro Hirai, e-Power may be used in future body-on-frame vehicles.

That could refer to a wide range of potential vehicles, including fleet delivery vans, other commercial vehicles, or personal-use pickups or SUVs—or all of the above.

In the U.S. Nissan has sent many mixed messages about e-Power hybrids—and how its North American EV lineup might look later in the decade. But this announcement could be a positive step for the rollout of these technologies.

The parent company originally said that it intended to roll out a version of it as a mass-market hybrid system for North America, replacing its limited-availability Rogue Hybrid and perhaps eventually taking on the hybrid-rich product mix of the Toyota RAV4 or Ford Escape. In 2019, it instead said that while it was still studying the tech for America, e-Power hybrids for the U.S. would aim for performance rather than just fuel economy.

Later in 2019, its Infiniti luxury brand revealed a sweeping plan to refocus its lineup around EVs and a version of e-Power, but by mid 2021 it dropped that high-tech vision.

EV price war? The modular approach might help

Nissan has hinted at a replacement for its Leaf, due around 2026, and the possibility of an electric compact truck. Both would be cost-conscious product aided by this modular approach.

Looking at what Nissan has confirmed: Mid-decade in Mississippi, it plans to ramp up the production of two new EVs—one for the Nissan brand, the other for Infiniti.

Nissan USA told Green Car Reports that it could neither verify the modular system for those nor provide any update on the timeline for e-Power in the U.S.

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Looking solely at EVs, Nissan sees cost parity as further out—and it again pointed to its anticipated introduction of its own solid-state batteries around 2028, with mass-market scale a couple years later, as a key to that.

As reported by KSTP.com, Xcel Energy in August sent a proposal to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to build, own, and operate its own network of 730 charging sites by 2026. The project would cost about $170 million, according to the proposal, which also said Xcel need another $27 million from ratepayers between now and 2026 to help fund it.

As with previous utility-based charging infrastructure proposals, this could prove controversial because Xcel would raise electricity rates across the board, whether customers own EVs or not. That would effectively mean some customers will pay higher rates to fund infrastructure they wouldn’t use.

The proposal states that “charging stations will be included in rate base, meaning Xcel Energy customers will pay for the construction and maintenance of these facilities.”

Xcel also noted in the proposal that the 730-site figure is equal to 1,470 connectors and 194 megawatts of charging capacity, leaving room for a lot of fast chargers. That would be a major upgrade for Minnesota’s EV charging infrastructure, but the KSTP.com report notes that the proposal has been met with significant opposition owing to the possibility of rate increases.

One of the largest such utility-based programs to date is one in California adding 38,000 EV chargers over five years, run by Southern California Edison but in this case made possible with state money. Other California projects involving wide deployment of chargers have potentially affected ratepayers, but they haven’t been openly attributed as a primary method of funding them.

It’s unclear how many of these deployed chargers would qualify under the federal charging network, which aims for 500,000 EV chargers by 2030, and the funding unlocked by meeting the federal government’s requirements.

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At the same time there has been a surge in charging network announcements—some of it connected to the infrastructure law. Examples include a network from GM and EVgo, one adding 1,000 chargers at 200 TravelCenters of America, Mercedes’ network plan for 2,500 fast-charging ports, and a Volvo-Starbucks network.

Level 3 autonomy is available for sale in the Mercedes-Benz EQS sedans and S-Class. Mercedes calls the system Drive Pilot. It can handle most driving requirements, but a driver must still jump in and take control if required.

With this new era of self-driving cars comes a new consciousness of what autonomous-driving vehicles bring. This has been highlighted by Ford’s application for a new patent, which includes a feature that the car will drive itself to an impound lot under certain conditions. If the driver or owner doesn’t meet obligations agreed to, or someone or something considers them unfit to operate the vehicle, it can activate itself and head to the closest impound lot. 

If a vehicle owner ignores warnings about missed payments, a vehicle could begin disabling features like cruise controls, air conditioning, the radio, and GPS. It could send beeps and reminders designed to irritate drivers to pay attention to them. If those don’t work, it could lock drivers out or drive itself to the impound lot. Finally, the car could send itself to jail for non-payment.

Ford has taken the public position that it does not plan to implement any of these features shortly. Many companies submit patents for features or technologies that never reach the market.

It also raises the question about autonomous cars in general. Southern states, like Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and New York State, make considerable income from fines and tickets.  A survey from the Urban Institute shows that state and local governments make sixteen billion from penalties annually.

They found that states and local governments have ramped up speeding ticket enforcement in response to budgetary shortfalls. However, since that money comes back to the departments, some may consider it a conflict of interest.

California makes the most money from these fines at one billion dollars. Depending on the state, it varies from 0.4 to 0.7 percent of its revenue. For example, Alabama makes 0.7 percent of revenue from fines. But when it comes to municipalities, they produce considerably more.  The fines and fees justice center found that some cities make up over 10% of traffic ticket writing. They also do some alarming trends in traffic ticket writing. For instance, in 2019, Henderson, La, a town of 2,000, collected $1.7 million in fines, 89% of their general revenues. That trend is also seen across the country.  

By its very nature, the autonomous car does not speed.  It does not park; it does not run red lights.  It does not break the law.  So those that can afford the autonomous car will not be paying for traffic tickets. The burden of financing a municipality may become placed on poor Americans or new taxes for electric and autonomous vehicles.

The company already lopped $10,000 off the price of the Model S in January, as part of sweeping price cuts across the entire lineup; now it’s cut another $5,000. With this, an even greater cut applies to Model X prices; they’re now $10,000 lower than they were last week.

As of Monday, March 6, the Model S starts at $91,380, including the mandatory $1,390 destination fee. That’s for the Dual Motor version offering a 405-mile EPA range and claimed 0-60 mph time of 3.1 seconds. The Dual Motor version of the Model X starts at $101,380 in five-passenger form, while six- and seven-passenger versions are available at extra cost.

These prices, while much lower than they were last year, remain far higher than in late 2020, when the company dropped prices on the Model S in an apparent effort to match the Lucid Air. Both models have since hiked prices; the Air starts at $94,400 in its dual-motor Pure version, rated at 410 miles of range.

Also of note: The top-performance Tesla Model S Plaid and Model X Plaid both now start at the same price—$111,380. Tesla claims that the Model S Plaid, with a 396-mile range rating, remains the quickest accelerating car in production today (0-60 mph time of 1.99 seconds and quarter-mile time of 9.23 seconds), while the Model X Plaid achieves a 333-mile range rating and is claimed to be the quickest-accelerating SUV in production today. Both Plaid models have a tri-motor, 1,020-horsepower propulsion system, plus upgraded brake pads and a carbon-fiber spoiler.

Tesla continues to offer its $15,000 Full Self-Driving package—now labeled Full Self-Driving Capability—on both of these models. Until now that has included the Full Self-Driving Beta system allowing Autosteer on City Streets, but last month the company issued a recall on that system after federal regulators said that it poses “an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.”

Tesla hasn’t yet delivered the required firmware update to vehicles, and it’s reportedly halted new software installations of Full Self-Driving beta software ahead of the update.

The move could wreak further havoc on the used Tesla market—or help make used Teslas more affordable, depending on your outlook. Amid signs that the Tesla demand bubble had burst, used Tesla prices were already dropping in the latter half of 2022 before the January price cuts, and prior to those Tesla offered a discount on the Model 3 and Model Y of up to $7,500.

At Tesla’s Investor Day last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk batted back the possibility that the market may be getting tighter, quipping that demand is “indistinguishable from infinite.”

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However Tesla might want to see this, the price cut represents how competitive—and crowded—the premium EV field has become, with entries from Rivian, Lucid, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Cadillac, and others gaining EV market share.

These conclusions come from UK-based data analytics firm Wejo Group Limited, which used real-world trip data from connected cars. The findings are based on “trillions of data points from billions of vehicle journeys taken by over 11 million vehicles across the United States,” filtered by states and cities that have more than 1,000 EVs and internal-combustion vehicles on their roads, the company said in a press release.

Currently across the U.S., the typical daily EV trip length is about 30 miles, while it’s just under 33 miles for gasoline vehicles.

Of the metro areas surveyed, many saw increases in average EV trip lengths in 2022 compared to 2021, according to the analysis. The biggest increases were reportedly in Toledo, Ohio; Bakersfield and Fresno, California; and Plano, Texas, at 11% to 17% from 2021.

At the same time, many of the same metro areas—including Bakersfield and Fresno, as well as Stockton, California; Reno, Nevada; and Anchorage, Alaska—reportedly saw decreases in internal-combustion vehicle trip lengths, ranging from 3% to 5% shorter.

On the state level, South Carolina saw the biggest jump in EV trip lengths, at 22%, followed by Texas and Nevada at 10%, and Michigan and Indiana, which both saw average distances driven in EVs increase by 9% in 2022. Some states also saw decreases in average internal-combustion trip lengths, with Montana, Alaska, Wyoming, North Dakota, and Delaware having the largest gaps, at 4% to 6% shorter than 2021.

Years ago, studies found that anxiety over available range was keeping people from jumping to an EV for everyday driving. But that appears to no longer be the case. Admittedly, underestimating EV capabilities has been an issue throughout. Even back in 2012, not including the Tesla Model S, a study suggested that 95% of all trips could be made in an EV. As several studies have pointed out over the years, just owning an EV will quell some common concerns.

An issue that first surfaced in 2009 has become more of a concern—charging anxiety, or the worry that even when a charger is nearby, it won’t work. Charging infrastructure has expanded greatly since then, but reliability is still a concern. It’s the exact opposite of the situation when electric cars first appeared over a century ago, when the lack of fuel stations made gasoline range anxiety prevalent, with EV charging seeming easy by comparison.

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Eliminating range anxiety is important for increasing EV adoption, but to meet the ultimate goal of reducing emissions across the vehicle fleet, Americans need to be driving a lot less. That seems to happen only when gas prices spike, however.

From a size and practicality perspective, the most family-friendly choices are the minivan and the SUV. But between the two, which is the better choice?

We’ve taken a hard look at both in order to answer that question. Both vehicles have their pros and cons, and the right vehicle for your family depends on your circumstance.

SUV Vs. Minivan: Key Differences

The minivan and the SUV are built upon mutually-exclusive platforms that share little mechanical similarities. The differences in the powertrain, drivetrain, and manufacturing of these two body styles result in significant differences in how they each ride and drive.

Let’s consider the SUV first. The SUV was originally an outgrowth of the pickup truck; the automakers essentially took a truck frame and dressed it up with a fully enclosed body that included one or two additional rows of seats. Rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive was the norm, as were big engines and truck-like suspensions. Early SUVs were not for the faint of heart. 

Fast forward a bit to the current crop of SUVs, which retain many of these traditional qualities. They utilize body-on-frame construction - though a few exceptions, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, have switched over to the more car-like unibody construction - are powered by big engines, and continue to cast large shadows. These are big, capable vehicles. 

Their size allows them to easily hold large amounts of cargo and up to nine passengers with ease. But with that size come drawbacks: fuel economy is mediocre at best and abysmal at worst, parking is always a challenge, and handling and braking performance leaves a lot to be desired.

The minivan eliminates those issues because it is built on a car platform rather than a truck platform. Front-wheel drive is the standard drivetrain used for minivans, though all-wheel drive (AWD) is available on some models, such as the Toyota Sienna and the Chrysler Pacifica. A minivan is significantly smaller than an SUV in terms of exterior size, allowing it to be more manageable and easier to park. The ride is more car-like, as are the handling and braking characteristics.

Drive both back-to-back and you’ll find that the SUV will likely offer just as good a ride as the minivan. The SUV won’t be as easy to maneuver and will certainly be worse on gas, but it will likely have better performance, especially a V8 model. The current selection of minivans all use more economical four-cylinders or V6 engines, and return a few MPGs more in any given situation than a full-size SUV.

