Consumer Reports’ Recommendations – How Good Are They?

This posting examines Purchaser Reports’ 2007 recommendations of automobile styles for the Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and Kia manufacturers in order to see how their reliability fared just 3 many years afterwards. It delves into the thoughts: (1) How fantastic are CR’s suggestions? and (2) Is U.S.-primarily based Buyer Stories biased in favor of the U.S.-based Common Motors Company?

Client Reports’ dependability ratings are hugely valued by lots of consumers as they are statistical reports of described really serious difficulties, or the absence of these kinds of, for hundreds of thousands of autos, as collected from its subscribers in an yearly study. Nonetheless, really should its annual recommendations be accorded comparable respect? To solution this query, I study some of CR’s 2007 recommendations.

In the April 2007 issue of Buyer Reviews, the magazine suggested a few Chevrolet car types – one particular wagon, a single sedan, and a person SUV. They have been:

Chevrolet HHR, the wagon
Chevrolet Impala, the sedan
Chevrolet Tahoe, the activity-utilityvehicle.

As there ended up only 3 Chevrolet models that were advised, individuals could reasonably have anticipated that they merited thought and that from 1 of the versions they could confidently make a acquire. Even so, ahead of the a few 2007 products were being 3 a long time aged, all a few have been on Buyer Reports’ 2010 Worst Auto checklist, a list primarily based on reported serious troubles.

The concern arises: Were being these just undesirable, or dreadful, suggestions, or are they evidence of a bias in favor of U.S.-based mostly Standard Motors Company, proprietor of the Chevrolet model, by U.S.-dependent Purchaser Experiences?

Proof suggesting a bias in favor of U.S.-based Basic Motors arrives from tips of Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai designs. For the Toyota brand name, Customer Reports’ 2007 tips had been:

Toyota 4Runner, a midsize sport-utility car
Toyota Avalon, a large sedan
Toyota Camry, a midsize sedan
Toyota Camry, a convertible or coupe
Toyota Corolla, a smaller sedan
Toyota Highlander, a midsize SUV
Toyota Matrix, a small wagon
Toyota Prius, a hybrid 4-doorway hatchback
Toyota RAV4, a tiny SUV
Toyota Sequoia, a huge SUV
Toyota Sienna, a minivan
Toyota Tacoma, a midsize pickup.

And for the Honda brand, CR’s 2007 tips ended up:

Honda CR-V, a little activity-utility automobile
Honda Civic, a coupe or sedan
Honda Civic Si, a coupe or sedan
Honda Component, a little, boxy SUV
Honda In good shape, a tiny 4-door hatchback
Honda Odyssey, a minivan
Honda Pilot, a midsize SUV
Honda Ridgeline, a midsize pickup.

And for the Hyundai model, CR’s 2007 recommendations were:

Hyundai Entourage, a minivan
Hyundai Sonata, a sedan
Hyundai Tucson, a little sport-utility motor vehicle.

Of these 23 versions proposed in 2007, not a single was on CR’s 2010 Worst Automobile listing.

Even more evidence that U.S.-based mostly Consumer Studies might have a bias favoring GM rests in its individual 2007 Worst Vehicle (Utilised Cars to Prevent) checklist. Normal Motors accounted for a whopping 37% of this record, suggesting that recommending any GM merchandise was unwise.

However, evidence that these were being just lousy recommendations could be uncovered in CR’s Kia recommendations. In 2007, Shopper Studies encouraged the pursuing Kia products:

Kia Amanti, a sedan
Kia Sedona, a minivan
Kia Sorento, a smaller activity-utility car.

A few years afterwards, both of those the 2007 Sedona and the 2007 Sorento were being on CR’s 2010 list of Worst Automobiles.

In summary, it is tricky to conclude that Shopper Reports’ tips unduly favor U.S.-dependent GM however, it is very clear that the shopper really should be circumspect about a CR recommendation. And it may well be best for him or her to toss these kinds of a advice to the wind when considering a car buy and depend only:

(1) On CR’s reliability scores, in the 10-calendar year trustworthiness tables if more time-term ownership is sought or predicted, or alternatively on the on the net Auto Dependability GPAs, and

(2) On CR’s specific feedback regarding simplicity of use of a variety of elements, CR’s analyzed steadiness, and CR’s summaries of crash worthiness.