Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports joined Cheddar News to discuss the top car picks for 2023.

Closing Bell

Consumer Reports Best Affordable Cars For 2023

President's day just around the corner. Traditionally a good time to score extra discounts on cars. So for those in the market for a new vehicle, consumer reports, just releasing its annual list of top cars of 2023 today. And joining me now to talk about the picks is Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at consumer reports, Jake, thanks so much for coming on the show. I do see some vehicles behind you. What are some of the most reliable and affordable cars that's key here, affordable on the market? Well, fortunately there are a lot of good choices that are affordable and reliable and we did um, we released today, our top picks um 10 vehicles and there are vehicles like the Toyota Corolla hybrid, the the Subaru Forester, the Ford Maverick hybrid. These are really great choices that are affordable. Um, and and they're they're safe, they're reliable, they're really great choices. I mean one thing in the market is really the hybridization of these vehicles. So there are so many hybrid in the market, mainstream, affordable vehicles that get great fuel efficiency and are reliable and just great choices for people interested in electric vehicles, jake. I see a hybrid model as you mentioned obviously on that list, but what about E. V. S, what is looking attractive right now? Yeah, so when it comes to TVs, it's super confusing right now because there are so many new vehicles on the market and for the first time ever we actually have two top picks that are electric vehicles at different price points. So first is the Nissan Leaf which has been on the market for a very long time actually over 10 years, it's reliable and it's quite affordable. I mean you could pick them up for less than $30,000 and that's before the tax incentives if you're looking for a little more expensive vehicle, the Tesla model three is really a great choice. Now, let me be clear now there are other cars on the market that do perform a little bit better. There are other cars in the market that are a little more reliable. But if you're looking for an E V, you really can't go wrong with Tesla because of the supercharger network that you have access to when it comes to charging on the road? It's really difficult sometimes if you're not in a Tesla, but the Tesla system is just, there's more available and they're seamless to use. I know obviously the news this week to that the administration trying to build out that network of EV chargers and Tesla said to make more of its charger, 7500 compatible for all vehicles by next year. Let's talk about people who are in a position to splurge jake people who have a little extra cheddar perhaps in their bank account. What are some of the vehicles that look attractive on that front? Well, there's still a lot of people who are interested in luxurious SUVs that are roomy that do a lot and, and, and there are great choices there too. So one car, the Hyundai santa fe hybrid. Um, it's not, it's, it's still fairly affordable and it gets great fuel efficiency. The Lexus NX 3 50 H. This is a luxurious vehicle that gets 38 MPG and the Kia telluride, which is just large, roomy square box of vehicle that drives surprisingly small but just does everything you really need to do. Where do you find a deal? That's this President's Day weekend? You go straight to the dealer. No, you know, I mean, it really pays to do your research online. So really do a lot of research. It's still a bit of a seller's market. It's getting better now, but still take a look. Um, I mean, you could go to the Consumer reports dot org. We will actually highlight some special discounts through Consumer Reports members, but also show what's going on in terms of the inventories that are available to you. But it's, it's tough. You really got to do a lot of research and if that car that you really want is available, take a look at some other options to, you might be able to get a deal on that. All right, jake fisher, Senior Director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, jake. Thanks so much for coming on the show