Both types of vehicles offer advanced safety features including automatic emergency braking, collision warning, and blind spot monitoring.

The Minivan: Key Takeaways

The minivan does not sell itself on style, image, or performance. It sells itself on practicality, and in that regard it cannot be matched. In a quest to maximize utility, the minivan has a few tricks up its sleeve that makes it particularly appealing for families:

Design

It all starts with that one-box shape. By nearly eliminating the hood and pushing the body as far forward as possible, the minivan allows for an abundance of interior space that cannot be rivaled by any other automobile. That includes the full-size, three-row SUVs like the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition. 

To see this in action, just fold down the second and third row of seats. Doing so with a Suburban results in 120 cubic feet of cargo space. Do the same thing with a Chrysler Pacifica and 140.5 cubic feet of cargo room becomes available. The Pacifica pulls this off while also being nearly two feet shorter than the big Chevy. Minivans generally offer more legroom, especially in the third row compared to SUVs.

Today’s minivans have a design that more closely resembles SUVs. The Kia Carnival bills itself as a multipurpose vehicle and has a rectangular design that looks like a stretched-out SUV. The Carnival is actually built on the same platform as the Kia Sorento.

Efficiency

Minivans are more fuel-efficient and space-efficient than any large SUV. They can hold more than any full-sized SUV, yet will return gas mileage that is comparable with a mid-sized crossover. The hybrid Toyota Sienna has a combined MPG of up to 36 mpg. The Chrysler Pacifica even offers a plug-in hybrid model that can net 30 MPG combined and has an all-electric range of 32 miles.

Even the standard V6-powered models from Honda, Toyota, Kia, and Chrysler are all impressively efficient compared to any traditional SUV. A Honda Odyssey, for instance, is rated for 28 MPG on the highway and has a combined MPG of 22.

Sliding Rear Doors

 Another important differentiator of the minivan is the sliding rear doors. Save the Tesla Model X and its falcon doors, every crossover and SUV uses traditionally-hinged doors that open outward. A minivan eschews these doors for sliding units that run along a track. Pull the handle and the door pops out an inch or two and begins to slide rearward, resulting in a very large opening from which to enter the back seat. 

This door design makes it easy to enter the rear two rows of a minivan, even in crowded parking lots or during curbside loading. It also makes it easier to remove the rear seats in vans that don’t offer something like Chrysler’s Stow and Go system, which allows for the second-row seats to fold completely flat. And anyone trying to finagle large or bulky items into their van will have a much easier time doing so with sliding doors rather than traditional doors.

Many vans also offer rear doors with a power-sliding feature. Simply pull on the handle and let the door run itself along the track until it is fully open. Power-sliding doors can also be operated right from the driver’s seat with the press of a button.

Unique Features

The latest minivans offer features particularly tailored to families and unique to the minivan segment. There’s the available in-car vacuum from Chrysler and Honda, for instance. The Toyota Sienna offers an intercom system so the rearmost passengers can easily communicate with the driver. Rear-seat entertainment systems are available with every minivan; Chrysler’s even incorporates built-in games and apps.

Perhaps most significant is the flexibility surrounding seating arrangements. All minivans offer seating for up to eight people, but seats can be folded away or removed outright in various combinations. The Kia Carnival’s middle seats can rotate 180 degrees, and the center seat can fold down to become a table.The center seats are also removable and can easily be attached.

The breadth of seating options is more than what’s available with three-row SUVs.

Affordability

SUVs can be expensive, but it takes some legwork on the options sheet to get a minivan anywhere near $50,000. The Kia Carnival starts at $36,465 and the Toyota Sienna starts at $37,470.

The Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey are pricier than those budget options, but even with all the options checked these vehicles can be had for under $50,000. This is not the case with big SUVs, which begin at that price point.

The SUV: Key Takeaways

The minivan is the undisputed champion of practicality, but that doesn’t mean the SUV is inferior. It excels in its own way, capable of doing things simply not possible with a minivan. It is a different beast of burden that can tow, haul, and perform with serious aptitude.

Towing Capacity

A minivan might be able to tow home your John Deere lawn tractor, but it won’t be hauling your boat to the marina or the family RV to the campground. For those times when you’ve got at least two tons hitched up to your bumper, you’ll need an SUV. Their body-on-frame design and large V8 engines have the stamina and strength to pull impressively large loads. SUVs like the Chevy Tahoe, Ford Expedition, GMC Yukon, Nissan Armada, and Toyota Sequoia can all tow at least 6,000 pounds and as much as 9,300 pounds.

Smaller, more popular SUVs like the Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee will also out-tow the average minivan by a decent margin. A Grand Cherokee, for instance, tows up to 7,200 pounds; the Explorer, 5,600 pounds. A Dodge Durango can tow 8,700 pounds and a Nissan Pathfinder will haul 6,000 pounds.

Performance

With a range of available powertrains, the SUV offers a diverse selection of performance options that does not exist in the minivan realm. Turbocharged four-cylinder engines come standard in something like the Ford Explorer, V8 engines are the only option in the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, and a twin-turbo V6 engine is the exclusive powerplant in the Ford Expedition. 

There’s also some seriously fast performance SUVs that can bring shame to all manner of sports cars. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is the best example of this breed, as its 707 horsepower makes it one of the most powerful SUVs available at any price. A notch down from that is the 475-horsepower Dodge Durango SRT. The latest Ford Explorer midsize SUV offers a 400-horse ST model.

Configurations

 Similar to minivans, many 3-row SUVs come with second-row captain’s chairs on upper trims. Along with added comfort, captain’s chairs allow for easier access to the third row. Examples include the Kia Telluride, the Honda Pilot, and the Toyota Highlander.

Four-Wheel Drive

 SUVs built their reputation on the back of their off-road capability, and that hasn’t really changed: four-wheel drive, which is optional on nearly all SUVs, is still part and parcel of the experience. Some SUVs, such as the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner, are incredibly capable machines that can go well beyond where any other ordinary SUV can roam. Vehicles like the Tahoe and Expedition won’t survive the trail but can hold their own on rutted two-track roads just fine. And in inclement weather, the four-wheel-drive SUV with higher ground clearance will be more sure-footed than any minivan.

With its low ground clearance, long wheelbase, and front-drive design, a minivan isn’t going further afield than a gravel parking lot, and even a wintry day could be a little hairy without snow tires. But a four-wheel-drive SUV will happily trek to more remote destinations during any season without a hiccup.

All-Electric Options

 The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid model, and is the only electrified minivan. If you want to go all-electric, there are a number of SUVs to choose from including the Kia EV6, the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model X, and the Subaru Solterra.

Luxury

 About as luxurious as a minivan gets is a decked-out Sienna or Pacifica with a price tag approaching $50,000. Those are certainly nice vehicles, but the SUV is only getting started at that price point. Luxury SUVs can stretch well into the six figures, representing some of the swankiest rides out there. 

The Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade are most popular among the luxury SUV segment, but plenty of foreign options are also available, such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the less capable GLS. There are also performance-oriented choices like the Porsche Cayenne and Tesla Model X. At the very top of the pecking order are SUVs like the Bentley Bentayga, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and Lamborghini Urus.

The Bottom Line

Beyond the ability to take eight or nine passengers and all their cargo on an extended road trip, there are few similarities between the minivan and the SUV. One is smaller, efficient, and useless off the pavement; the other is big, capable, and ready for the dirt. One can tow and haul and dress itself up, and the other will ferry the family around with all the comfort and ease of an extra-large Honda Accord.

So which is better? If you need to tow, if you’re looking for performance, or you want genuine luxury trappings, the SUV is the answer. Until there’s a minivan that can tow nearly 10,000 pounds or spit out 700 horsepower, the SUV takes the cake in terms of capability. It also has a certain curb appeal that minivans sorely lack. 

Yet there’s no doubt that minivan pulls ahead when playing the role of the family car thanks to its passenger space and features. It’s the better choice for parents who have a gaggle of children to ferry around and need practicality over all else. It isn't the glamorous choice, or the most powerful, but it gets the job done without fanfare or drama. It is efficient, comfortable, and easy to live with. Overall, the minivan is a better family hauler than a big, thirstier, less roomy SUV.

More from iSeeCars:

• Best SUVs for Towing
• Most Reliable Minivans
• Best SUVs for Snow

If you’re in the market for a new or used SUV or minivan, you can search over 4 million used vehicles with iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars VIN check report and Best Cars rankings. Whether you want a minivan or SUV, car buying has never been so easy.

This article, Minivan Vs. SUV: Which Family Hauler is Right for You?, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.

• The non-Tesla EV charging grid has fewer than 12,000 Level 3 fast chargers 
• Tesla’s Supercharger Network has over 17,000 Level 3 chargers
• Tesla’s could grow the U.S. Level 3 charging network by 150 percent, but it only plans to offer 3,500 of those chargers to non-Tesla owners
• Rural states would benefit the most from full access to the Tesla network

iSeeCars analyzed the number of electric vehicle charging stations currently available in the U.S., comparing Tesla’s Supercharger network to the non-Tesla fast chargers that any EV driver can access. 

Tesla Could Grow the Level 3 Fast Charger Network by 2.5 times…But It Won’t

“Our analysis found that Tesla’s network could more than double the number of Level 3 fast chargers available to EV drivers. But rather than offering up all 17,248 of its fast chargers, Tesla will only commit 3,500 units for public use by late 2024,” said Karl Brauer, Executive Analyst at iSeeCars. “At the rate EV sales are growing in the U.S. this will do little to improve fast-charging access for non-Tesla drivers.”

Tesla Could Substantially Improve EV Infrastructure For Rural Communities

Residents in rurals states have been the slowest to make the EV transition, though we’ve seen movement in places like Mississippi and Wyoming in recent months. But if we’re really going to grow electric vehicle market share from 6 percent to 40 percent in the next 7 years, every region of the U.S. will have to participate. 

iSeeCars looked at the top 10 states that would benefit from full access to the Tesla Supercharger network, with Virgina topping the list. Non-Tesla EV drivers in that state would see a nearly 10 times increase in fast charger access.

“Tesla’s Supercharger network is both vast and advanced, with more Level 3 fast chargers than all other EV charging networks, including Electrify America and ChargePoint, combined,” said Brauer. “If Tesla opened its entire network up to non-Tesla vehicles it would immediately and substantially improve the EV infrastructure, particularly in rural areas that have been slow to make the EV transition.”

What About Those 100,000+ Non-Tesla Level 2 Chargers? Can’t They Help?

There are roughly 300 million registered cars in the U.S., and most of them are powered by gasoline while being served by 170,000 gas stations. With 116,000 non-Tesla EV charging stations available for far fewer electric vehicles, the infrastructure seems like it should already meet the needs of EV drivers. But it doesn’t, because the dynamics of charging an electric vehicle are nothing like filling up a tank of gas. 

*Excludes chargers from the Tesla network

Note that while California has the most EV chargers in the U.S., Vermont has the most chargers relative to its population. And given the state’s far smaller land mass, it’s likely much easier to access the current public charging network in Vermont versus California. Conversely, states like Mississippi, Louisiana, South Dakota, Kentucky, and Indiana offer far fewer chargers per capita. But these numbers include Level 2 chargers, which offer limited value for most EV drivers.

“While a Level 2 charger can keep a nearly depleted EV from being stranded on the side of the road, their 12-60 miles-per-hour of charging rate makes them impractical for mid-day ‘fill ups’ while running errands, or for road trips where a driver wants to cover ground at a rate comparable to a gasoline-powered vehicle,” said Brauer. “At 3 to 20 miles per minute, Level 3 charging is much faster, and once you experience it, Level 2 charging feels like watching paint dry.”

