Specific cars, real verdicts.
Specific cars, real numbers, opinionated calls on whether to refinance, lease, buy, or sell. Grouped by the decision, newest first. New verdict every Wednesday.
Specific real-vehicle verdicts. Year, model, trim, market context, and a yes-or-no recommendation.
Every Wednesday at 9am ET.
Setup, the math, our verdict, and what it means for someone in the same spot.
Refinance verdicts
2021 Volkswagen Tiguan: Should You Refinance the Loan or Leave It Alone?
With 141 complaints dominated by 53 engine failures and a pattern of catastrophic oil separator problems, pay off this Tiguan fast and get out before repair costs dwarf any refinance savings.
2020 Toyota Prius: Refinance the Loan or Leave It Alone
Fourteen owner complaints and a disturbing pattern of brake failures point toward selling, not refinancing, until Toyota sorts out what's happening with the pedals.
2023 Tesla Model Y: Refinance the Loan or Leave It Alone
With 1136 owner complaints, 17 recalls, and a pattern of dangerous phantom braking, we say refinance to lower your payment and get out sooner.
2022 Honda Civic: Should You Refinance the Loan or Leave It Alone?
With 728 steering complaints and four open recalls targeting that same system, you should leave the loan alone and prepare an exit strategy instead.
Should You Refinance a 2023 Mazda CX-5 in 2026?
If you financed your 2023 Mazda CX-5 at 8 percent or higher and have good credit now, refinancing to 6.5 percent could save you around $1,800 over the loan's remaining life.
Should You Refinance a 2021 Honda Accord Sport in 2026?
If you're paying more than 7 percent on your 2021 Accord Sport and plan to keep it another three years, refinancing to 6.5 percent will save you real money.
Should You Refinance a 2022 Subaru Forester Premium in 2026?
If you're paying more than 7.5 percent on your 2022 Forester, refinancing now can save you real money even in today's lukewarm rate environment.
Should You Refinance a 2023 Kia Telluride SX in 2026?
If you're paying more than 7.5 percent on your Telluride loan and plan to keep it another three years, refinancing now will save you real money despite today's rates.
Should You Refinance a 2024 Tesla Model Y Long Range in 2026?
If you financed your Model Y at 7.5 percent or higher in 2023 or 2024, refinancing now at six percent will save you real money over the next three years.
Should You Refinance a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid in 2026?
If you financed your 2021 Highlander Hybrid at 7 percent or higher, refinancing now at 6.5 percent will save you real money over the next three years.
Should You Refinance a 2022 Ford F-150 XLT in 2026?
If you're paying more than 7.5 percent on your 2022 F-150, refinancing now could save you two to three thousand dollars even with today's rates.
Should You Refinance Your 2023 Honda Accord in 2026?
If your original loan came with an APR above 7.5 percent and you have at least three years left, the answer is almost certainly yes.
Lease vs buy verdicts
2023 Toyota Tacoma: Lease or Buy? The Verdict After Four Recalls
With four open recalls, 54 owner complaints, and persistent electrical and steering issues, you should lease the 2023 Tacoma if you want it at all.
2021 Subaru Crosstrek: Lease or Buy? The Windshield Math Says Lease
With 115 complaints, 29 targeting visibility issues and a pattern of spontaneous windshield cracks, you want to return this Crosstrek before the warranty expires.
2022 Chevrolet Tahoe: Lease or Buy? The Engine Failure Data Says Lease
With 70 engine complaints, four recalls including catastrophic failure, and transmission control problems at 62,500 miles, you should lease the 2022 Tahoe and let GM own the risk.
2022 Nissan Kicks: Lease or Buy? The Forward Collision System Makes This Decision Easy
With 22 complaints and a forward collision system that triggers phantom braking, lease the 2022 Kicks so you can exit before warranty expires and Nissan stops covering the repairs.
2021 Hyundai Elantra: Lease or Buy Verdict
With six open recalls, 129 owner complaints, and persistent forward collision system failures, lease the 2021 Elantra so you can walk away when the warranty expires.
2020 Subaru Forester: Lease or Buy Verdict
The 2020 Forester's 252 windshield complaints in three years make leasing the safer bet, you can walk away before the visibility gremlins become your financial problem.
2024 Toyota Camry: Lease or Buy? Skip Both Until the Recall Is Fixed
With 47 owner complaints, an open seat recall that affects crash safety, and typical new-car depreciation, leasing makes no sense and buying requires waiting for the fix.
Sell or keep verdicts
2022 Ford Bronco: Sell It Now Before the Recall Stack Gets Worse
With 23 safety recalls, 376 complaints, and critical defects in steering and windshields still unfixed, the 2022 Bronco is a liability you should unload today.
