I have read Consumer Reports magazine for several years. On many items its tests do reflect a great degree of accuracy. But when it comes to automobiles, I have concluded there is a bias when it comes to most domestic vehicles. I know from many different sources that certain American producers are making a quality product that compares with and in some cases exceeds that of Imports. But you won't read that in the pages of CR. It seems most domestic vehicles are either outdated, sluggish, unreliable or unsatisfactory. Almost every domestic vehicle has a black dot(poor mark) associated with it while the imports get the more desired red dots(excellent mark) as marks of their superiority, reliability and customer satisfaction. Pick up last years April 2002 issue and read for yourself. I expect 2003 to differ little. I don't think FORD and a few others are getting fair, unbiased reviews. This to me is wrong and I don't like it one bit. Sorry for the venting.........

 

Read CR again. CR has been critical of Honda and Mercedes Benz lately because the repair record of the Civic and the C Class have dropped to only "Average".

With respect to the '03 Expy, CR said that the Expy had responsive and well controlled ride and handling, very spacious and flexible interior with good fit and finish, generous cargo space and overall a "well-conceived" package. The only real negative was the power and fuel economy of the 5.4 L (which Ford is gving a long over due rework for the '04 F-150).

I agree that CR tends to like certain manufacturers and model lines, but they generally agree along the same lines as other magazines such as Car & Driver and Motor Trend.

Have you seen "Motorweek" on PBS? They like everything and give no really objective advice.

 

If our experience thus far is any indicator of quality...

I consider myself a patriot in that I try to purchase American vehicles... but I am rethinking that with the issues we are having with our two Ford products...
After 125k miles and things starting to go wrong faster... I traded a '98 Jeep 5.9 Limited in on a nice large '02 Ex PSD.... in Oct, my wife said it was her turn and we traded her car in on an '02 Lincoln LS V8 - NICE car...but...

The Lincoln stranded my wife in a section of town that I would be afraid of when the power distribution module next to the trunk's battery connections shorted and killed all power to everything...
Had to have it towed in and we still have a stench in the trunk from that short.. I've complained so much the Lincoln service guy won't return our calls now...

The Ex has been in the shop about two months of the 5 months we've had it... SO FAR.... (this visit is going on the fourth week now)

So you see, maybe there might be some validity in CR claims... I KNOW ---- disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer...
"Your results may vary"
I wish our's would !
I guess we're just the lucky ones...
But I still love the Ex when we have it !!!
It's somewhat like being with a beautiful woman every once in a while... it's nice when she graces you with her presence !

 

I had a '99 SD PSD that I bought new in early '98 right after they came out. Just traded it for a '03 X. The truck did not have many miles on it (16,000), but I had -0- problems with it. Nothing. Not a loose screw, not a dangling wire, no squeaks, no rattles.

My '99 Lexus had about the same miles and had a couple of electric problems. Nothing big, but had to go back to the shop twice. The Lexus never had to pull a 7500 lbs. trailer.

Everyone makes good cars, but parts do fail. There are a lot of switches, sensors and relays in modern cars.

The best machine I have every seen was the Hoover vacuum cleaner that my mother used. She bought it USED in the 50's from my grandmother and used it every week until she finally bought a new Hoover in the early 80's. Never did anything but put a couple of new drive belts on it and new bags.

(By the way, I got that 80's replacement Hoover from my mother and am still using it.)

 

Sorry, I don't need to re-read. I was speaking in GENERAL terms....not to say that specific examples could be found otherwise.

 

I have MANY issues with CR (what car salesman doesn't?), but my biggest beef is this: why do they spend their money testing expensive sports cars? They don't accept loaner cars for testing, they go out in the marketplace and BUY them, using subscribers' money. They'll buy a Corvette, Porsche Boxster, Toyota MR2, etc... and then tell you, as a consumer, which one to buy. If you're a die-hard Corvette fanatic, (dreamed of owning one your whole life) are you suddenly gonna go out and buy a PORSCHE because CR says so? Of course not. Conversely, if you've always wanted a Porsche, are you now shopping Chevrolet showrooms because of Consumer Reports? It's a complete waste of money on CR's part. But they do this for one simple reason: they test cars primarily by driving them back and forth to work! Now, if you're an editor for CR, what would YOU rather drive to work: A Honda S2000, or a Kia Spectra? A Mercedes E-class, or a Chevy Cavalier? I want CR to tell me if I should buy a Toyota Corolla or a Honda Civic, not a Mercedes or a BMW. I already know that a $60,000 car is a great car: for that price it should be! The money that magazine wastes on cars that they just like to play with is an insult to every subscriber to their magazine.

 

First of all, you need to define what is an "American" car.

Ford, GM and Dodge (MB, really) all make a large percentage of their cars and trucks in Mexico or Canada. All PT Cruisers are made in Mexico. Almost all Ram pickups art made in Mexico. Toyota builds the Tundra in Indiana and the Tacoma in California. All U.S. Camtry's are made in Kentucky (not far from KTP). All U.S. Honda Accords and Civics are made in Ohio (have been for years). Lexus is starting to build cars in the U.S.. The New Nissan big pickup will be built in Mississippi. Other Nissans are made in Tennesse. BMW's are built in South Carolina. MB in Alabama.

Many of these "foreign" brands are more American than anything from the "Big Three".

Second, which opinion do you trust more, one that comes from an independent source, such as CR, that buy the cars that they test and do not accept ANY money from the manufacturers, or someone who writes for one fo the car magazines and that the manufacturers wine and dine, and fly (all expenses paid) to paradise vacation spots to "test" cars under conditions very tightly controlled by the manufacturers?

 

I'm not defining anything. I know the difference between domestic and import. I "Vented" my opinion and its still my opinion, unchanged. If you have an opinion then state it! Otherwise take your Hoover and do something productive.

 

Your original opinion was that CR is biased against domestic and biased toward imports. I can assume that "domestic" means GM, Ford, Chrysler. I can assume that "import" means Honda, Toyota, Nissan, MB, BMW.

My point is that some "imports" (Toyota, Nissan, BMW, MB, Honda)are more "domestic" (Californa, Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Ohio, South Carolina) than many "domestics" (GM, Ford, Chrysler) and that many "domestics" (GM, Ford, Chrysler) are in fact, "imports" (Mexico, Canada).

You wanted an opinion, OK, here is an opinion. Maybe CR is biased against "domestics" because domestics make such trash.

I will give you an example. I recently bought a new 2002 Chevy S-10 (no Ford bashing in this forum). Made is Shreveport, Louisiana USA. The paint quality is pathetic. My Murray lawn mower has better paint. The dash pieces are mismatched, both in shape and in color. It is unbelievable to me that someone, anyone, at the plant did not even try to stop this one from going out the door. (I bought it because it was cheap and I needed a small pickup. Stickered for $14,600, bought it for $8400 and change).

Want to know why GM is rebating the hell out of its cars? It has to compete on price because it can't compete on quality.

 

[QUOTE][i]
You wanted an opinion, OK, here is an opinion. Maybe CR is biased against "domestics" because domestics make such trash.
You may be right!!!

Want to know why GM is rebating the hell out of its cars? It has to compete on price because it can't compete on quality. You may be right again, but these are YOUR opinions...very well stated...but not MINE.