That means only a Level 3 charger is suited for anything beyond overnight charging at home. And if a given electric vehicle owner’s closest Level 3 charging station is 20 miles away, it’s not worth burning 40 miles of range just to charge up. The same can be said for Level 3 EV charging stations that are convenient, but consistently overrun by long lines of electric vehicles waiting to charge–the high demand similarly negates the station’s functionality.

So while those Level 2 chargers can save EV drivers in a pinch, a large network of Level 3 chargers is necessary to truly serve a nation of EV drivers.

Current Level 3 EV Charging Stations

Less than 12,000 of the 116,200 non-Tesla EV charging stations currently in the U.S. are Level 3, making the other 104,000 stations useless for the average electric vehicle driver looking for a refueling experience comparable to that of gasoline vehicles. Not surprisingly, many of the same states with a high overall EV charger count also have the most Level 3 chargers, though when ranked relative to population, Oklahoma and Oregon break into the top 5, while Massachusetts and Rhode Island fall out.

*Excludes chargers from the Tesla network

Which States Have the Most and Least Tesla Fast Chargers?

Tesla hasn’t confirmed where its 3,500 fast chargers will come from, but we can look at the current location of Tesla’s Level 3 chargers to see which states offer the best fast charger coverage. 

Tesla wanted to enable cross-country trips for its owners, which explains why relatively low-population states like Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota have so many chargers. Given the specific mention of “highway corridors” in the White House statement about Tesla opening up its network, we should expect to see many of these same Level 3 chargers as part of the 3,500 made available to non-Tesla drivers.

Adding 3,500 Tesla Fast Chargers Is Better Than Nothing

“There’s massive potential upside for all electric vehicle drivers if Tesla opens its entire network,” said Brauer. “But Tesla has only committed to 3,500 Level 3 chargers becoming available by the end of 2024, or about 20 percent of its total fast-charging network. Of course every little bit counts when trying to solve the EV infrastructure problem, but it’s disappointing to see this little bit coming from the nation’s largest fast charger network.”

Methodology

iSeeCars analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center through 2022 as of February 8, 2023. The number of Level 2 EVSE and DC Fast EVSE ports was aggregated nationally and by state for chargers from Tesla’s network as well as all other networks. The number of chargers was normalized by population counts from the U.S. Census Bureau.

More from iSeeCars:

• How to Buy an Electric Car
• 25 Best Electric Cars
• Electric Cars with the Longest Range

About iSeeCars.com

iSeeCars.com is a data-driven car search and research company that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check reports and Best Cars rankings. iSeeCars.com has saved users over $372 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.

This article, How Much Will Tesla’s Supercharger Network Help Non-Tesla EV Drivers?, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.

Recent reports from Edmunds and Bloomberg found that high interest rates coupled with high new car prices and cooling used car values have found many Americans upside down on their car loans.

“Even if the US economy avoids a recession this year, consumers will likely struggle to make payments on their auto loans, especially with the Federal Reserve planning to keep raising interest rates,” Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

The average new car interest rate rose to 6.5% in Q4 of 2022, up from 4.1% a year earlier, according to data from Edmunds. The confluence of high new car prices and higher interest rates means that borrowers owe more and are taking out longer, more expensive loans to finance their purchase.

The average term limit of a new car loan is 70 months, which has stayed relatively even for the past few years. The difference now is the monthly payment has ballooned to $717 per month in Q4 of 2022, up from $659 a year ago. Nearly 16% of new car borrowers are paying more than $1,000 per month—a record—due to the double whammy of high new car prices and high interest rates.

The average price shoppers are paying for a new car reached $46,229, which is a record for the month and an increase of 4.8% from February 2022. In December 2022, the average hit $47,362, which was a record for any month in history. The average new car price has risen 20% since the start of the pandemic, according to Automotive News, with no signs of it cooling off any time soon.

With supply finally catching up with demand, new car shoppers were estimated to spend “nearly $42.0 billion on new vehicles” in the month, another February record.

“Despite economic headwinds, the auto industry is on track to deliver year-over-year sales growth alongside record transaction prices and record consumer expenditures for the month of February,” said Thomas King, president of data and analytics at J.D. Power.

Now that supply constraints have loosened, more new cars mean that dealers won’t be selling as many cars above MSRP as they did during the pandemic. In July 2022, the number of vehicles sold above MSRP was 48%, compared to 31% now. J.D. Power estimates that dealers make $3,820 on every new car sold, which is down more than 23% from a year ago.

Are 7-year car loans the new normal?

That might be down news for dealers, but good news for their financial arms. For now.

Consumers are requesting longer terms as a way of lowering their monthly payments, Automotive News reported in January. In the third quarter of 2022, 20% of new car borrowers committed to at least seven-year, 84-month loans, according to Experian. And used car borrowers got in on the action, with 11% of borrowers agreeing to a seven-year loan.

Four to five years into that loan, the vehicle can be worth less than what is owed on the loan. So if an owner went to trade in for a new car, they would have to roll the old debt on the trade-in into the new car loan, further compounding the debt.

During the topsy-turvy pandemic world, when the constraints on new car prices let to recored used car prices, a shopper could trade in their car for a much higher value to offset the cost of a new car loan. For a brief time, owners were able to sell their gently used cars for more than they paid for them.

Those days are over. Used car prices have fallen 7.3% in February 2023 from the year before, according to Manheim’s Used Vehicle Value Index.

“As we shifted toward an environment with diminished used car values and rising interest rates over the past few months, consumers have become less insulated from those riskier loan decisions, and we are only seeing the tip of the negative equity iceberg,” Ivan Drury, Edmunds’ director of insights, said in a statement.

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This means new car shoppers will either keep amassing debt, and increasing the risk of default, or stay in their current vehicles and stop buying new cars.

That’s not to say Japan’s performance car industry didn’t exist before 1990, but the average American’s awareness of Japanese domestic market models (or JDM cars) was minimal, at best. The term JDM originally represented cars sold primarily in Japan, but it has come to mean any high-performance Japanese model, where a new or used car sold exclusively in Japan or in multiple global markets, including the U.S. and Canada.

That started to change in the 1980s, as sporty two-door coupes like the Honda Prelude, Mazda RX-7, Nissan 240SX, and Toyota Supra and Celica joined the Nissan 300ZX in U.S. showrooms. But the real pivot toward JDM vehicles came in the 1990s, when magazines like Sport Compact Car and Super Street focused on the growing enthusiasm for Japanese “tuner cars” and the enthusiast culture forming around them. The Acura Integra, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Eclipse, and Nissan 240SX were among the most common models featured in these magazines. 

The growing popularity of those American market magazines was conveniently timed with a wave of Japanese supercars coming to U..S showrooms, such as the all-new Honda NSX (badged as an Acura in the U.S.) and Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4. The 1990s also saw substantial horsepower and chassis upgrades to existing U.S-market Japanese sports cars like the RX-7, Supra, and 300ZX, many of them now featuring twin-turbo engines and successfully competing in high-profile motorsports activities. 

By the early 2000s additional JDM models had made the leap to U.S. showrooms, including the all-wheel-drive Subaru Impreza WRX STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (or Evo). The Honda S2000, a new rear-wheel-drive sports car with a 6-speed manual transmission and 9,000 rpm redline, added to the momentum, as did a little movie called The Fast and The Furious. 

This relatively low-budget, performance-car-themed film put a heavy emphasis on JDM cars sporting numerous aftermarket car parts. Honda Civic and Mitsubishi Eclipse variants, utilizing large spoilers and nitrous oxide, along with true JDM cars like the right-hand drive Nissan Skyline GT-R, helped validate the film with JDM fans. The Fast and The Furious was a huge box-office success, inspiring more than 10 sequels/spin-offs, and popularizing terms like nitrous oxide, supercharger, and twin turbo.

While most automotive enthusiasts still wouldn’t put JDM cars on the same plane as European supercars from BMW’s M Sport group, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG, or Porsche, there’s no denying the rising interest, and market value, of the following JDM classic cars.

1. Acura Integra Type R 

Called the Honda Integra Type R in Japan, it was sold in the U.S. from 1997 to 2001. The Integra Type R featured a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing (VTEC) and upgraded suspension and brake components. It is considered among the best Japanese performance hatchbacks of the era.

2. Acura NSX 

Known as the Honda NSX in Japan, this mid-engine, V6-powered supercar debuted in the U.S. in 1991 and featured the first mass-produced lightweight aluminum body. It’s not overstating things to say the NSX established a new supercar performance benchmark that other supercar brands had to scramble to keep up with.

3. Honda Civic 

Originally a compact car with an emphasis on fuel economy, the Honda Civic is one of the most popular cars to modify using JDM performance upgrades and styling themes. The Honda Civic Type R, a longstanding performance version of the model offered in Japan and Europe, finally came to the U.S. market in 2017

4. Honda S2000

Introduced for the 2000 model year, the S2000 was a rear-drive, two-seat convertible with a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine offering a 9,000-rpm redline and one of the highest horsepower-per-liter metrics at the time. A “CR” (Club Racer) version was offered for one year (2008) with upgraded components and lighter weight.

5. Mazda RX-7

Powered by the FD3S rotary engine, the Mazda RX-7 was a two-seat sports car first introduced in 1978 and sold in the U.S. through 1995 (it continued to be sold in Japan until 2002). Known for its lightweight and confident handling, the RX-7 was the original “hero car” driven by Vin Diesel in the first Fast and Furious movie.

6. Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 

Known as the Mitsubishi GTO in Japan and other markets, the 3000GT VR4 offered several high-tech features when it launched in 1991. These included all-wheel drive, an adaptive suspension, active aerodynamics, and an adjustable exhaust system. A retractable hardtop version was also available.

7. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 

A Japanese domestic market sport sedan never intended for global markets, the Evo was a hit with enthusiasts around the world and eventually exported to Europe and the U.S. Leveraging all-wheel drive and a turbocharged engine, the Lancer Evolution proved highly successful in World Rally Championship racing.

8. Nissan 240SX 

Dubbed the Nissan Silvia in Japan, this rear-wheel-drive coupe offered rather modest performance in the U.S. but was available with the SR20DET turbocharged four-cylinder engine in Japan and other markets. Converting U.S.-sold 240SX models into Silvias with an SR20DET engine swap is a popular modification.

9. Nissan 300ZX 

A successor to the original Datsun 240Z, this model is known as the Fairlady Z in Japan and the 1990-1996 versions featured a twin-turbo V6 engine and four-wheel steering technology dubbed Super HICAS (High Capacity Actively Controlled Steering). Nissan ended U.S. sales in 1996 but continued to sell it in Japan until 2000.

10. Nissan Skyline GT-R 

An all-wheel-drive, turbocharged coupe, the Skyline GT-R was never officially sold in the U.S., though many Japan-market GT-Rs have been imported and are easy to spot with their steering wheel on the right side. The modern Nissan GT-R is the first official version of the Skyline GT-R sold in the U.S. 

11. Subaru Impreza WRX STI 

Built to compete in the World Rally Car Championship race series, the Impreza WRX STI uses all-wheel drive and a turbocharged four-cylinder for rapid acceleration and stable handling on dirt road courses. Launched as the Impreza WRX, the STI letters represent later performance upgrades.

12. Toyota Supra 

Initially a Japanese market Celica spin-off model, the Supra went on sale in the U.S. in 1980 and by 1994 it offered a powerful twin-turbo 2JZ engine making over 320 horsepower. Toyota ended U.S. sales in 1998 but continued sales in Japan until 2002. A new Supra, developed largely by BMW, debuted in 2020.

More from iSeeCars:

• Best Sports Cars
• 25 Best Coupes
• Fastest Cars for Cheap

If you’re in the market for a new or used car you can search over 4 million used and new trucks, cars, and SUVs with iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check and Best Cars rankings. 

