From sights like the Fire Museum to the interesting nooks of the Cotton Exchange, every single Memphis resident has abundant opportunities to enjoy living in a city that has a distinct flair, and is a noticeable notch above the rest in hospitality. Other city dwellers in locations such as the Pacific Northwest may be under the impression that car buyers in Memphis are not as concerned as others with electric cars, and the improvement of the environment. But many conversations with those on the lot have told us otherwise, and we hear from many avid consumers who are excitedly watching the disappearance of the need for fuel on the very near horizon.




It was just recently announced that the Chevy Bolt electric vehicle has claimed first place for all-electric vehicles in Consumer Reports' testing, by achieving the feat of 250 miles on a single charge. In another industry test, the Bolt went head to head against the 2016 Tesla Model S 75D, which ran out of juice at the 235-mile mark. The Bolt Triumphantly pushed on for another 15 miles, and we are proud to offer a vehicle that is the main contender as far as the electric performance spectrum is concerned. The Consumer Reports Auto Test Center pushes cars to their performance limits across 327 acres in spacious Connecticut, where there is plenty of time and space to make a positive or negative ruling on performance.



The cars team tests around 60 vehicles per year, driving them for a grand total of around 900,000 miles. Data regarding the reliability and satisfaction of the cars is collected from our subscribers to add weight to the decisions, and a full-time staff of 30 individuals is needed to complete the demanding and thorough job. Consumer Reports purchases every vehicle they test from a dealer, and this gives them the opportunity to be very thorough with the ways in which result in the best possible information given to the customer. Each vehicle is driven for 2,000 break-in miles over the course of several weeks, before the very structured testing even begins.

Cars are not chosen for just their ability in the range category: the Bolt did exceptionally well for its very agile handling, and the cabin that is pretty noise-free. You could just about purchase two Chevy Bolts for the price of what the Tesla Model S 75D is, and Car and Driver states that it is “also good enough to be worthy of all the breathless hype showered on the Tesla Model 3”. Taking a bit of the range anxiety out of the equation and offering killer features such as a 360-degree view camera system, The Chevy Bolt is an excellent choice for anyone looking to take the gas-powered element out of their daily commute.

To truly be considered one of the best cars of 2017, being safe, reliable and satisfying are shoes that the auto has to fill well, with a solid sense of longevity. The Chevy Cruze and Malibu have been getting customers excited in Memphis for good reason: everyone wants a reliable car that raises the bar in many different ways. Having ample room for trips, power to get you off the line quickly, and owners who are overtly loyal are always going to have buyers lotting their next addition to the home fleet. To be a top pick as far as Consumer Reports are concerned, a car model has to have a way above par score in several different categories. Road-test performance, predicted reliability, satisfied owners, and overall safety are the key areas that users want to see the car rank high in.

One of the most awesome traits of the Chevy Cruze is that it ranks so highly when put through the most extreme of tests, and beats the competition when put through a strict regimen of hardcore proving grounds. The Road Test was one element for the Cruze and Malibu that many deemed very important: this is where everyone who is planning on purchasing the car can see how it stands up relating to road performance, predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, and safety rankings. When it comes to reliability, the staff can predict how cars can take strides to avoid problems as reported by subscribers. As we take a good hard look at all of the data that was gleaned from over 300,000 vehicles, the customers that were likely to purchase a car again always struck a very valuable note, and we valued their expertise.

When dealing with the issue of safety for your next car purchase, this is where almost every consumer needs to feel as if they have all of their bases covered. To be included within Consumer Reports, the process begins with performing satisfactorily in accident avoidance: withstanding an injury for you or anyone else in your car is going to definitely be the highest priority you have. When you have your mind set on a car, you don't want to have an addition to your fleet that won't perform when you really need it to: high-tech braking systems are one of the futuristic additives to any car that has the prowess and pride to rank high on a consumer reports list such as this.

The Malibu has made an incredibly strong case for itself to win many over: our sales and service staff here were immediately impressed with its spacious interior, high number of tech and safety features, and the 2.0-liter turbo that is the primed power source. You get 184 lb-ft of torque paired to a six-speed automatic, and EPA fuel economy ratings are 27/36 mpg city/highway for the 1.5-liter, and rank out at 22/33 mpg for the 2.0 liter. As far as the Cruze, the addition of a hatchback has been received very well this year, as well as the second USB charging port for rear-seat passengers. Driving truly like a larger car should, the Cruze is going to offer you its characteristic stiff structure as well as top-of-the-line suspension. Come check out just how these great vehicles can fit into your plans for 2017, and see how we can educate you on some of the most feature-filled autos ever built!