Wirecutter: What Should I Look For When Buying a Used Car?

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Makes me question the widespread impression that Wirecutter is a reliable judge of "best of." Why, exactly?

  1. Banks generally use NADA for used car valuations, not KBB or Edmunds. If you're seeking a used car loan, use NADA.
  2. You HAVE to hit Google to troll the forums for that car model's enthusiasts, to see what the common maladies are. Fords? Head gaskets ($$). Subarus? Head gaskets ($$$). Minis? The PCV valves are molded into the valve cover, so any PCV issues are expensive ($$$). Nissan Xterra? Know about the "Strawberry Milkshake Of Death"? Look up SMOD. If you don't, you're in for a $4-8000 repair. Get my drift?

And more. Advice well-meant, I'm sure. Covers all the bases. As if a freelance blog-writer was tasked to write a piece on used car purchases through Mechanical Turk.