On Sun, 27 Nov 2005 13:52:55 -0500, "marx404" > wrote:

>LOL, this comes up so frequently on every Saturn BB that it should be a
>mandatory FAQ sticky, lol. Let me clarify what CR does and doesnt do and
>what the majority of the public doesnt recognize.
>
>I collect annual CR magazines and have noticed this long ago as well as
>currently, and this is why I will never trust CR for anythign more than a TV
>or toaster, which IMHO is all they are qualified to review.
>
>1.) Since CR has begun reviewing Saturns they have not updated nor
>thoroughly tested newer model years. They just simply and lazily continue to
>post the same verbatim information from the original article over and over.
>If you look, you will read what year they last reviewed each Saturn product
>and you will see that they have NOT actually tested the latest model year.
>If you can find an original '02 thru '-05 CR Saturn review you will laugh at
>how they have been only repeating verbatim the same tired old article year
>after year. They may add in that they noticed a new facia, ect, but case in
>point, CR's '05 VUE review on the 4cyl automatic was still noting a CVT
>transmission! The '05 review on the Relay was a joke and was evidently clear
>that they really didnt drive the vehicle for any length of time. The '06 ION
>review neglects to mention the many major changes.

I think a lot of what you are saying is deceptive if not outright
wrong.

There has been no review of the '06 Ion, merely a ~40 word summary of
past testing - the same treatment all '06 models received in the 2006
Buying Guide.

The original test of the Ion was in March '03 This was obviously a
new review since the car had only been out a few months. The latest
review was in the May 2005 issue. This was a completely new test
including new performance statistics. While there are some items
common to both reports - not surprising since they cover the same car
two model years apart - most of the copy is completely different with
comparisons made to the new competition and some comments that
indicate previous complaints have been rectified.

Similarly, the Vue was last reported in the Oct. 04 issue. Again , it
is a full retest of the vehicle with different performance stats and
different copy form the original May '02 report. There was no report
on the 2005 model that I can find, but it is possible that the 2005
Buying Guide (mailed Oct. '04) lists a CVT as an option. This book
would have been already at the printer when GM announced
discontinuance of the CVT in September of that year.

>
>2.) This is one and the same magazine that has recently been sued by
>Consumer Agencies for putting the Ford Focus as a top rated "safe" and
>reliable vehicle! Hmm, unbiased and unpaid? Says who? them?

Citation? I have never heard of any consumer agency ever suing CR for
any reason. Nor am I aware of any safety issues regarding the Focus.

>I alway refer ppl to more reliable resources (and yes, even these sources
>may not put Saturn on the top of thier lists, but they actually DO test
>drive them and dont rehash old articles year after year) such as: Motor
>Trend and Consumer Guide.

Motor Trend and Consumer Guide take advertising and test vehicles from
manufacturers. In the case of Motor Trend and other car buff
magazines this is par for the course. In the case of an alleged
consumer advocate like Consumer Guide, it is a pathetic joke. Not
only do they take advertising, their reviews are available for
manufacturers to (selectively) quote.

Consumer Reports uses anonymous shoppers to buy the cars it tests. It
refuses all advertising and does not allow any commercial use of its
product test reports. Testing is very thorough and takes at least a
couple months including a 2000 mile break-in period. Another feature
you won't find anywhere else, each car gets a multi-point 5 mph bumper
bashing.

If you are interested in knowing which magazines are most committed to
thorough automotive testing, you might want to consider among Road &
Track, Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Consumer Reports and Consumer
Guide, which is the only one that owns its own fully equipped Test
Track? The track in question is located on 327 acres and includes a
3100 foot straightaway, off-road and on-road courses, a 120 foot long
rock hill, a complete garage and tire shop, snowmaking and grooming
equipment and a hydroplane test area.

http://tinyurl.com/au39h