Consumer Reports Most Reliable New Cars

[Snax]

CR's own staff perform the reviews. JD Powers quality ratings come from customer's reports.

Nope. Reliability is determined by responses to annual reader surveys--not from CR's staff.

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[AndyVilla]

Suzuki Resolves a Dispute With a Consumer Magazine

By Danny Hakim

• July 9, 2004

The Suzuki Motor Corporation and Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, reached a settlement Thursday in a bitter eight-year legal dispute over the magazine's assessment of how prone the Suzuki Samurai sport utility vehicle is to roll over.
Consumers Union did not agree to pay any money or issue a retraction. The group has never done either in more than a dozen lawsuits against it in its 68 years of evaluating products.
The group did concede, in a paragraph in a joint press statement titled ''Clarification,'' that it was possible that a passage in a Consumer Reports article about the Samurai may have been misconstrued. But it did not retreat from the results of its test of the 1988 Samurai, in which the vehicle tipped up on two wheels.
''This is standing by our story fully -- no retractions, no corrections and no money paid,'' said R. David Pittle, senior vice president for technical policy at Consumers Union. ''This is very acceptable to us. We will agree to disagree, and move on.''

Cam Smith Arnold, vice president of Suzuki for customer relations and communications, said that the company's lawsuit ''was never about money -- it was about reputation.''

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''The fact that we got these clarifications was very important to Suzuki,'' she added.
The settlement followed the Supreme Court's refusal last November to overturn a ruling by a federal appeals court that would have sent the matter to trial. Consumers Union had sought a dismissal of the suit.
Suzuki last sold the Samurai in 1995. The article at the center of the lawsuit was published the following year, in an anniversary edition of Consumer Reports. Summarizing the magazine's tests of the Samurai in 1988, the 1996 article said that the vehicle ''easily rolls over in turns.'' The group's test mimics an abrupt double lane-change maneuver, as might happen if a driver swerved to avoid an object in the road and then swerved back into the original lane to avoid oncoming traffic.

 

[ralatalo]

Devils advocate here. Would a recall early on mean Ford is working diligently to ensure quality?

Exactly everybody has problems. What really matters is how they handle them

 

[uh50]

Nope. Reliability is determined by responses to annual reader surveys--not from CR's staff.

Interesing, on the consumerreports.org web site the About Us section states:

CR remains a trusted source because our rigorous, independent testing and research still creates a marketplace built on credible information, greater transparency, and fairness. Our investigative journalism, advocacy, and digital testing empower consumers, inform people’s purchasing decisions, influence businesses to improve the products and services they deliver, and strengthen norms, laws, and regulations through science, evidence, and data.​

​

Additionally the CR Recommended page states:

Consumer Reports always chooses which products to test, buys them at retail and never accepts payment from manufacturers to test or rate their products. When a product meets our criteria, it achieves “Recommended” status.​

​

The Research & Testing page states:

Data is the basis for virtually all the work that Consumer Reports does...We’re able to combine CR members’ feedback with search engine trends and technical data from government, academia, and industry to find the connecting threads underneath the numbers. These insights ensure that our tests reflect how consumers actually use a product, that our testimony to a government panel is fact-based and supportable, and that we can plan for the products we’ll need to purchase in the future to do our work.​

​

They use consumer info and feedback to determine what products to test and perform research. They use CR member' feedback to "find the connecting threads underneath the numbers. So, if CR performs independent testing of products and trends by consumers, the CR staff performs the rating. Independent testing affirms they perform the ratings. This is from their website.

