Kia Has More American-Built VIN Codes Than Ford
The first digit of a VIN tells you where the car was assembled, not what the badge suggests. I went through the manufacturer code registry brand by brand, and the phrase "buy American" turns out to be much harder to act on than it sounds.
The Average Engine Lost a Cylinder and Half a Litre
Engines shrank by half a litre in thirty years while the cars they push around gained a thousand pounds. That combination should not work, and the way manufacturers made it work is the reason modern used cars fail differently than old ones.
Ford Sells Three F-Series Trucks. The Gap Between Them Is $19,500
They look almost identical in a parking lot and they cost as differently as a Corolla and a Corvette. I pulled 21,373 F-Series listings to find where the money goes between the 150, the 250 and the 350. One box on the order form explains most of it.
Today's Honda Civic Outweighs a 1981 Mustang
A 2026 Civic weighs 3,223 lb. A 1981 Mustang weighed 2,643 lb. The commuter hatchback is now heavier than the muscle car it used to park next to — and it is not the worst case in the data.
The GMC Sierra Costs $5,600 More Than the Identical Silverado
The Sierra and the Silverado are the same truck with different grilles — GM builds them on one line. So I checked what the letters on the tailgate cost. On an eight-year-old truck, $5,600. On a new one, $24,366.
The Lexus Tax Is Real — But Only on Some Models
"Just buy the Lexus, it's the same car with better seats." Half true — but nobody says what the badge costs. So I lined up the twins at the same mileage and checked.
F-150 vs Silverado: What the Used Truck Data Says
Ford versus Chevy is less a purchase decision than a family religion. I've ridden in enough of both to have a gut feeling, so instead of trusting it, I pulled our data on the F-150 and the Silverado and let the numbers break the tie.
CR-V vs RAV4: the Compact SUV Fight, Settled
These two basically are the compact SUV market. The CR-V and RAV4 trade the best-seller crown back and forth every year, and if you're shopping used you will look at both.
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.
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.