This article, What is a JDM Car, and How Did They Become Popular in the U.S.?, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com. 

With Tesla finally teasing a wireless inductive charging pad within the various forward-looking statements of its Investor Day presentation on Wednesday, consider it game on.

Tesla provided no details about when and even if it might be offering the tech to owners. But with its promise of daily charging without having to manage charge connectors morning and night, there’s likely a very good reason the company decided to include it among glimpses of “cool s***” in its charging future.

“We’ve got to scale our infrastructure, and yes, we want to power it via renewable sources,” said Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s head of global charging infrastructure, in concluding the Charging portion of the presentation. “But we’re Tesla, so we also want to make sure that we’re continuing to focus on providing really incredible charging experiences.”

In the presentation slide, on one side was what appears to be a new rendering of the Southern California diner and Supercharger station that Tesla has teased for a long time. On the other side of the slide was a wireless charging pad below a garage-parked Tesla Model S.

It’s also a necessary technology component for self-driving vehicles—and a more elegant approach than the prototype snake charger Tesla has shown in the past.

WiTricity, one of the leading companies focusing toward inductive EV charging for passenger vehicles, wouldn’t comment about whether the example shown with the Tesla is theirs or a licensed form of their technology. However the company has fitted both a Tesla Model 3 and Ford Mustang Mach-E with wireless charging tech for demonstration purposes, and it’s the only company that supplies the technology to a factory OEM application outside China with the Genesis GV60 in its home market of South Korea.

About five years ago BMW and Mercedes-Benz both planned to offer the feature, but both ultimately reversed course—with Mercedes’ availability nixed and BMW limiting availability to a lease-only pilot program with the 530e plug-in hybrid. But an SAE standard ratified in 2020 that assures interoperability, plus interest and investment from a range of suppliers—including Siemens, which took a minority investment in WiTricity—has altogether helped nudge the tech closer to market now.

Tesla isn’t the only company to give the tech the spotlight in recent months. At CES in January, Stellantis’ Ram truck brand teased an inductive charging robot that might allow hands-free charging without parking in exactly the same spot every day.

WiTricity expects an inflection point in the market around 2025 or 2026, when it sees a wider range of luxury and then mass-market models offering the tech as a feature or option. But if Tesla adopts the technology widely around then, it could help significantly lower the cost of entry for the technology.

“History has shown us that things that can go wireless do,” Amy Barzdukas, WiTricity’s chief marketing officer, said to Green Car Reports.

And based on another piece of news to emerge from Investor Day—that Tesla will adopt bidirectional charging capability—going wireless with charging makes even more sense, Barzdukas argued.

“We demonstrated that wireless charging can be bidirectional; that’s become an increased focus, and we see some great opportunities where wireless charging can play a role in stabilizing the grid, because it can allow for passive V2G,” she said. “You don’t have to remember to plug it in to be able to have that support, whether it’s commercial fleets or private individuals, once the regulatory and utility issues get ironed out.”

A study conducted last year for WiTricity among those who currently own an EV or intend to get one within two years showed support. Bidirectional wireless charging placed at the top among premium tech features—topping self-driving capability, premium audio, and park assist. More than 75% of respondents said that they would install wireless charging in their driveway or garage.

That survey didn’t talk cost, and while there have already been some aftermarket entries for Tesla vehicles, the few thousand dollars for a pair of pads and related components has been one of the prohibiting factors up until now.

Costs will drop significantly as the technology is deployed at volume, as materials improve and parts are consolidated, Barzdukas added.

“The price for a wireless charger in 2030 should be easily commensurate with a plug,” the WiTricity executive said.

Efficiency matters for Tesla owners, and it was one of the themes of the Investor Day presentation. So it’s worth pointing out that WiTricity’s tech receives 99% of the energy it sends, coil-to-coil, while its efficiency overall, from the circuit box to vehicle battery, is about 90% to 92%—in the same range as most plug-in charging.

Charging rates are comparable to wired, too. Last June the company reported that its wireless charging system fitted to the Model 3 delivered about 10 kw to the car, equating to about 48 miles of range per hour. At that time, the company noted that its wireless charging wasn’t limited to 11 kw and higher-power versions are possible.

In the meantime, WiTricity plans to sell its setup in an aftermarket charging system for EVs, with the expansion later this year of an early beta test of the system.

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And now that wireless charging tech has been linked to Tesla’s future—however tenuously—expect it to show up on more option lists for EVs of all brands sometime soon.

What were you doing in 1977?  

Many of us were not born yet. It was a long time ago. Jimmy Carter was the US President, and Star Wars opened in the movie theaters. The best-Selling US Car was the Chevy Impala. But in 1977, Honda brought the Accord to the market. Small and sassy, the Accord gave Americans excellent fuel economy they did not have from the available car lineup.

The 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid does the same, with forty-six miles per gallon in the city. It has extraordinarily low road noise and shifts seamlessly. Its new suspension gives a solid ride, and thanks to the broader track, it is controlled around corners.

Honda has upped the horsepower by two, giving 2023 a total of 204 HP. You have to be impressed by the six energy regeneration settings, so if one pedal driving is a little too harsh for you, you can gradually get used to it in a six-step program.

Along with an individual mode, you now have four driving modes for your split personality.

Honda has done an outstanding job with the new 2023 Accord. A more luxurious look, standard blacked-out LED headlights, 17-inch or 19-inch wheels, more rugged of a look. It has a swooped roof and a magnificent, chiseled trunk.

Three hybrids make up this class. Along with the 2023 Accord, there's also a Toyota Camry hybrid, redesigned in 2018, and a Hyundai Sonata hybrid, redesigned in 2020.

If you haven’t seen the inside of a Honda Civic recently after its redesign, you should. The Accord gets the same treatment. A metal chain-link-style material goes across the middle. The 10.2-inch thin TFT gauge cluster is one of the best, displaying detailed graphics. In addition, the hybrid gets a delightful 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Honda only made the mistake of removing the Volume buttons once, but they'll never do that again. It has an actual volume control knob and real HVAC control knobs.

It's huge inside, has 105 ft.³ of space, and over forty inches of rear legroom. It even has USB-C chargers in the back. Honda; You have a winner on your hands.

The Honda Accord is issuing a challenge to its competition. Nissan, Hyundai, and Toyota, the game is changing. There will surely be some significant redesigns from those manufacturers soon.

Both traditional and electric car manufacturers are rapidly expanding their EV model lines, widening consumers’ electric car choices while powering an ever-rising market share for EVs. All this activity, even in the face of rising inflation, supply chain challenges, and volatile lithium prices, confirms the electric car is here to stay.

Let’s take a look at how electric vehicles are selling compared to traditional gasoline models by examining EV market share over the past two years. 

Back in the first quarter of 2021 EVs made up 2.7 percent of the car market. That figure grew to 4.2 percent by the end of 2021, and to 6.4 percent by the end of 2022. This increase in electric vehicle share comes from rising sales across the country, not just in states like California and New York, but throughout North America. A recent iSeeCars study saw electric vehicle sales growing the fastest in states like Mississippi, Hawaii, Utah, Maryland, and Wyoming.

Rapidly Growing Electric Car Companies and The Best-Selling EV Models

The other big element powering the growth of electric car sales is the increase in traditional and startup EV companies. Tesla has long been a leader in this area, but several new EV brands, including Fisker, Lucid, Polestar, and Rivian, have entered the market in recent years. Other tech companies, like Amazon and Sony, are close to launching their own models. These companies have been joined by several traditional carmakers launching one or more new EV models in the last year.

Here’s a list of the top 10 electric car brands growing the fastest at the end of 2022, along with their average increase in EV sales for each quarter of 2021 and 2022. 

*(Note: Reflects Chevrolet halting all Bolt EV sales in late 2021 for a recall, then restarting them)

It’s interesting to note that two General Motors divisions, Chevrolet and GMC, lead the growth rate, though Chevrolet’s massive growth rate reflects halting Bolt sales in late 2021 to address a serious recall. It’s also worth noting that two long standing electric vehicle companies, Nissan and Tesla, can’t show as much recent growth simply because they’ve already established a relatively high volume in EV sales, making it tougher to grow at the above rates. 

For instance, Tesla, the overall market leader in total EV volume, only grew 30 percent in the last quarter of 2022. But that was on 140,000 sales, far higher than the second-place volume brand, Ford, at 23,000 sales. Nissan, a past leader in EV sales with its once-popular (but now rapidly-aging) Leaf, only had 3,328 sales in Q4 of 2022, a drop of 20 percent from a year earlier.

Best Selling Electric Vehicles

Which electric models are selling the best? As with traditional combustion engine vehicles, electric SUVs and crossovers are the most popular EVs across the car industry. While some brands are trying to carve out their place in the EV world with high-performance sports cars, highly-flexible EV pickup trucks, and even electric delivery vans, the most popular electric models with U.S. consumers, overall, remain SUVs. Here’s a list of the electric vehicles with the highest growth rate in Q4 of 2022, along with their Q4 sales volume.

Most of these fastest-growing electric models sell in the thousands, but the GMC Hummer gets position number 2 with a mere 72 units sold in Q4 of 2022 – which is still far more than the single GMC Hummer sold in Q4 of 2021. Other brand new EV models, like the Lucid Air, sold nearly 1,000 units in the final quarter of 2022…but with no Lucid Air sales in 2021 we didn’t have a comparison figure to calculate growth. The Chevrolet Bolt benefits from its aforementioned halt in sales in late 2021. And Elon Musk can rest easy knowing his most expensive vehicle, the Tesla Model X, remains a hot seller, with 880 percent growth in sales at the end of 2022 – even as its autonomous driving tech remains MIA…

Several Brands Still Lag on Becoming Electric Car Companies

Which car companies still haven’t established strong EV sales or growth rates, even in the face of widespread electrification across the industry? High-volume domestic brands like Jeep and Ram didn’t make either of these lists, though Jeep has both hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains available in its current model line.

But this isn’t just a Michigan problem, with major Japanese brands like Honda and Toyota also making minimal noise in the electric car world, despite both offering a fuel cell car and plenty of hybrids. Even domestic brands like Chevrolet, which sells plenty of Bolt EVs, needs to catch up in the area of electric truck development. Everyone knows the Ford Motor Company runs on F-150 sales, and it already has an electric version in showrooms. Chevrolet’s electric Silverado is due this year, along with an electric Ram due in 2024. Neither can arrive too soon.

International Electric Car Companies Are Coming…

While the rapid growth for these U.S. and European electric car companies is encouraging, they need to fully establish their customer base ahead of the inevitable Chinese wave of EVs certain to arrive on U.S. shores soon. Some would say they’re already here, with both Polestar and Volvo under Chinese ownership. China’s government continues to encourage EV production through aggressive incentives, with brands like Nio growing faster than Tesla, and new manufacturers like Li Auto showing a lot of promise. With so much change happening so quickly in the electric car market, next year's numbers could look very different.

More from iSeeCars.com:

• Electric Cars with the Longest Range
• How to Buy an Electric Car
• 25 Best Electric Cars

If you’re in the market for a new or used electric vehicle you can search over 4 million used electric cars, SUVs, and trucks with iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check report and Best Cars rankings. Filter by vehicle type, front or all-wheel drive, and other parameters in order to narrow down your car search.

In an in-depth interview with Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore published on Monday, Domenicali said F1 “will never go electric” when asked how the sport fits in the era of sustainability and electric mobility.

He added that F1 aims to be carbon neutral by 2030, and that the lofty goal can be achieved by switching to 100% sustainable fuel—something F1 and its partners are developing in time for the 2026 season.

Sustainable fuel, often called E-fuel, is any fuel in which the carbon circle is completely neutral so the carbon utilized to produce the fuel is the same quantity as the carbon emitted from the internal-combustion engine when burning the fuel. The production process typically involves some form of carbon capture technology.