 

[ralatalo]

Suzuki Resolves a Dispute With a Consumer Magazine

By Danny Hakim

• July 9, 2004

The Suzuki Motor Corporation and Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, reached a settlement Thursday in a bitter eight-year legal dispute over the magazine's assessment of how prone the Suzuki Samurai sport utility vehicle is to roll over.
Consumers Union did not agree to pay any money or issue a retraction. The group has never done either in more than a dozen lawsuits against it in its 68 years of evaluating products.
The group did concede, in a paragraph in a joint press statement titled ''Clarification,'' that it was possible that a passage in a Consumer Reports article about the Samurai may have been misconstrued. But it did not retreat from the results of its test of the 1988 Samurai, in which the vehicle tipped up on two wheels.
''This is standing by our story fully -- no retractions, no corrections and no money paid,'' said R. David Pittle, senior vice president for technical policy at Consumers Union. ''This is very acceptable to us. We will agree to disagree, and move on.''

Cam Smith Arnold, vice president of Suzuki for customer relations and communications, said that the company's lawsuit ''was never about money -- it was about reputation.''

Daily business updates The latest coverage of business, markets and the economy, sent by email each weekday. Get it sent to your inbox.

''The fact that we got these clarifications was very important to Suzuki,'' she added.
The settlement followed the Supreme Court's refusal last November to overturn a ruling by a federal appeals court that would have sent the matter to trial. Consumers Union had sought a dismissal of the suit.
Suzuki last sold the Samurai in 1995. The article at the center of the lawsuit was published the following year, in an anniversary edition of Consumer Reports. Summarizing the magazine's tests of the Samurai in 1988, the 1996 article said that the vehicle ''easily rolls over in turns.'' The group's test mimics an abrupt double lane-change maneuver, as might happen if a driver swerved to avoid an object in the road and then swerved back into the original lane to avoid oncoming traffic.

Sounds like what I have heard called the moose test ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose_test ) and from a program I watched on it....many, many cars fail it.

 

[ralatalo]

Interesing, on the consumerreports.org web site the About Us section states:

CR remains a trusted source because our rigorous, independent testing and research still creates a marketplace built on credible information, greater transparency, and fairness. Our investigative journalism, advocacy, and digital testing empower consumers, inform people’s purchasing decisions, influence businesses to improve the products and services they deliver, and strengthen norms, laws, and regulations through science, evidence, and data.​

​

Additionally the CR Recommended page states:

Consumer Reports always chooses which products to test, buys them at retail and never accepts payment from manufacturers to test or rate their products. When a product meets our criteria, it achieves “Recommended” status.​

​

The Research & Testing page states:

Data is the basis for virtually all the work that Consumer Reports does...We’re able to combine CR members’ feedback with search engine trends and technical data from government, academia, and industry to find the connecting threads underneath the numbers. These insights ensure that our tests reflect how consumers actually use a product, that our testimony to a government panel is fact-based and supportable, and that we can plan for the products we’ll need to purchase in the future to do our work.​

​

They use consumer info and feedback to determine what products to test and perform research. They use CR member' feedback to "find the connecting threads underneath the numbers. So, if CR performs independent testing of products and trends by consumers, the CR staff performs the rating. Independent testing affirms they perform the ratings. This is from their website.

But is a survey a review? You both could be correct in your statements. Staff can do to testing and reviews while the survey gets sent to subscribers.

 

[DryHeat]

But is a survey a review? You both could be correct in your statements. Staff can do to testing and reviews while the survey gets sent to subscribers.

I appreciate your trying to pour oil on the waters and calm this mini-storm.

But it's pretty clear that @uh50 was comparing CR's reliability ratings to JD Powers' quality ratings. Particularly in the context of this thread, which is all about CR's reliability ratings.

If he was actually aware that CR's reliability ratings came from customer's reports (like JD Powers') then his comments (see below) would be kind of deceptive. So I don't think that's what happened.

Look at the JD Powers quality awards then look up the CR review. CR's own staff perform the reviews. JD Powers quality ratings come from customer's reports. I'll choose JD Powers over CR on anything.

