What's So Bad About Consumer Reports?

Greetings,

Recently I posted a message to an auto newsgroup, it may have been this one,
and I had replys of disapproval for my choice of where I got my auto
information. I said I read Car and Driver and Consumer Reports. It was the
second of these that I was given a hard time about. I don't see anything wrong
with their auto reporting and I like that they accept NO advertising from ANY
company concerning ANY product. Car and Driver is full of advertising from the
different manufactures.

How do the rest of you feel about Consumer Reports. I have followed their
advice for years on many different products with very good results.

Thanks for your time,

Robert in Virginia

Roughly 2/28/04 19:46, RobertG1's monkeys randomly typed:

> Greetings,
>
> Recently I posted a message to an auto newsgroup, it may have been this one,
> and I had replys of disapproval for my choice of where I got my auto
> information. I said I read Car and Driver and Consumer Reports. It was the
> second of these that I was given a hard time about. I don't see anything wrong
> with their auto reporting and I like that they accept NO advertising from ANY
> company concerning ANY product. Car and Driver is full of advertising from the
> different manufactures.

But Car and Driver at least has people on their staff that have
actually *driven* cars. And designed them, and raced them, etc.

If you don't like Car and Driver, try Motor Trend, Road & Track,
Automobile, Autoweek, Truck Trend, etc. With all of those you'll
probably read enough countering opinions to at least see those
that match yours.

>
> How do the rest of you feel about Consumer Reports. I have followed their
> advice for years on many different products with very good results.

People who buy cars from Consumer Reports results sleep in the
left lane with a cell phone stuck up their.... However, if you
find that Consumer Reports tends to either agree with your automotive
preferences or even sets your preferences, unless you are having a
problem with that, what do you care what anyone else thinks?

In any area where I have some actual knowledge or expertise, I can
honestly say that Consumer Reports ratings are laughable in addition
to being seriously misguided. This tends to make me somewhat
sceptical in doing much more than considering the rest of their
topics as anything above "data points." As for automobiles, I
dimly recall that every now and then, on rare occasions, they
actually pick a good one instead of an "appliance grade" s-box.

I also have a problem with their preachy politics, but that is another
matter.

I do not like the car evaluations primarily because I am pro-GM and they
always seem to blast GM badly in all areas. I realize no car manufacturer
is perfect, but I know what I like and buy.
Roy
"L0nD0t.$t0we11" > wrote in message
news:8xd0c.143994$jk2.574242@attbi_s53...
> Roughly 2/28/04 19:46, RobertG1's monkeys randomly typed:
>
> > Greetings,
> >
> > Recently I posted a message to an auto newsgroup, it may have been this
one,
> > and I had replys of disapproval for my choice of where I got my auto
> > information. I said I read Car and Driver and Consumer Reports. It was
the
> > second of these that I was given a hard time about. I don't see
anything wrong
> > with their auto reporting and I like that they accept NO advertising
from ANY
> > company concerning ANY product. Car and Driver is full of advertising
from the
> > different manufactures.
>
> But Car and Driver at least has people on their staff that have
> actually *driven* cars. And designed them, and raced them, etc.
>
> If you don't like Car and Driver, try Motor Trend, Road & Track,
> Automobile, Autoweek, Truck Trend, etc. With all of those you'll
> probably read enough countering opinions to at least see those
> that match yours.
>
> >
> > How do the rest of you feel about Consumer Reports. I have followed
their
> > advice for years on many different products with very good results.
>
> People who buy cars from Consumer Reports results sleep in the
> left lane with a cell phone stuck up their.... However, if you
> find that Consumer Reports tends to either agree with your automotive
> preferences or even sets your preferences, unless you are having a
> problem with that, what do you care what anyone else thinks?
>
> In any area where I have some actual knowledge or expertise, I can
> honestly say that Consumer Reports ratings are laughable in addition
> to being seriously misguided. This tends to make me somewhat
> sceptical in doing much more than considering the rest of their
> topics as anything above "data points." As for automobiles, I
> dimly recall that every now and then, on rare occasions, they
> actually pick a good one instead of an "appliance grade" s-box.
>
> I also have a problem with their preachy politics, but that is another
> matter.
>
>