Guides by Denis
341 articles
The Best Family Cars, Ranked on Space and Safety
A family car has the hardest job of any vehicle. It has to be safe, it has to survive years of abuse from small humans, it has to swallow strollers and hockey bags, and it can't cost a fortune to run.
Rebuilt Title vs Salvage Title: the Difference Matters
People throw around "salvage" and "rebuilt" like they mean the same thing. They don't, and mixing them up can cost you real money or land you in a car you can't insure.
The Best Cars for Teenagers Are Cheap to Insure Too
Shopping for a kid's first car is a special kind of stress. You want them safe, you don't want to go broke on insurance, and you definitely don't want to hand a new driver something quick.
Civic vs Corolla: I Let the Data Break the Tie
If the Camry and Accord are the reliable-sedan question, the Civic and Corolla are the reliable-compact question, and people are just as loyal about them.
The Most Fuel-Efficient Used Cars, by Real MPG
Every time gas jumps I get the same question: what used car actually sips fuel without costing a fortune? So I pulled real EPA combined numbers from our data and ranked them.
How to Check a Car's History Before You Get Burned
A used car can look immaculate in the photos and still be hiding a past that costs you thousands. I learned this the annoying way.
The Best Compact SUV, Ranked on Data Not Hype
The compact SUV is the default new-family car in America, which means the used lot is drowning in them. Good news and bad news. Good, because you have options.
How to Read a VIN Number: the 17 Digits That Hide a Full Report
Those 17 characters on your dash look random. They're not. Here's how to read a VIN in about two minutes, and the one digit that catches fraud.
How to Calculate Car Depreciation, the Cost That Hurts Most
I got weirdly obsessed with depreciation math, then a little sick when I ran it on my own car. Here's the simple formula, and how to stop overpaying.
These Are the Most Reliable SUVs, Ranked by Real Data
Everyone says 'buy a reliable SUV.' Cool, which ones? I ranked them on our actual data instead of vibes. Here's what really lasts.
Camry vs Accord: The Data Finally Picks a Clear Winner
I get asked 'Camry or Accord?' constantly. So I stopped guessing and let our data settle it. The winner's closer than the reputations suggest.
The Cheapest Cars to Insure Aren’t the Ones You’d Expect
Everyone thinks their insurance bill is about them. I pulled the loss data, and it's mostly about the car. The cheapest ones surprised me.