 

[Rob Cactus Gray]

How ridiculous I sound? Spare me. If you like spending $30,000 on a car that will be recalled three or more times in the next three to five years, then it is you that is ridiculous. This is not my first or second or third new car. Cars in the past were built with at least a modicum of attention to detail. Never before have there been so many recalls. Let's just put a car out there with under-engineered Takata airbags and see how many are killed before we notice a problem. Just because consumers like yourself have come to accept this garbage doesn't make it normal or right or acceptable, but hey, keep rationalizing. By the way, when your car is recalled five times only to have the last recall be about engine shards left in the engine after manufacture (affecting five years of the same model Hyundai Sonata), have your car checked out, told it was fine and then have it seize up on you while doing 45 mph, you will change your tune. Had I been on I-95, it could have been deadly. I am sick of recalls. They should not be happening with such regularity. Expecting a certain standard of quality does not make my comments ridiculous.

Im excited to hear of this perfect $30k vehicle manufacturer. You sound like a peach to work with/for. Expecting nothing less than perfection. You’re first problem with the Hyundai is you bought a Hyundai.

 

[uh50]

I appreciate your trying to pour oil on the waters and calm this mini-storm.

But it's pretty clear that @uh50 was comparing CR's reliability ratings to JD Powers' quality ratings. Particularly in the context of this thread, which is all about CR's reliability ratings.

If he was actually aware that CR's reliability ratings came from customer's reports (like JD Powers') then his comments (see below) would be kind of deceptive. So I don't think that's what happened.

I appreciate all comments and take no offense at attempts to correct me.

In reading at CR's webpage, the testing resulted in staff reviews and ratings. The consumer was mostly limited to providing CR with an idea which products to test. I'm not saying that consumers didn't have input with reviewers, but clearly, the independent testing is the governing factor.

I do believe what we post should be factual and not with an intent to deceive which is never something I want to do. I enjoy this board and the information it provides. I also enjoy differing ideas as something we can learn from. Unfortunately, when people post there are going to be unintentional and inaccurate statements. That's just the way we humans are.

The statement, that CR relies on consumers for their ratings is just plainly incorrect. After reading the CR information it is clear they consider consumers and their comments, but the result of testing generally has the most weight with reviewers while they are considering consumer members reports.

Anyway, my intent is not to keep this discussion going and for me it is only an intelligent discussion between two differing ideas. It is not the end of the world.

 

[DryHeat]

In reading at CR's webpage, the testing resulted in staff reviews and ratings. The consumer was mostly limited to providing CR with an idea which products to test. I'm not saying that consumers didn't have input with reviewers, but clearly, the independent testing is the governing factor.
* * *
The statement, that CR relies on consumers for their ratings is just plainly incorrect.

I think you may be conflating CR's overall recommendations with their reliability ratings. The OP was about a CR article on reliability ratings.

It's a little confusing, but if you check each vehicle's report in CR you'll see that it has an overall score and a separate reliability rating.

Here's what CR says about how they do their reliability ratings:

How Does CR Get Its Reliability Information?
Where Is the Data From?
Consumer Reports obtains its reliability data from the Auto Surveys sent to Consumer Reports members each year. In all, we received responses on over 300,000 vehicles in our 2021 surveys, detailing 2000 to 2021 models.

How Are the Surveys Conducted?
Consumer Reports’ Survey Research Department conducts multiple Auto Surveys each year asking about reliability as well as satisfaction. For reliability, we ask members to note any problems with their vehicles that occurred in the previous 12 months. ...

For more information on how they do the ratings, see:
Consumer Reports' Car Reliability FAQ - Consumer Reports

 

[MLowe05]

How ridiculous I sound? Spare me. If you like spending $30,000 on a car that will be recalled three or more times in the next three to five years, then it is you that is ridiculous. This is not my first or second or third new car. Cars in the past were built with at least a modicum of attention to detail. Never before have there been so many recalls. Let's just put a car out there with under-engineered Takata airbags and see how many are killed before we notice a problem. Just because consumers like yourself have come to accept this garbage doesn't make it normal or right or acceptable, but hey, keep rationalizing. By the way, when your car is recalled five times only to have the last recall be about engine shards left in the engine after manufacture (affecting five years of the same model Hyundai Sonata), have your car checked out, told it was fine and then have it seize up on you while doing 45 mph, you will change your tune. Had I been on I-95, it could have been deadly. I am sick of recalls. They should not be happening with such regularity. Expecting a certain standard of quality does not make my comments ridiculous.