Key partners in F1's sustainable fuel project include motorsport's organizing body, the FIA, as well as Aramco, Saudi Arabia's national oil company and a major sponsor of F1. Porsche and its partners already have a pilot plant in Chile producing sustainable fuel.

But F1 is not only developing the fuel for use in its race cars. The fuel is being developed with a view to having it eventually produced in quantities sufficient enough to supply most cars across the world.

In his interview, Domenicali said by 2035, when some governments including the European Union have mandated that only vehicles with zero carbon emissions can be sold, there will still be around two billion cars on the road equipped with internal-combustion engines, and that the carbon emissions of these could potentially be offset with sustainable fuel, like the one F1 is developing.

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“Zero emissions can be achieved without having to change engines or throw away the entire fleet of vehicles that already exists,” he said.

What does this mean and should you still consider a car if it has a rebuilt title vehicle? We have the answers.

What is a Rebuilt Title?

Car titles fall under two major categories: clean and branded. A clean title means that a vehicle hasn’t had any serious damage or issues, while a branded title means that the car has a serious issue that needs to be disclosed to potential buyers. This could include that a vehicle was in a serious wreck, was stolen, had the odometer rolled back, or sustained damage from hail or flooding. The most common branded title is a salvage title.  (For more examples of branded title vehicles and a description of salvage title vehicles, check out our handy guides.)

A salvage title car has incurred major damage likely from an accident and has been deemed a total loss by an insurance company. Or, in its simplest sense, it costs more to repair the vehicle than the insurance company is willing to pay. If the car has been rebuilt and passed a safety inspection, it becomes a rebuilt title vehicle. 

How Does a Car Get a Rebuilt Title?

Title laws vary by state, but in most states a car must pass an inspection in order to be issued a rebuilt title. State laws also vary as to what percentage the damage is of the vehicle’s value in order to brand the title. For example, in New York, damages must be at least 75 percent of the car’s value in order to be designated as a salvage title vehicle.

In Georgia, a buyer must be a licensed rebuilder in order to purchase a salvage vehicle. While in Nevada, vehicles are titled as rebuilt even if they weren’t previously salvaged. Nevada’s rebuilt title designation indicates that a vehicle has had a major component replaced such as:

• Cowl - (Space between car hood and windshield where wipers are located)
• Roof 
• Rear clip 
• Floor pan 
• Adding a major component to the frame  
• Complete front inner structure 

Once repairs have been made to a salvaged vehicle, the rebuilt vehicle must be inspected by a body shop licensed by the state. If the shop determines the salvage title car is safe for operation, the vehicle owner can exchange their salvage title for a rebuilt title.

Should You Buy a Rebuilt Title or Salvage Title Car?

There are risks associated with rebuilt title cars. 

• Safety Risks: The main downside to buying a rebuilt title car is the inherent safety risk. Even if the car has been completely rebuilt and passed an inspection, it may not have been repaired well. There may also be significant structural damage that can’t be properly repaired.  Lastly, flood damaged vehicles may not have visible damage at the time of inspection, but the water damage can reveal itself over time.
• Limited Insurance Coverage: Many car insurance companies don’t offer policies to cover rebuilt title cars. Or, policies will only include limited coverage that doesn’t include collision and comprehensive coverage. However, some insurers do offer full coverage, but the rates are likely very expensive.
• Difficult to Finance: Many major banks will also not finance rebuilt title vehicles.
• Voided Warranty: When a vehicle is designated as salvage or rebuilt, it’s manufacturer warranty is voided. That means you would have to pay for major repairs even if the car is almost new.
• Low Resale Value: When it comes time for you to sell your vehicle, it will have a low resale value. Additionally some dealerships don’t buy rebuilt title vehicle cars, so you might have difficulty unloading it.

There are also advantages to buying a rebuilt title car:

• Documented Repair Work: Seller’s of rebuilt cars should have the carefully documented repair work that was needed to have the title issued. In many cases, this repair work provides more information on maintenance than what is typically provided in used car transactions. 
• Significant Discounts: Cars with rebuilt titles sell for far less than those with clean titles and can have discounts of up to 50%.

How to Know If a Car Has a Rebuilt Title

Before purchasing a used car, you should always get a vehicle history report from Carfax or Autocheck and run a VIN check. One tool, the iSeeCars free VIN Check, provides a comprehensive analysis that answers all the key questions shoppers should ask before purchasing a used vehicle.  

The iSeeCars VIN Check provides detailed title information when provided by the state’s DMV. It will indicate if the vehicle has a clean title or if it has a rebuilt or another type of branded title. 

The report also links to CarFax or AutoCheck vehicle history reports, which are often free. The vehicle history report includes detailed information about the vehicle’s title. For example, if a rebuilt certificate was issued after an accident, the vehicle history report will provide details about the accident. Or, if the vehicle was stolen or damaged in a natural disaster, that will be indicated as well.

If a car deal seems too good to be true, you should do your research to see if it has a rebuilt title.  

The Bottom Line

Buying a car with a rebuilt title comes with many risks that likely outweigh the savings. However, there might be a rebuilt vehicle that was properly repaired or only had minor damage. While it’s important to have a trusted mechanic inspect any used vehicle before purchasing, it is especially important if you’re considering a rebuilt car. 

More from iSeeCars:

• What is a Salvage Title?
• 24 Things to Keep in Your Car
• What to Look For When Buying a Used Car

If you’re ready to take to the web for your own car buying process, you can search over 4 million new and used cars with iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check report. You can also filter by title, ensuring the cars you find have clean titles.

The IIHS strengthened requirements in a number of areas in 2023, and as a result only 48 models received awards, compared to 65 for 2022 (including eight EVs). Of that group, 28 earned the highest Top Safety Pick+ and 20 earned Top Safety Pick awards.

Among the Top Safety Pick+ winners were the all-electric Rivian R1T, Subaru Solterra, Tesla Model Y, and Volkswagen ID.4, as well as the Lexus NX 450h+ and Volvo XC90 Recharge plug-in hybrids. Another plug-in hybrid, the Toyota RAV4 Prime, earned a Top Safety Pick award, missing out on the "+" due to its side-impact crash test results.

The updated side-impact test, which the IIHS says involves 82% more energy than the original test, is the biggest change for 2023. Vehicles must earn an “Acceptable” or the top “Good” score for the Top Safety Pick award; only a “Good” score merits the “+” addition.

Headlight standards have also become more stringent. Previously, headlights earning an “Acceptable” or “Good” rating only needed to be available on one trim level, but now they must be standard on all trim levels to earn an award.

As before, vehicles must also earn "Good" scores in the driver-side and passenger-side small overlap front and moderate overlap front crash tests. However, the roof-strength, head restraint, and vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention tests are no longer part of the Top Safety Pick criteria.

This year saw some repeat winners with the reshuffled criteria, including the VW ID.4 and Tesla Model Y. Other previous winners, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, didn't pass muster this time, but the IIHS expects automakers to take the new criteria into account going forward.

“It’s exciting that these manufacturers have been so swift to implement the substantial design changes and technological advancements that these new requirements demand,” IIHS president David Harkey said in a statement. “We’re confident that the number of winners will continue to grow throughout the year.”

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For EVs, extra weight versus internal-combustion vehicles has some safety experts concerned. Adding more weight is sometimes the result of a downward spiral to add more range and then correct for the additional body strength needed to support that weight (and keep occupants safe), something Mercedes-Benz has tried to counter with technologies previewed in its Vision EQXX concept.

From lying cold in the bottom of the engine's oil pan, it needs to surge up to the valve gear at the very top, then flow all the way back down — and that has to happen almost instantly when you start the engine. The oil protects everything inside your engine: bearings, pistons, cylinder walls, and all the other parts that move or touch something that does.

Because your oil works hard, it's important to know when that oil and its filter need to be changed. There was a time when local service stations and oil change franchisees recommended changing your car’s oil and replacing filters every 3,000 miles. That rule of thumb might have come partly from a marketing ploy. No matter, today’s fully synthetic motor oil often lasts two to three times as long as conventional motor oil.

Tabitha Ruhl, Manager of Joplin Transmission and Auto Center, said there are two different time frames when the oil in your vehicle needs to be changed, and it all depends on the oil your car uses.

Conventional or Semi-Synthetic Oil

“A semisynthetic, which in all honesty all conventional is semisynthetic anyway, but a lot of people don't recognize that. So, on a semisynthetic, you should change the oil between 3,500 to 5,000 miles, or every four-to-six months, whichever comes first,” said Ruhl.

Synthetic Oil

“On a full-synthetic oil change, some manufacturers say that those can go up to 7,500 miles or six months without an oil change. At Joplin Transmission and Auto Center, we always recommend doing them between 5,000 and 10,000 miles, or every six-to-twelve months,” said Ruhl.

Should I Use Synthetic Oil? 

According to Consumer Reports, there are advantages to using synthetic oil, versus semisynthetic or conventional motor oil. Full-synthetic is designed to be more effective at resisting oil breakdown, which makes it last longer than conventional oil. It's also designed to withstand higher temperatures than conventional oil, which helps keep engines running longer.

In most cases, it's more economical to use a full-synthetic oil in your vehicle. Kelly Blue Book reports that an oil and filter change using conventional/semisynthetic oil will cost between $35 and $75, depending on your area. For synthetic oil, you should expect to pay anywhere from $65 to $125, but you make up some of the cost since synthetic oil lasts longer and has to be changed less frequently.

Since electric cars do not use any oil, almost any car with a gasoline engine can benefit from using synthetic oil, with one exception: It's not recommended for pre-1990 vehicles or those that specifically require conventional motor oils. It's best to consult your vehicle's manual, as some newer models can only take full-synthetic motor oil.

Such contradictory data helps explain why the IIHS has toughened its safety criteria for the automotive industry's most stringent independent crash tests as more automakers excelled in testing.

“We’re challenging automakers to build on the safety gains they’ve already achieved,” IIHS President David Harkey said in a statement regarding the insurance-industry funded's annual list of Top Safety Pick+ and Top Safety Pick award winners.

Last year at this time, 101 vehicles earned one of the two 2022 Top Safety Pick awards. This year, only 48 vehicles have qualified under the new criteria, meant to reflect heavier vehicles such as SUVs traveling at higher speeds and driver-assist technology that mitigates or avoids collisions with pedestrians at night.

Pedestrian fatalities spiked to record highs during the pandemic, accounting for an estimated 7,485 out of 42,915 traffic fatalities in 2021, or 17.5%. That was the highest number of pedestrian fatalities in 40 years, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association who, like the IIHS, use the NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) to document crash and fatality data.

Cars may be safer at withstanding crashes, but pedestrians are not, especially at night when an estimated 75% of pedestrian fatalities occur. To address and hopefully reverse that trend, the IIHS this year assesses the efficacy at nighttime of automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection.

To win a coveted Top Safety Pick+ award, the vehicle must earn an “Advanced” or "Superior" rating for both daytime and nighttime crash prevention tests of automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection.

The NHTSA's NCAP five-star rating system currently does not evaluate driver-assist technology, making the IIHS a more comprehensive and up-to-date safety tester. Thus, agencies, automakers, and automotive outlets ranging from the National Safety Council to Consumer Reports and The Car Connection deem Top Safety Pick awards as mattering more than the NHTSA's limited testing.

The Institute, which says it operates independently of its funding by the automotive insurance agency and is complimentary to NCAP testing, has a history of raising the safety bar as more automakers develop vehicles that meet the IIHS criteria.

"Updates to the award requirements are an essential part of the Top Safety Pick program, which is designed to continually push manufacturers toward a higher level of safety," the IIHS said in a statement.

