Consumers Top Cars

[Dave F.]

This is sure to draw the ire of many here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060302/ap_on_bi_ge/autos_consumer_reports

The only comment I'm going to make about this is that my wife and I recently bought a Toyota Highlander Hybrid and I must say that I have been very impressed by the thing.

-Dave

[Tracy C.]

Hmmm.. I've never shot myself in the foot before

What's it feel like?

tc

[G B.]

Consumer Reports knows as much about cars...

as I know about women.

I gave up on that commie rag back in the sixties. At that time CR recommended a clear windshield because tinted glass was "unsafe for night driving".

Their idea of the ideal street machine is a city bus. They can ride that dependable, practical, and safe bus straight to hell for all I care.

[Curtis L.]

Re: Consumer Reports knows as much about cars...

Look at the last names of all people involved in the testing. They sure are not American..

[Myron Sleeva]

Re: Consumer Reports knows as much about cars...

Jerry, please post a caution before making a post like you did.

Since you did not, what do you suggest is the best way to clean sprayed red wine off a keyboard??

[Barry K.]

Re: Consumer Reports knows as much about cars...

I'm with Jerry on this one. I refuse to buy or read CR magazine. Thier picks are jokes on most of their rating tests.
Years ago when I was in the photo industry they did a "Top Ratings" report on cameras. Out of their top 10 picks, at least half were KNOWN within the industry to be less than stellat cameras and worst of all they picked as their #1 best value camera a brand and model that was the biggest piece of crap available - half of those cameras would be bad and non-functioning right out of the box. Some value!
To CR it was a top value simply because it offered more geatures for less money than any other model in it's price range. BFD, what good is that if it doesn't work?

sorry, when you have the same people testing cars that are also testing cameras, computers, toaster ovens, hair curlers, and baby seats they have to try to find some criteria to base their testing and ratings on but usually these criteria are not realistic in the real world use to most people, but it does sure sell a lot of magazines for them.

[Gary S.]

Re: Consumer Reports knows as much about cars...

Don't hold back, Jerry. Tell us how you REALLY feel!

Gary

[Donald M.]

Re: Consumer Reports knows as much about cars...

The "Toaster Testers" have struck again! I fail to understand why people still read that rag.

[Ken Edmunds]

Re: Consumer Reports knows as much about cars...

In 1990 my company car was a new Lumina Eurosport with a 3.8 v6. CR said it was "too powerful for everyday driveing". That was a great car. Trouble free for 80k miles. It would boil the front tires on a little bit of a turn.

[Dave H.]

Reliability Ratings

You gotta remember that Consumer Reports is not an enthusiast publication. They are not evaluating cars based on the same criteria as you and I.

I admit that many of their statements are ludicrous, from an enthusiast perspective. However, it's hard to find fault with the reliability ratings in general terms. There are always exceptions to the rule, but anyone that argues that the average Chevy is more reliable than the average Honda is in denial. Simple resale value will attest to that. Reliability wise, my $40,000 BMW was a piece of cr*p compared to my $15,000 Honda. And for a lot of people, that's all that matters.

Heck, when I am looking for a new freezer I turn to Consumer Reports because all I care about is that it keeps the food frozen and lasts 15 years.

Dave.

[Donald B.]

Re: Consumer Reports knows as much about cars...

Are you REALLY impressed by 80K of trouble free driving ? I don't even consider the car broken-in until 100K. My "piece of Cr*P" Toyota has 324K and it has been trouble free. Detroit should try to match that! GM in particular sure as hell hasn't had much success at design - they may as well try dependability - maybe they would be OPENING plants instead of CLOSING them !

[Ken Edmunds]

Re: Consumer Reports knows as much about cars...

No, not impressed at all. I turned it back in to the lease company at 80k. Never spent a dime on it except for one tire that got slashed. I AM impressed with my 94 full sized Blazer with 271,000 miles on it with the original engine, starter, alternator, compressor and all the wheel bearings though! And my 67 300hp convertible with 350k on it.

[Chris H.]

Re: Consumer Reports knows as much about cars...

The issue I have is that the CR reliability does not match the JD Power reliability numbers. JD shows the vehicles built at the Oshawa plant (Grand Prix/Century/Regal/Lumina/LaCrosse) having the best intial quality (at 3 months) and then at 3 years the best reliability over the Accord/Camry. Yet those same cars do poorly at CR. I know JD is a scientific company that only takes in the data and reports it. Just seem strange.

[Geoff C.]

I will never own an Asian automobile

Never did, never will. And can honestly say, I probably haven't ever driven one and only rode in maybe 3 or 4. The closest I've come to foreign is 1 Norton, 3 MG-B's, 1 XKE, 1 D*dge quad-cab and 1 Freightliner. The latter 2 after they were purchased by the D-MB. I buy and root for the home team, for the same ethnocentric reasons that I root for the home team in sports.

I don't care if the build them here; the $ don't stay here when the deal is done. But with the loyalty shown by most Americans, we won't have to worry about the reliability of the US models when and if the Corvette turns 100.

Geoffrey Coenen

PS Go Yankee. I'm an American first. I'm going to Sebring and every time a foreign model races by I give them the malooch. (sp?) And the Bronx cheer.

[Dennis C.]

Geoffrey - Thanks For That Offering... Agree *NM*