I'm sorry you, unfortunately, don't know how any of this works at all. You got burned by Hyundai's batch of bad Theta II engines. I got burned by Honda's transmission woes of the early 2000s. My Acura TL had 3 failures in 76,000 miles - one time it downshifted to 2nd gear at 70 miles an hour on the highway, locking the front wheels. Sure, I got rid of the car after that (with transmission 4 installed), but I am also intelligent enough to know that Honda's inability to build a transmission all those years ago has shit to do with Ford in 2021.

The Maverick is the 21st car I'll be purchasing in 20 years, and I don't think any of them have been recall free. And at $30,000, it's mid-pack in terms of price.

Here are my above $30k cars:

2002 Acura TL $32k - recalled transmission, recalled Takata airbags
2005 Mercedes C-class $35k - recalled sunroof (for detaching!), recalled Takata airbags
2009 Mercedes E-class $51k - recalled suspension rod, recalled sunroof (also detaching)
2011 Mercedes C-class $39k - recalled taillights (bad ground), recalled fuel pump
2012 Infiniti G37 $36k - recalled power window control unit
2014 Mercedes C-class $45k - recalled steering bolt, recalled Takata airbags
2014 Lexus ES $51k - recalled pre-collision system (sensor issue)
2015 Porsche Macan S $61k - recalled brake booster, recalled fuel pump
2016 Mercedes E-class $65k - recalled airbags, recalled cooling pipes
2019 - Genesis G70 $40k - recalled ABS-related fuses (fire risk)


So yes, do tell me.. spending $30,000+ gets you a recall free car from whom? Actually, please do find me a recall-free vehicle at any cost, from any manufacturer? It doesn't exist.. and that's why I called your post ridiculous.

 

[uh50]

I think you may be conflating CR's overall recommendations with their reliability ratings. The OP was about a CR article on reliability ratings.

It's a little confusing, but if you check each vehicle's report in CR you'll see that it has an overall score and a separate reliability rating.

Here's what CR says about how they do their reliability ratings:

For more information on how they do the ratings, see:
Consumer Reports' Car Reliability FAQ - Consumer Reports

Thanks for the information and helping to clarify. It's not my intention to confuse or combine recommendations with reliability. I do understand the difference. Just trying to point out that CR's independent testing plays a large part in their reports. Their reports are not at all dependent on only consumers.

 

[Deleted member 4163]

I'm sorry you, unfortunately, don't know how any of this works at all. You got burned by Hyundai's batch of bad Theta II engines. I got burned by Honda's transmission woes of the early 2000s. My Acura TL had 3 failures in 76,000 miles - one time it downshifted to 2nd gear at 70 miles an hour on the highway, locking the front wheels. Sure, I got rid of the car after that (with transmission 4 installed), but I am also intelligent enough to know that Honda's inability to build a transmission all those years ago has shit to do with Ford in 2021.

The Maverick is the 21st car I'll be purchasing in 20 years, and I don't think any of them have been recall free. And at $30,000, it's mid-pack in terms of price.

Here are my above $30k cars:

2002 Acura TL $32k - recalled transmission, recalled Takata airbags
2005 Mercedes C-class $35k - recalled sunroof (for detaching!), recalled Takata airbags
2009 Mercedes E-class $51k - recalled suspension rod, recalled sunroof (also detaching)
2011 Mercedes C-class $39k - recalled taillights (bad ground), recalled fuel pump
2012 Infiniti G37 $36k - recalled power window control unit
2014 Mercedes C-class $45k - recalled steering bolt, recalled Takata airbags
2014 Lexus ES $51k - recalled pre-collision system (sensor issue)
2015 Porsche Macan S $61k - recalled brake booster, recalled fuel pump
2016 Mercedes E-class $65k - recalled airbags, recalled cooling pipes
2019 - Genesis G70 $40k - recalled ABS-related fuses (fire risk)


So yes, do tell me.. spending $30,000+ gets you a recall free car from whom? Actually, please do find me a recall-free vehicle at any cost, from any manufacturer? It doesn't exist.. and that's why I called your post ridiculous.