In 2021, the IIHS introduced a tougher side test meant to simulate a T-bone crash into the driver's side. The test hadn't been updated since 2003, in which time heavier crossover SUVs that ride higher than cars proliferated on roadways. The moving crash barrier increased in weight from 3,300 pounds to 4,180 pounds to reflect the average new car weight, and the strike speed increased from 31 to 37 mph to reflect higher average speeds from 20 years ago.

When the original test was introduced in 2003, most vehicles failed with a "Poor" rating but by 2021, virtually every vehicle tested had earned top "Good" ratings on the old test. When the IIHS launched the new test in 2021, the side-impact type of crash accounted for 23% of traffic fatalities.

The IIHS communicates with automakers to let them know of changes to the testing protocol, and gives them time to respond. The new side-impact test wasn't part of TSP and TSP+ criteria until this year. The results have been mixed: most mid-size cars failed, while crossovers fared better.

Other changes for 2023 reflect the growing emphasis on effective headlights, since the majority of traffic fatalities happen at night. To earn either TSP award this year, the standard headlights must have at least an "Acceptable" rating. Last year, such headlights could be optional.

The IIHS also eliminated the roof strength and rollover crash tests because automakers had met the criteria for years.

"The federal government adopted roof strength standards similar to the IIHS requirements in 2009, and for some time now, virtually all vehicles tested have earned good ratings," the IIHS explained. "Electronic stability control, which has been mandatory since
2012, has also dramatically reduced the rollover crashes that stronger roofs are intended to mitigate."

The head restraint test has also been relaxed for widespread compliance, for now, as has automatic emergency braking (AEB) in preventing crashes with other cars. Most automakers have equipped 95% of their new vehicles with AEB, thanks in part to a voluntary agreement set for Sept. 2022. Late last year, a sweeping study found that vehicles equipped with AEB reduced rear-end crashes by 49% compared to vehicles without the driver-assist tech.

More changes will be coming for the 2024 Top Safety Pick awards.

For now, 48 of the 220 possible vehicles with an IIHS rating earned a 2023 TSP or TSP+ award, and more TSP winners will be announced as testing is complete. Automakers can nudge the IIHS to prioritize testing on those vehicles the brands think will qualify, and the IIHS gets to the rest later based on the previous year's results and any changes to the individual models.

Toyota and Lexus led the pack with nine TSP+ and six TSP awards, while Honda and Acura had six TSP+ and two TSP winners. Toyota is a much larger brand with several more models than Honda, however, so it's all relative. Every 2023 Mazda except for the MX-5 Miata earned a TSP.

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Here's the list that will be updated throughout the year.

2023 Top Safety Pick awards by the IIHS

2023 Top Safety Pick+ awards

Cars

Acura Integra

Genesis G90

Subaru Outback

Toyota Camry

Crossover SUVs

Acura MDX

Acura RDX

Honda CR-V

Honda HR-V

Hyundai Palisade

Infiniti QX60

Kia Telluride

Lexus NX

Lexus RX

Lexus UX

Nissan Pathfinder

Subaru Ascent

Subaru Solterra (built after Oct. 2022)

Tesla Model Y

Toyota Highlander

Volkswagen ID.4

Volvo XC90

Minivans

Honda Odyssey

Toyota Sienna

Pickup trucks

Rivian R1T

Toyota Tundra (crew and extended cabs)

2023 Top Safety Pick awards

Cars

Honda Civic hatchback and sedan (excluding Type R)

Hyundai Sonata (built after Dec. 2022)

Lexus ES 350

Mazda 3 hatchback and sedan

Subaru Legacy

Toyota Corolla hatchback and sedan

Crossover SUVs

Ford Explorer

Lincoln Nautilus

Mazda CX-30

Mazda CX-5

Mazda CX-50

Mazda CX-9

Nissan Rogue

Subaru Forester

Toyota RAV4

Toyota Venza

While the humble beginnings of the SUV included truck-based models like the Ford Explorer and Ford Bronco, the segment has evolved to range in size from subcompact crossovers to full-size rugged haulers. Whatever your driving preference, there is an SUV model to suit your needs. And because there are so many SUVs to choose from, finding the best used SUV can be difficult. 

To help used car shoppers find the best SUVs, iSeeCars analyzed over 12 million cars and narrowed down the Best Used SUVs across all sizes. The winners are the SUVs that are the longest-lasting, hold their value the best, and have the highest average safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). 

Here are the best non-luxury SUVs by size:

Best Used Subcompact SUVs

Subcompact SUVs are the most recent entrants to the SUV segment, many coming to market around 2014 or later. Subcompacts are the smallest SUVs available, making them the perfect choice for drivers wanting something more spacious and flexible than a small sedan while still being easy to park and drive.

1. Mazda CX-3

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.2

• Reliability Score: 6.1
• Retained Value Score: 8.4
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $22,703

The Best Used Subcompact SUV is the Mazda CX-3. The Mazda CX-3 made its debut in the newly established subcompact SUV vehicle segment in 2016. The CX-3 offers the sporty driving dynamics and attractive styling characteristic of the Mazda brand and a long list of standard safety and infotainment features. The small but mighty CX-3 also earns the Top Safety Pick+ designation from IIHS, the Institute’s highest honor.

2. Subaru Crosstrek

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.1

• Reliability Score: 5.6
• Retained Value Score: 8.7
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $23,524

The Subaru Crosstrek earns second place for the Best Used Subcompact SUV. The Crosstrek offers standard all-wheel drive, which is rare for the small SUV class. It has perfect safety scores and includes many driver assistance features, earning it the title of Safest SUV in our subcompact category. Safety features like blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert became available on higher trim levels beginning with the 2016 model year vehicle.

3. Honda HR-V

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.1

• Reliability Score: 5.6
• Retained Value Score: 8.5
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $24,780

The Honda HR-V ranks third. Along with displaying Honda’s strong reputation for reliability, the HR-V leads the segment in cargo space with 24.3 cubic feet behind the rear seat, and nearly 59 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The HR-V also is one of the most fuel-efficient models in the class with a combined MPG of 30.

4. Chevrolet Trax

iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.8

• Reliability Score: 6.1
• Retained Value Score: 7.4
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $21,737

The Chevrolet Trax ranks fourth. The easy-to-maneuver Trax is among the most affordable vehicles in its class and it has ample head and legroom despite its small size. 

5. Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.6

• Reliability Score: 7.2
• Retained Value Score: 7.7
• Safety Score: 8.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $21,778

The Mitsubishi Outlander Sport ranks fifth. Highlights of the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport include a lower-than-average starting price for the class and more cargo space

For more vehicles in this category, refer to the iSeeCars list of Best Subcompact SUVs.

Best Used Small and Compact SUVs

Compact SUVs are versatile vehicles that offer enough space to haul a family and cargo while still being easy to maneuver and providing effective fuel economy.

1. Jeep Wrangler

iSeeCars Quality Score: 9.2

• Reliability Score: 8.5
• Retained Value Score: 9.8
• Safety Score: Not Available

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $40,178

The Best Used Small SUV is the Jeep Wrangler. The Jeep Wrangler earns a high score for its proven durability and stellar value retention, both of which are boosted by its capability across all terrains. It also has above-average cargo capacity for the small SUV class.

2. Subaru Outback

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.8

• Reliability Score: 8.4
• Retained Value Score: 8.0
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $34,433

Despite its official designation as a crossover wagon, the Subaru Outback is often compared to compact SUVs, and earns the distinction as our runner up in the Best Used Small SUV category. The Subaru Outback has proven to be a long-lasting and safe vehicle with high value retention. It is also the iSeeCars pick for the Best Family SUV in the compact category. It is praised for its car-like driving dynamics, standard all-wheel drive, and class-leading cargo space. The Outback also earns the Top Safety Pick+ designation from IIHS.

3. Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.8

• Reliability Score: 7.8
• Retained Value Score: 9.8
• Safety Score: Not Available

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $47,557

The Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, which is the four-door variant of the first-ranked Jeep Wrangler, ranks third. The Wrangler Unlimited has 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind its rear seats, while the standard Wrangler has just 12.9 cubic feet. The Unlimited also has added seating capacity for five passengers compared to the Wrangler’s four.

4. Subaru Forester

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.7

• Reliability Score: 8.1
• Retained Value Score: 8.1
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $31,934

A second Subaru, the Subaru Forester ranks fourth. It is among the most spacious in its class, offering 31.1 cubic feet of cargo space and 76.1 cubic feet after folding down the rear seats. It also provides comfortable seating for five passengers with ample head and leg room. Like all Subarus, and unlike most SUVs, it comes standard with AWD and has above-average fuel economy for the class. Beginning with the 2019 model year, the Forester comes with standard safety features including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and lane departure warning.

5. Honda CR-V

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.6

• Reliability Score: 8.5
• Retained Value Score: 8.3
• Safety Score: 9.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $31,407

The small but mighty Honda CR-V ranks fifth. Along with being the most reliable compact SUV,  the Honda CR-V is also one of the most spacious vehicles in its class, offering a cargo capacity that’s on par with larger midsize SUVs. It also provides excellent fuel economy, earning an estimated 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway for its front-wheel drive models. All-wheel drive fuel economy only decreases slightly at 27 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway. It comes standard with a continuously variable automatic transmission and a 190-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine. A suite of standard safety features are available, which include forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and lane keep assist. These features became standard for the 2020 model year.

For more vehicles in this category, refer to the iSeeCars list of Best Small SUVs. 

Best Used Midsize SUVs

Midsize SUVs offer more space than their compact counterparts and many provide a convenient third row of seating. They combine the best of both worlds as capable family haulers that are easier to drive and more efficient than behemoth full-size SUVs.

1. Toyota Highlander

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.9

• Reliability Score: 8.5
• Retained Value Score: 8.2
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $41,762

The Toyota Highlander earns the honor of Best Used Midsize SUV for being a long-lasting SUV with high value retention that is also a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS. A popular family hauler, it’s roomy and has an accessible third row of seating and ample cargo room. It also offers a suite of safety features to add to its solid reputation for reliability. The Highlander is among the top iSeeCars picks for the Best SUVs for Snow.

2. Honda Pilot

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.7

• Reliability Score: 8.6
• Retained Value Score: 7.4
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $38,652

The Honda Pilot crossover ranks second in the midsize SUV category. The Honda Pilot is a spacious three-row crossover SUV for those seeking a family-friendly hauler without the bulkiness of a full-size SUV. It’s available in all-wheel-drive or front-wheel drive and is a popular minivan alternative due to its spacious seating for up to eight passengers.

3. Toyota 4Runner

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.6

• Reliability Score: 8.8
• Retained Value Score: 9.0
• Safety Score: 8.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $45,844

The Toyota 4Runner ranks third as the Best Used Midsize SUV. The 4Runner’s presence on the list is no surprise, as its age-old 4.0-liter V6 engine is one of the toughest engines out there. The 4Runner’s reputation for durability and off-road superiority puts this genuine and capable four-wheel-drive SUV among the top ten most reliable SUVs.  

4. Hyundai Santa Fe

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.5

• Reliability Score: 8.5
• Retained Value Score: 7.0
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $29,774

The Hyundai Santa Fe ranks fourth for its combination of quality and value. The Santa Fe also has above-average fuel economy for its class with its base engine offering an EPA estimated 26 combined mpg. Beginning with the 2019 model year, a number of infotainment and safety features became standard including Bluetooth connectivity, Apple Car Play, Android Auto, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beam headlights, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and lane departure warning. Santa Fe buyers can also take advantage of Hyundai’s class-leading new car warranty of 10-years and 100,000-miles for the vehicle’s powertrain, which transfers to used car buyers. The Santa Fe has two rows of seats, while a three-row option falls under the Santa Fe XL nameplate.

