How to Use Consumer Reports

to Find Which Car is Right For

You

A Ready Reference Instructional Guide to Navigating Consumer Reports, accessible with a Naperville

Public Library card

By Sarah Prokop, Children’s Services Associate at the Naperville Public Library

About Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports is a magazine produced by an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission

is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect

themselves.

Their purpose is to provide a reliable source of information that consumers can depend on to help

them distinguish hype from fact and good products from bad ones.

To further advance its mission, Consumer Reports employs a dedicated staff of lobbyists, grassroots

organizers, and outreach specialists who work with the organization’s more than 600,000 online activists

to change legislation and the marketplace in favor of the consumer interest.

Sample Questions Answered by Consumer Reports

Which car is rated as the most fuel efficient sedan?

Which car is rated as the most reliable used sedan?

Which small-sized sedan is highest rated?

How to Access Consumer Reports

Note: This presentation will guide you on how to

access Consumer Reports with a Naperville Public

Library card, however, your home library may

provide access too. Check with your library to

find out.

Visit www.naperville-lib.org and click on “Adults”

at the top of the page where the red arrow is

pointing

Next, click on “Online Resources” where the

orange arrow is pointing

How to Access Consumer Reports

Next, click on Consumer Reports, next to

the red arrow. This will bring you to

another page with a link to Consumer

Reports. Click the link below the orange

arrow.

You will need your library card barcode

and pin number to gain access so have

it ready!

Gaining Access to Consumer Reports

Enter the barcode of your library card where the red arrow points (your barcode is the number on the back of your NPL library card). Next, enter your 4 digit pin below to get access to the database.

The pin is often the last 4 digits of your phone number. If you do not remember your pin though, click on “Forgot Your Pin?” which leads you to the steps to retrieve it.

If you do not have a Naperville Public Library card, go to http://www.naperville-lib.org/content/get-library-card where you can learn how to get one. You can even apply for one online at https://library.naperville-lib.org/selfreg!

Ratings on Consumer Reports

Hover over the “Cars” link

and click on the type of

car you want to read more

about.

For this presentation, I will

click on “Sedans.”

As you can see, you can

even review ratings for car-

related products like tires

and car batteries.

Reviewing Sedans on Consumer Reports

Next, Click on “Reliable Used” next to the red arrow to see which cars are the top rated reliable used cars.

You will then see that the Acura RL is the highest rated used sedan. Click on “See Ratings” near the orange arrow to see more details.

Reviewing Information and Ratings

You can get general information about the car

on this page including pictures, prices, recalls,

etc. as well as the breakdown of the reliability

rating for specific years of this car.

For example, which year do you think is better to

purchase? Acura RL 08 or 06? Look at the ratings

to decide.

You can see that the 06 has a better Drive

System and Transmission Major but the 08 has a

better Engine Minor. This information may be

helpful to you if you are looking to buy a used

Acura RL.

Click on “see the complete reliability history” link

for a more detailed breakdown on the ratings.

Finding Top Rated Fuel Efficient Vehicles

Next, let’s review fuel efficient vehicles.

Click on “Sedans” Again at the top. Scroll to the “Ratings & recommended sedans”

section on the page and click the second link which says “Recommended fuel-efficient”.

There are several ways to achieve great fuel economy in a sedan, either looking to smaller

cars, or to those that have hybrid or diesel powertrains. Looking at the fuel economy

results from the tests, Consumer Reports highlight the true standouts.

As you can see, Consumer Reports lists the 2013 Honda Accord LX as the most fuel

efficient car with the 2013 Hyundai Sonata GLS coming in second.

Looking up Reviews on Any Vehicle

Let’s say you’re looking to buy a used car from a dealership but want to know what the

ratings are but they are older cars.

You may search for any car’s make or model by using the search bar at the top of the

website.

The search results will be news, ratings, articles, and comparison charts to other vehicles

that may help you.

Questions?

Consumer Reports gives you reliable information and answers many simple questions about

cars on the market today.

Consumer Reports is the largest independent consumer-testing organization in the world,

where hundreds of people work every day to test products, inform you of the results, and

protect your consumer interests.

Simply use your library card to access all of this information 24/7 through the Naperville

Public Library’s website to find out which car is right for you.

If you need help navigating Consumer Reports, please contact Sarah Prokop, Children's

Services Associate, at the Naperville Public Library on 95th Street by sending your questions

to sprokop@naperville-lib.org.