You miss my whole point. It isn't about a recall free vehicle. It is about how normal and common recalls have become. Recalls should be rare. Unfortunately, people keep rewarding the auto industry with their willingness to pay outrageous prices for cars. My maverick xlt is about as no frills as it comes. For 30,000 I expect electric seat adjustment and a dashboard that does not look like they went to a recycling plant for all the hard plastic and doesn't have a useless cubby next the radio display that looks like a speaker horn. To marginalize spending $30,000 plus is to have zero respect for your dollar. That you have purchased so many cars over the years speaks to your obsession with new not quality. I, on the otherhand, want longevity not built in obsolescence. Again, recalls should be rare, but you just seem to accept it as normal business. Try having standards and actually being pissed about your vehicles that you pay a lot of money for being manufactured without care. You talk of Ford 2021/22. What makes them so great? Nothing. As far as I can tell, their rollout has been hackneyed garbage. There have been many posts of poor construction and lack of quality control. That makes them great how? They don't deserve any accolades and their dealers who are adding thousands of dollars above MSRP shows straight up greed.

 

[M Spec]

I'm sorry you, unfortunately, don't know how any of this works at all. You got burned by Hyundai's batch of bad Theta II engines. I got burned by Honda's transmission woes of the early 2000s. My Acura TL had 3 failures in 76,000 miles - one time it downshifted to 2nd gear at 70 miles an hour on the highway, locking the front wheels. Sure, I got rid of the car after that (with transmission 4 installed), but I am also intelligent enough to know that Honda's inability to build a transmission all those years ago has shit to do with Ford in 2021.

The Maverick is the 21st car I'll be purchasing in 20 years, and I don't think any of them have been recall free. And at $30,000, it's mid-pack in terms of price.

Here are my above $30k cars:

2002 Acura TL $32k - recalled transmission, recalled Takata airbags
2005 Mercedes C-class $35k - recalled sunroof (for detaching!), recalled Takata airbags
2009 Mercedes E-class $51k - recalled suspension rod, recalled sunroof (also detaching)
2011 Mercedes C-class $39k - recalled taillights (bad ground), recalled fuel pump
2012 Infiniti G37 $36k - recalled power window control unit
2014 Mercedes C-class $45k - recalled steering bolt, recalled Takata airbags
2014 Lexus ES $51k - recalled pre-collision system (sensor issue)
2015 Porsche Macan S $61k - recalled brake booster, recalled fuel pump
2016 Mercedes E-class $65k - recalled airbags, recalled cooling pipes
2019 - Genesis G70 $40k - recalled ABS-related fuses (fire risk)


So yes, do tell me.. spending $30,000+ gets you a recall free car from whom? Actually, please do find me a recall-free vehicle at any cost, from any manufacturer? It doesn't exist.. and that's why I called your post ridiculous.

You fully understand that someone is likely to now chime in that if you had bought an American brand rather than that import junk when none of your troubles would have happened Or if you had bought an S Class AMG

 

[Deleted member 4163]

Im excited to here of this perfect $30k vehicle manufacturer. You sound like a peach to work with/for. Expecting nothing less than perfection. You’re first problem with the Hyundai is you bought a Hyundai.

You miss my whole point. It isn't about safety recalls. It is about how common place they have become. By the way Hyundai has been rated highly by CR, and frankly, Hyundai is no worse than any other manufacturer. How about having some standards rather than being an apologist for mediocrity?

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