5. Ford Explorer

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.5

• Reliability Score: 8.4
• Retained Value Score: 7.1
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $43,243

The Ford Explorer ranks fifth. The Explorer has multiple powerful turbocharged engines to choose from and drives comfortably. The Explorer also has plenty of cargo space, with three rows of seats and a list of standard features that includes an intuitive touchscreen infotainment system. A list of activesafety features became standard for the 2020 model year, which include blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, automatic high-beam headlights, post-collision braking, and a pre-collision system with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and pedestrian detection. Prior to 2020, these features were avilable on upper trims.

For more vehicles in this category, refer to the iSeeCars list of Best Midsize SUVs.

Best Used Large SUVs

Bigger is better when it comes to cargo capacity and towing capability. For drivers who require three full rows of seating and don’t partake in frequent parallel parking, these are the best used large SUVs available.

1. Toyota Land Cruiser

iSeeCars Quality Score: 9.2

• Reliability Score: 9.8
• Retained Value Score: 8.5
• Safety Score: Not Available

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $91,976

The Toyota Land Cruiser is the Best Used Large SUV. Known for its longevity, the Land Cruiser is the longest-lasting car across all vehicle segments, and also has excellent value retention. The rugged three-row hauler provides above-average towing capacity for the class and is a capable off-roader.

2. Toyota Sequoia

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.7

• Reliability Score: 9.4
• Retained Value Score: 8.0
• Safety Score: Not Available

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $64,510

A second full-size Toyota, the Toyota Sequoia, earns its honors as the Best Used Large SUV runner-up. The Sequoia’s high score is attributed to its proven long-term reliability and excellent value retention. 

3. Ford Expedition 

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.6

• Reliability Score: 8.8
• Retained Value Score: 6.8
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $61,716

The Ford Expedition ranks third. Unlike its rivals with V8 engines, the Expedition has a twin-turbo V6, giving it better gas mileage than the rest of its class. Ford introduced a new base two-row trim forthe 2021 model year, which makes the vehicle available as a two- or three-row SUV for the first time. It has vast cargo and passenger space with 19.3 to 20.9 cubic feet behind the third row, which expands to 57.5 to 63.6 cubic feet with the rear row folded down. 

4. Chevrolet Tahoe

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.2

• Reliability Score: 8.7
• Retained Value Score: 7.8
• Safety Score: 8.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $54,766

Ranked fourth is another American full-size SUV, the Chevrolet Tahoe. Fully redesigned for 2021, it has three available engine options, including two powerful V8 engines and a turbo diesel inline-six. The Tahoe features impressive cargo and passenger space, and its redesign increased its legroom and added standard safety features. 

5. GMC Yukon

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.1

• Reliability Score: 8.7
• Retained Value Score: 7.5
• Safety Score: 8.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $59,353

Ranked fifth is the GMC Yukon. The Yukon and its extended wheelbase variant the Yukon XL share a platform with the other full-size GM SUVs including the Chevrolet Tahoe and the Chevy Suburban. GM’s 5.3-liter and 6.0-liter V8 powertrains found in these SUVs have been known to go the distance with minimal issues, and buyers love to use them for long-distance jaunts. 

For more vehicles in this category, refer to the iSeeCars list of Best Large SUVs.

Best Used Hybrid SUVs

Hybrid SUVs offer more fuel-efficiency than their non-hybrid counterparts, making them the best cars for drivers seeking for a more practical family hauler. 

1. Toyota Highlander Hybrid

iSeeCars Quality Score: 9.2

• Reliability Score: 9.2
• Retained Value Score: 8.3
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $45,097

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid earns the title of the Best Used Hybrid SUV. The hybrid version of the popular Toyota Highlander is the longest-lasting midsize SUV and has high value retention and perfect safety scores.

2. Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.6

• Reliability Score: 7.1
• Retained Value Score: 8.7
• Safety Score: 10.0

The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, which is the plug-in hybrid version of the subcompact SUV runner-up, is the runner-up for the used hybrid SUV. Like its non-hybrid counterpart, it offers a comfortable ride and has ample cargo room. The Crosstrek Hybrid can drive up to 17 miles on battery power before switching to its hybrid mode.

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $37,927

3. Toyota RAV4 Hybrid

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.3

• Reliability Score: 6.2
• Retained Value Score: 8.8
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $38,330

The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid ranks third. The RAV4 Hybrid delivers a combined MPG of 40 compared to the non-hybrid RAV4’s maximum combined MPG of 30.

4. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

iSeeCars Quality Score: 8.3

• Reliability Score: 7.0
• Retained Value Score: 7.4
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $31,961

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV debuted for the 2018 model year, and is the plug-in hybrid variant of the Mitsubishi Outlander compact SUV. The Outlander PHEV has above-average cargo capacity and  earns 74 MPG-equivalent when running on electric power and 26 mpg in combined when running on gasoline power.  The plug-in hybrid has a range of 24 miles on electric power.

5. MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid

iSeeCars Quality Score: 7.6

• Reliability Score: 7.2
• Retained Value Score: 8.0
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $39,232

The MINI Countryman Plug-in Hybrid ranks fifth. The MINI Countryman PHEV is the plug-in hybrid equivalent of the MINI Countrymansubcompact SUV. Debuting for the 2018 model year, the plug-in-hybrid SE earns 73 MPG-equivalent or 29 mpg and has an electric-only range of 18 miles.  

Best Used Electric SUV

Electric SUVs are new to the market, and the Tesla Model X is the only model that is established enough to meet our rankings criteria.

Tesla Model X

iSeeCars Quality Score: 9.1

• Reliability Score: 8.1
• Retained Value Score: 9.2
• Safety Score: 10.0

Average 3-Year-Old Used Car Price: $101,241

With an iSeeCars Quality Score of 9.1, the Tesla Model X doesn’t earn our endorsement just because it's the only contender in its field. Introduced in 2016, the Tesla Model X was Tesla’s first entry into the SUV segment. With Tesla’s characteristic cutting-edge technology, fast acceleration, and a long range of 360 miles on its long range trim, the Model X combines the best of both worlds for efficiency and performance.

For more vehicles in this category, refer to the iSeeCars list of Best Electric SUVs.

Bottom Line:

From small subcompacts to full-size heavy haulers, there are many high-quality are reliable used SUVs to suit your needs. With used car prices at record highs, a safe and reliable SUV that retains its value is a smart purchase decision. 

Refer to our full guide for the complete list of Best Used SUVs including the best SUVs by price.

More from iSeeCars.com:

• Best Used Luxury SUVs
• Best Gas Mileage SUVs
• Best Family SUVs

If you’re in the market for a used SUV, you can search over 4 million used and new cars, trucks, and SUVs with iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine. It helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars VIN check report and Best Cars rankings. Filter by price, fuel economy, third-row availability, and other family-friendly parameters to narrow down your crossover or SUV search.

The 2023 Infiniti QX60 was extensively tested recently in snowy conditions at Yellowstone Airport. The 2023 Infiniti QX60 earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2022's top safety pick+ award for its excellence in safety features—the perfect vehicle to test out new and existing safety features in the Infiniti lineup. 

The QX60 is loaded with safety features. Most driver-assistance features are standard, with more high-tech items being offered as options, including an adaptive cruise control system that uses data from the QX60's onboard navigation system to slow the vehicle in anticipation of upcoming curves in the road. 

The Infiniti QX60 comes with standard rear automatic braking, forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection, predictive forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning (with haptic steering wheel alert, handy), high beam assist, and more also offered as options. 

You’ll need power to maneuver through the lousy weather, and the QX60 has plenty. The QX60 is powered by a 295-hp V-6 engine with a nine-speed automatic. All-wheel drive is optional, but on the new QX60, front-wheel drive is standard. You can also have up to 6,000 pounds of towing capacity, an increase of just 1,000 pounds over the last model.

A good tip for drivers that they'll teach you at any racetrack. Don't look at where you think you're going. Look at where you want to go. If you look at a cone or a snowbank, you're 99% 99.0% likely to go into it. Look at where you want the car to go. That's the same when you get into trouble in wet, snowy, or icy conditions.

The marine industry generates about $1.34B in annual revenue and at this show alone, we see more than a thousand boats on the carpet and more than a hundred thousand attendants. One thing that makes it unique is that consumers not only come down and look at some of the boats at the show, but they can also test drive them as well. 

Some of the featured boats include the 2022 Boat of the year. The Sea-doo Switch has been around for a few years already but has made its name known loud and clear. Part of what makes it so unique is that it’s modular on the inside. That means you can take all of the seating arrangements and customize the craft to what makes sense for you. For under $22,000, this is an incredible pontoon boat. 

If fun for you means a little bit more, then the NauticStar 22L would be up for consideration. The L stands for Legacy and the 22 for the length. NauticStar is an offshore powerboat brand, but this is only 22 feet in length. But has the attitude of a big offshore boat. Will seat up to 12 and has an 81-gallon tank. If you’re in Miami that means you can get to the Bahamas on one tank. This starts at just under $60,000

“So much activity in Miami Beach right now, but the energy is here with the boat show,” said Alex Fernandez, commissioner of the City of Miami Beach. “Our waterways, the tropical environment, the weather, so come visit Miami Beach and enjoy Spring in the beautiful city!”

One of the unique things about this show is the presence of electrification. No longer just for cars. The show debuted their first ever electric pavilion where consumers can come in and see firsthand what’s happening in the Boat world of electrification. Including charging stations that will be at Marina’s. 

The biggest boat at the Miami International Boat show is 337 feet and is called the APHO. You get a garage that houses a personal watercraft, along with a Helipad on the top deck. The inside dining quarters accommodate 25 guests for dinner. The cost is in the ballpark of $300 million dollars.

Here are the sports cars that offer a thrilling ride without the high price tag. We’ll look at the fastest new sports cars around or under $30,000 and the fastest used sports cars for under $20,000.

Here are the most affordable and fastest sports cars ranked by the 0-60 time for their most affordable configurations:

1. Dodge Challenger

An American muscle car ranks first, the Dodge Challenger two-door coupe with a 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds with its base engine. It is among the best sports cars on the market with an iSeeCars Quality Score of 8.0. The brawny Challenger comes standard with a powerful 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine making 303 horsepower. The base Challenger goes from zero to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 156 mph.  While the base V6 offers ample power and acceleration, higher SRT trims offer more powerful V8 engines, including a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with 375 horsepower, a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 with 485 horsepower, or the 717-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8. These more powerful engines can go from 0-60 in less than 3.5 seconds.  

2. Chevrolet Camaro

The “everyman’s sports car,” the Chevrolet Camaro ranks second as the most affordable sports car with a starting MSRP at $26,100. It is also iSeeCars second-ranked best sports car overall with a quality score of 8.2. The Chevy Camaro’s standard turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, with 275 horsepower, goes from zero to 60 in 5.4 seconds and reaches a max speed of 155 mph. More powerful engines with quicker acceleration are also available, including a 3.6 liter V6 with 335 horsepower that does zero to 60 in five seconds, a 355 horsepower 6.2-liter V8 that can go from zero to 60 in four seconds, and the most powerful 6.2-liter V8 with 650 horsepower that can go from zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds.  

3. Mazda MX-5 Miata

Earning the third spot is the Mazda MX-5 Miata two-seat roadster. The Miata can go from zero to 60 in 5.7 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 135 mph. It has one engine choice, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque. It also returns excellent fuel economy at 26 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway, an excellent rating for the sports car class. 

4. Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang earns the fourth spot as the fastest and most affordable sports car. It’s also the sports car with the highest iSeeCars Quality Score of 8.4, and ranks high on our list of most reliable sports cars. The Mustang comes standard with a 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with 310-horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. This entry-level engine can go from zero to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds when equipped with the optional 10-speed automatic transmission, and reaches a top speed of 121 mph. Higher trims with the 5.0-liter V8 engine have even faster acceleration and higher top speeds, like the Ford Mustang GT, which reaches 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 180 mph.  

