Consumer Reports Biased?
Eugene Fan
Hi All,
Even though it's generally accepted that Japanese cars are, on average, more
reliable than American brands, I wonder if Consumer Reports magazine is
biased against American car makers.
For example, in the recent April annual auto issue, Saturn's SL models did
not receive a Recommended rating (the SC did). Saturn was also not on the
list of recommended used cars and their reliability was rated only about
average for models more than a couple of years old.
I thought Saturn was a more reliable make than CR is suggesting, at least
their reputation and resale value seem to suggest so. Do you all think CR
is telling the truth, or are they biased in favor of Honda, Toyota, and
other Japanese car makers? Your feedback is appreciated.
--
Eugene Fan
Gerald James Imsicke
I am writing in regard to the thread about Consumer Reports being biased against
American makes.
I believe that Consumer Reports IS extremely biased against American cars. You
have to remember that Comsumer Reports (CR) is basing their results on MAILINGS
from their readers, and there is nothing scientific about it. The readership of
CR is made up of import lovers. The magazine and the editors are fully aware of
this.
The Saturn SL is one of the BEST made cars in production today. It is the SAFEST
car in it's class, actually, it is SAFER that almost all mid-sized cars. It has
tremendous resale value, and the Sales and Service treatment rank #1 in Customer
Satisfaction by JD POWER. The peppy Saturn SL is tough to beat.
Who gives a shit what CR thinks????
Mike Brown
>I am writing in regard to the thread about Consumer Reports being biased against
>American makes.
>
>I believe that Consumer Reports IS extremely biased against American cars. You
>have to remember that Comsumer Reports (CR) is basing their results on MAILINGS
>from their readers, and there is nothing scientific about it. The readership of
>CR is made up of import lovers. The magazine and the editors are fully aware of
>this.
>
>The Saturn SL is one of the BEST made cars in production today. It is the SAFEST
>car in it's class, actually, it is SAFER that almost all mid-sized cars. It has
>tremendous resale value, and the Sales and Service treatment rank #1 in Customer
>Satisfaction by JD POWER. The peppy Saturn SL is tough to beat.
>
>Who gives a shit what CR thinks????
>
I love it when I see things like this. It is proof positive of just
how effective advertising really is. Being an ASE certified mechanic
with nearly 20 years of experience I have worked on almost every make
on the road. The ONLY thing innovative or superior about a Saturn is
the advertising campagn. The fit and finish of the Saturn is average,
the styling (subjective but most that I have spoken to tend to agree)
is downright ugly.
While we are discussing "Who gives a shit" I'd be interested to see
your proof that the CR subscriber base is made up of import lovers. I
do not read CR and don't generally agree with there ratings but I have
never heard this before anywhere. In reviewing recalls on Saturn they
appear to be pretty much typical GM, which is to say average to below
average in that respect. Most Saturn owners I have spoken with are
generall satisfied with the car, nothing more... nothing less.
As for safety, if I were to be hit (or hit) a saturn in my car, I
would fear greatly for anyone in the Saturn... I would probably walk
away just fine....
stev...@microsoft.com
What is your basis for saying Saturn is the safest? It only got an
Acceptable rating by the Insurance Institute (along with a host of
other compacts). Several mid-size vehicles got a Good rating
(Taurus/Sable, Camry, VW Passat, Volvo, Chevy Lumina). Also crash
tests simulate how passengers would fare in crash with a vehicle of
the same size. When you consider that the mid-size are bigger
vehicles, I would much rather be riding in the mid-size.
OTH, I do believe that the Saturn is a pretty good vehicle, not
extremely sophisicated, a little rough around the edges, but it
represents good value and I would consider the Saturn if shopping in
the Civic, Corolla, Escort, ... segment.
J. Gu
>I believe that Consumer Reports IS extremely biased against American cars.
>You have to remember that Comsumer Reports (CR) is basing their results on
>MAILINGS from their readers, and there is nothing scientific about it. The
>readership of CR is made up of import lovers.
Totally agree with you.
Mike Brown
>I am writing in regard to the thread about Consumer Reports being biased against
>American makes.
>
>I believe that Consumer Reports IS extremely biased against American cars. You
>have to remember that Comsumer Reports (CR) is basing their results on MAILINGS
>from their readers, and there is nothing scientific about it. The readership of
>CR is made up of import lovers. The magazine and the editors are fully aware of
>this.
>
>The Saturn SL is one of the BEST made cars in production today. It is the SAFEST
>car in it's class, actually, it is SAFER that almost all mid-sized cars. It has
>tremendous resale value, and the Sales and Service treatment rank #1 in Customer
>Satisfaction by JD POWER. The peppy Saturn SL is tough to beat.
>
>Who gives a shit what CR thinks????
>
As an aside to your unsubstantiated, myopic tirade the NHTSA crash
tests found the Saturn pretty much in the middle of the pack, better
than most of the American makes but middling otherwise...
I suppose the NHTSA is purely unscientific and is terribly biased
towards import cars as well yes? As American vehicles go, the Saturn
is very good, it is very safe, and it is very reasonably priced. On an
overall basis.. well, it is very reasonably priced....
OTOH, I'm to assume here that we are to "give a shit" what Gerald
James Imsicke thinks as opposed to the entire readership of CR and, at
least in my case, the evidence of the vehicles that I have worked on?
Kinda proud of yourself aren't you??
Kevin J. Miller
I think they are biased. For one thing, they rely on surveys.
I think the best measure of reliability is the relative cost of after-market
extended warranties. Those guys have to pay the bills and if they are charging
more for one car vs. another in the same general class it is due to actual
results, not somebody's opinion.
I remember in the sixties and seventies a lot of my friends would go on and on
about their "reliable" Volkswagen bugs. I'd point out to them that they just had
to rebuild the engine (again) after 30,000 miles, and had replaced almost the
entire electrical system and the master brake cylinder to boot, and that their
cars wouldn't start when it got real cold or when it was raining real hard. No
matter. Selective memories would prevail every time. If they had had that much
trouble with an American car they would have been real mad. So I think surveys
are a very poor way to determine reliability objectively.
Kevin
Dan Hartung
Mike Brown <mdb...@pacbell.net> wrote in article
<355dd023...@news.pacbell.net>...
> As an aside to your unsubstantiated, myopic tirade the NHTSA crash
> tests found the Saturn pretty much in the middle of the pack, better
> than most of the American makes but middling otherwise...
I'm amused as hell when the NHTSA is raked over the coals for being
biased (as in the airbag debate) ... they "have an interest" in the
continuation
of the policy ... but held up as holy writ because they disagreed with
CR on the Isuzu Trooper.