2023 Jeep Cherokee: Sell It Now or Keep Driving It?
With an open powertrain recall that can cause loss of drive power or rollaway, only 3 complaints on file, and rapidly accelerating depreciation, sell this 2023 Cherokee now.
2023 Ford Ranger: Sell It Now or Keep Driving? Our Verdict
With 18 complaints heavily weighted toward powertrain issues, four open recalls including one serious wheel safety problem, and unpredictable transmission behavior, we say sell now.
2021 Ford F-150: Sell It Now While You Still Can
With 29 safety recalls, eight open campaigns including steering and brakes, and 1006 owner complaints pointing to powertrain chaos, this truck is a liability you should sell immediately.
2021 Subaru Legacy: Sell It Now or Keep Driving It?
Three unresolved recalls, including one for airbags that may not deploy in a crash, make this a clear sell-now decision despite low complaint volume.
2021 Jeep Compass: Sell It Now or Keep Driving It?
The 2021 Jeep Compass has 77 complaints, zero recalls, and an electrical system that dominates the problem list, which tells us to get out now.
2022 Ford Maverick: Sell It Now or Keep Driving It?
With 28 safety recalls, eight open campaigns including engine fire risks, and 42 electrical complaints, sell this Maverick before the next recall notice arrives.
2021 Kia Sportage: Sell It Now or Keep Driving It?
With 21 engine complaints, two active fire-risk recalls requiring outdoor parking, and owners stranded on interstates, the 2021 Sportage should be sold immediately.
2024 Jeep Gladiator Verdict: Sell It Now Before the Fire Risk Finds You
With an open recall telling owners to park outside due to fire risk and dealers reportedly refusing repairs, sell this 2024 Gladiator immediately.
2022 Hyundai Elantra: Sell It Now or Keep Driving It?
With five open recalls including three for exploding seat belt pretensioners and 97 owner complaints concentrated on safety systems, sell this 2022 Elantra now.
2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid: Sell It Now or Keep Driving?
With 11 owner complaints, troubling airbag failure reports, and two open recalls from 2019, sell your 2019 Camry Hybrid before these issues erode resale value further.
2023 Nissan Kicks: Sell It Now or Keep Driving? Our Verdict
With 11 forward collision avoidance complaints in just three years and phantom braking episodes that slam you to a stop, sell this 2023 Kicks before warranty expires.
Should You Keep or Sell Your 2019 Toyota RAV4 XLE in 2026?
Your 2019 RAV4 XLE is hitting the sweet spot where repair costs start climbing, but it's still worth enough to make a clean exit while you can.
Should You Keep or Sell a 2022 Honda Civic Sport in 2026?
If you're nearing the end of your loan with under 60,000 miles, keep the Civic and drive it for five more years to maximize value.
Should You Keep or Sell Your 2020 Honda Accord Sport in 2026?
Keep your 2020 Accord Sport unless you're facing expensive repairs or your commute just vanished, because selling now means eating depreciation you've already paid for.
Should You Keep or Sell Your 2021 Honda Civic EX in 2026?
Your 2021 Civic EX is hitting the sweet spot where keeping it makes more financial sense than selling into a softening used market and buying anything remotely comparable.
Should You Keep or Sell Your 2023 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport in 2026?
Your 2023 Tacoma TRD Sport is worth roughly $38,000 today, and you should absolutely keep it because these trucks hold value like nothing else and you're past the steepest depreciation.
Should You Keep or Sell Your 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid in 2026?
Keep your 2024 CR-V Hybrid for at least three more years because you're past the worst depreciation, fuel savings compound over time, and replacement costs are brutal right now.
Should You Keep or Sell Your 2020 Subaru Outback in 2026?
Your 2020 Outback still has strong resale value and at least four more solid years ahead, so keep it unless you're facing expensive repairs or your needs have fundamentally changed.
Should You Keep or Sell Your 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid in 2026?
Keep your 2023 Camry Hybrid because it's entering its sweet spot years where reliability peaks, depreciation slows, and your low payment beats any replacement deal.
Should You Keep or Sell Your 2022 Mazda CX-5 in 2026?
If your 2022 Mazda CX-5 has under 50,000 miles and no major repairs looming, keeping it through 2029 will save you at least $15,000 compared to replacing it now.
Should You Sell or Keep Your 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid in 2026?
Keep it. Your 2021 RAV4 Hybrid still holds great value, but it has at least five more years of peak reliability ahead and replacing it now means buying high.
More verdicts
2020 Kia Forte: Sell It Now Before the Engine Problems Get Worse
With 18 engine complaints, zero recalls despite widespread failures, and worrying oil consumption reports, sell this Forte now while it still runs and has value.
2022 Honda Ridgeline: Lease or Buy? The Lighting Problem Changes the Equation
With 113 complaints dominated by lighting failures and three open recalls including a critical rear suspension issue, leasing shifts the liability window off your balance sheet.