5. Subaru BRZ

The Subaru BRZ ranks fifth. The BRZ comes with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque with the manual transmission, and 200 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque with an automatic transmission. Thanks to its above-average reliability, value retention and reliability, it earns an iSeeCars Quality Score of 7.8.The BRZ has a zero-to-60 speed of 6.2 seconds and a maximum speed of 143 mph.

5. Toyota 86

The Toyota 86, which is nearly mechanically identical to the fifth-ranked Subaru BRZ, ranks sixth. The Toyota 86 and the Subaru BRZ have some minor differences, including their exterior styling, interior materials, pricing, and some minor suspension tuning differences. As such, the Toyota 86 has a slightly slower 0-60 time at 6.3 seconds and a maximum speed of 140 mph.  

Fastest Cars Under $20,000

Sports car buyers with a budget of $20,000 can find used versions of the fastest new cars under $30,000, as well as the additional sports cars highlighted below.

Nissan 370z

A classic Japanese sports car, the Nissan 370z comes as a coupe or convertible and has a 3.7-liter V6 engine with 332 horsepower. It goes from 0-60 in just 4.8 seconds and has a maximum speed of 155 mph. A 2012 used Nissan 370z costs an average of $19,877. 

Audi S5

The Audi S5 is the performance variant of the Audi A5. The S5 coupe has a direct-injection 4.2-liter V-8 engine with 354 horsepower, while the convertible has a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 that makes 333 horsepower. The Audi S5 can go from 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and has a maximum speed of 155 mph. A 2012 Audi S5 for sale costs an average $18,940.

Mercedes-Benz SLK

The Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster has a 1.8-liter four-cylinder base engine with 201 horsepower and a 3.5-liter direct-injected V-6 engine rated at 302 horsepower. It goes from zero to 60 in 5.1 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 155 mph. A 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK for sale costs an average of $16,251.

Audi TT

The front-wheel drive Audi TT is an elegant sports car with a unique design and engaging driving dynamics. The Audi TT from the 2014 model year has a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with 211 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, and it accelerates from 0-60 in 5.3 seconds. A used 2014 Audi TT has an average price of $19,255.

BMW Z4

The BMW Z4 two-seater luxury convertible comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 240 horsepower. It can accelerate from 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 130 mph. A 2012 BMW Z4 for sale costs an average of$17,969.

Bottom Line

All sports cars are fun to drive, but the ones topping this list offer a fast-yet-practical option for budget-minded enthusiasts. Be sure to also check out our guide on the best sports cars under $30,000 for additional practical sports cars, as well as our list of Best Sports Cars for more information on the sports cars listed above.

More from iSeeCars.com:

• Best Convertibles
• Most Reliable Sports Cars
• Most Reliable Luxury Cars

If you’re in the market for a new or used sports car, you can search over 4 million used and new cars with iSeeCars’ award-winning car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN decoder reports. Whether you want a coupe, convertible, sedan, or hatchback, car buying has never been so easy.

This article, Fastest Cars for Cheap, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.

• The average late-year Tesla used car value has dropped 4.8 percent in just the past month
• This compares to a 1.5 percent drop across all late-year used cars in the same time period
• Plug-in hybrid vehicles are also declining in value at an accelerated rate

These declines in Tesla values only accelerated when the company announced substantial price reductions for new Tesla models on January 13th, 2023. These latest price cuts were done to better align Tesla’s pricing with recent government legislation, though falling sales volume and rising inventory levels, across the industry and for Tesla specifically, suggest these cuts were also made to ensure new Teslas continue to move in a softening economy. 

Used Tesla Values Take a Big Hit in January

How have these cuts in new Tesla prices impacted used Tesla values? iSeeCars analyzed Tesla used car prices between January 3rd and January 11th, the day before the price cuts were announced. Comparing that to used Tesla prices between January 15th and January 31st, immediately after the announcement, iSeeCars confirmed a 4.8 percent drop in Tesla values. 

Used Model 3 values led the drop, down 5.2 percent after the price reductions, while used Model X prices declined the least, down 3.9 percent. These drops manifested as price reductions of $2,354 on the Model 3, $2,816 on the Model Y, $3,370 on the Model X, and $4,626 on the Model S, all in less than a month.

It’s worth noting that search activity for Teslas skyrocketed in this same timeframe, up 21.3 percent against an average of 6.5 percent for all used cars on iSeeCars.com.

Non-Traditional/Alternative Fuel Vehicles Dropping Faster than Internal Combustion Cars

Looking beyond Tesla, prices of alternative fuel vehicles dropped faster than traditional gasoline models in the past month, with plug-in hybrids leading the decline at 3.8 percent. Note that electric cars, with a 1.8 percent drop, are only slightly ahead of the industry average, further illustrating Tesla’s substantial drop in value versus the overall EV market.

More from iSeeCars:

• How to Buy an Electric Car
• How to Charge an Electric Car
• Electric Cars with the Longest Range

Methodology

iSeeCars analyzed over 1.4 million used cars from model years 2020 - 2021 listed for sale on iSeeCars.com between January 3, 2023 - January 11, 2023 (pre-announcement period) and January 15, 2023 - January 31, 2023 (post-announcement period). The average prices of each Tesla model, as well as non-Tesla models by fuel type, were compared between the two periods.

About iSeeCars.com

iSeeCars.com is a car search engine that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, like the iSeeCars free VIN check reports and Best Cars rankings. iSeeCars.com has saved users over $372 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.

This article, Tesla Prices Are Falling Fast – Three Times Faster Than the Market Average, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.

The final requirements add to the administration’s “Build America, Buy America” approach, and they’re requirements that any of the federally approved, state-designated processes granting companies any of the $5 billion designated as National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding will need to comply with. 

NEVI is effectively the policy name of the national EV charging network that will eventually include 500,000 chargers, both along highways and within communities. The network is a key piece of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which includes EV charging within its $650 billion investment through 2026 that includes traditional infrastructure as well such as roads, bridges, and mass transit. Of that, the law includes $7.5 billion in EV charging, $10 billion for various clean transportation projects, and more than $7 billion for EV batteries, critical minerals, and associated materials.

This federal network stipulates chargers placed 50 miles apart along designated corridors, with DC fast chargers all on the CCS format most non-Tesla EVs use. These latest rules make sure that all EV chargers purchased through the NEVI program—effective immediately—are U.S.-assembled, while the tighter rules will go into effect by July 1, 2024, assuring that there is at least 55% domestic content (by cost) in these products. To claim NEVI funding, any equipment that doesn’t fully comply with that higher content requirement must be installed before then. 

The Biden administration notes EV charger production investments from Tritium, Electrify America, Siemens, Charge Point, FLO, Wallbox, SK Signet, ABB Mobility, and others. Tesla’s Supercharger hardware, for instance, is already made in Buffalo, New York.

Part of different networks

The federally funded buildout will not be on one coordinated network from a consumer standpoint. But to help smooth the level of disjointedness, the rules add clarity to some network and hardware aspects.

One of those is some added clarity on charger uptime. “The final rule also establishes that each charging port must have an average annual uptime greater than 97 percent,” according to DOT language, with decisions to round uptime to the nearest minute rather than hour. 

New rules will also apply for reporting power dispensed, real-time port status, real-time customer price, and historical uptime. All such stations must be “physically accessible to the public 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, year-round.”

The rules do not restrict the ability for charging networks can charge lower prices to members, or those with particular models, so that could potentially enable a structure like what Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested in 2021, allowing the company to charge extra for slower-charging EVs. 

Payment methods can’t require a membership for use or “delay, limit, or curtail power flow to vehicles on the basis of payment method or membership.” They also need to comply with data privacy rules, 

As part of the announcement, the administration spotlighted a series of EV investments from Tesla, GM, EVgo, Pilot, Hertz, and BP as among those “announcing new commitments to expand their networks by thousands of public charging ports in the next two years.”

Examples include Hertz and BP and its announced intent to roll out charging hubs to serve ride-hailing drivers and car-rental customers; the coast-to-coast 350-kw network from GM and EVgo, at Pilot locations with more than 200 chargers on the way in 2023; Electrify America’s plans to install 1,000 chargers at 200 TravelCenters of America locations over five years; Mercedes-Benz’s network plan for more than 400 charging hubs with 2,500 public fast-charging ports; and the Seattle-Denver fast-charging network from Volvo and Starbucks.

For context, it’s worth noting that most or all of these announced investments have so far been made independent of whether they receive NEVI funds or not.

Reality check on Tesla's role

According to the administration, Tesla plans to open up “a portion” of its Supercharger and Destination charger network to non-Tesla EVs, making 7,500 chargers available to “all EVs” by the end of 2024. 

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Tesla currently has 19,385 ports—roughly equating to what the DOT document considers chargers—when combining the two charger types. So this would be a significant portion of Tesla's charging network when seen as a whole, but definitely a subset of it.

The federal government says that this number will include at least 3,500 new and existing 250-kw Superchargers along highway corridors.

It also points out Tesla’s plans to double its nationwide network of Superchargers, although it names no specific timeline and this doesn't appear to be in addition to previously announced Tesla targets for growth—such as Tesla's October 2021 target to triple the size of the Supercharger network in two years.

Does this mean Tesla will greatly expand its Supercharger network as part of the federal network? Likely not. But it’s conceivable that Tesla could sandbox part of its charging network into a NEVI-compliant portion and a non-NEVI-compliant portion.

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Now, as the rule pretty much spells out, it’s time to build. 

The recall affects 362,758 vehicles, including the 2016-2023 Model S and Model X, the 2017-2023 Model 3, and the 2020-2023 Model Y, as equipped with Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD Beta) upgrade, currently a $15,000 option.

The issue relates to the vehicles’ behavior under that option and specifically, as the NHTSA lays out, what’s been termed FSD Beta or Autosteer on City Streets.

NHTSA notes: “The FSD Beta system may allow the vehicle to act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution.”

The agency also says that the system may not respond sufficiently to changes in posted speed limits, or to the driver’s adjustment of speed.

Among the many items Tesla will need to adjust in a software update include the system’s yellow-light behavior, the duration of stops, its operating speed (based both on signs and driver), and its observation of lane rules.

“Analysis and testing performed as part of NHTSA’s Engineering Analysis (EA22-002) revealed that in certain situations, Tesla’s Autosteer on City Streets (Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta), led to an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety based on insufficient adherence to traffic safety laws,” stated the NHTSA, in a statement released to Green Car Reports. “​​As required by law and after discussions with NHTSA, Tesla launched a recall to repair those defects.”

As the federal agency notes, this recall does not address all the elements of its probe, which started as an investigation and advanced to an engineering analysis in June 2022.

“Accordingly, NHTSA’s investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot and associated vehicle systems remains open and active,” stated the agency.

Work performed at the NHTSA’s Vehicle Research and Test Center was reportedly critical to assessing how the system performed in certain scenarios.

The remedy is to be delivered over the air, but in complying with the recall, Tesla will mail out owner notification letters by April 15, 2023. Owners are instructed to call Tesla customer service at 877-798-3752.

In 2021 the head of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) called Tesla’s use of Full Self-Driving branding to be “misleading and irresponsible,” and last year longtime consumer advocate Ralph Nader called for the NHTSA to order the removal of full self-driving from Tesla vehicles entirely. Tesla also faces scrutiny from the DOJ and SEC over its self-driving claims.

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That hasn’t stopped Tesla from hiking the price of Full Self-Driving to $15,000 and broadening its so-called beta features. Musk has in the past suggested that the system is direct on-ramp to turning many of its vehicles into robotaxis that will become revenue-generators for owners.