Consumer Reports

I guess if you don’t have an uncle in the business, or high speed internet connection, you need a book that tells you what to buy and what not to buy. However in my opinion CR gets the "duh" award for automotive reviews with "Captain Obvious" editorials for the masses of consumers who rely on a 3rd party publication to justify their purchase decision.

I wonder if CR would have liked some of our past automotive icons.... let’s have some fun.

“CR circa October 1963”

"The GTO is simlpy a Tempest with a large engine. The extra weight felt heavy on the steering box and handling was slow and non-responsive. The added hood scoop is not functional and the extra badging on the rear quarter panels appeared too large for the car. The dual exhaust, although functional, adds weight and future expense to replace. We liked the bucket seats, but for better value we would option for the LeMans with the more efficient 6 cylinder. Because of the poor gas mileage we cannot recommend the model."

"CR circa April 1964"

“The Mustang is an all new car by Ford, although built off the Falcon platform; the car is lower and more stylish. Rear seat room is very tight and the doors are large and hard to control when opening. Trunk space in inadequate for a family of four, however front leg room is impressive. No crash results are available at printing. We prefer the larger platforms from Ford like the Galaxy – providing more value and comfort. Overall we like the car; however the $2330 starting price is not competitive with models offering more features.”

Here’s one – The 1970 Plymouth Super Bird

“When the Plymouth Super Bird was delivered staffers at CR were aghast, the poorly designed front end and excessive rear spoiler blocked parking views in tight spaces. Fit and finish was horrible. We quickly realized why these limited edition cars are sitting in Detroit unsold. The Super Bird although a replica of a race car is truly not practical for daily shopping chores or weekend drives. Most CR staffers found the extra nose hard to judge in traffic and anticipated difficulty in accessing simple maintenance items such as fan belts and light bulbs. Crash results are impressive because of the extended bumper. We recommend the standard Plymouth Belvedere for value and functionality.”

In 2007 Consumer Reports didn't recommend the Lexus LS and in 2008 it’s on their top ten lists. How is it possible that CR doesn’t recommend Volvo as the safest car made or that (overall) a Corvette should be recommended to anyone always wanting to own such an icon.

Bottom line, hidden agenda’s are everywhere, in this article I’m making it clear I don’t like CR because of their inconsistencies of cars liked and disliked; their circle rating system drives me crazy (how can a car have so many red dots and still not be recommended?). But most of all I dislike the hard line sales pitch for printed materials in the age of free Google searches.

Yes an educated consumer is a great customer. Read, study but most important go to the dealership and drive the car. If the car fits like a really nice suit and you feel very comfortable in it, then buy it, the reality is no one builds a bad car any longer and not everyone wants to be seen wearing a CR “Best Buy” baseball cap (only $5.95 plus shipping).

Editor