Consumer Reports top 10 vehicles

[MikeInNH]

@texases

Which brands? You know this how?

I know several Ford customers who give Ford a pass on every vehicle they owned…even when the vehicles were falling apart with less then 100k miles.

I use to be a GM apologist. But after being hit in the head a couple times I finally work up.

I’m sure you can find people who apologize for every make ever made.

[texases]

@Rod_Knox

I subscribed to CR years ago and often read automobile reviews and I specifically recall the magazine’s heavy support of Toyota and a seemingly blanket condemnation of domestic brands. Their positive review of the Toyota pickup in the face of a plague of head gaslet failures as compared to their lack of anything positive to say about GM pickups was quite obvious. And for years the magazine seemed to find every opportunity to pump Subarus despite several common problems of that brand.

What does that have to do with the reliability reports?

[Rod-Knox]

Please insert (reliability report) where applicable in my post.

[texases]

Now I’m really confused. Are you saying that CR faked the reliability numbers for cars they liked?

[Docnick]

Consumer Reports often got hung up on items of no interest to many readers. For years they panned the Hyundai Elantra, a very good and pleasant car, because it did not do well in one kind of collision. A friend bought one on my advice and his wife still happily drives it. Most people buy cars to DRIVE, not to crash them.

CR also relentlessly panned the position of the steering wheel (not close enough to the chest) in the Corolla. Never mind that all serious sports cars have the steering wheel in that position.We bought that model and I like it just fine as does my wife.

As many of you have pointed out, use it as one input; you still have to like driving the car, no matter how reliable it is.
We have regional preferences as well. If I stopped at a Texas Road House for a beer, I might get better comments on a Ram truck than on a Prius.

[VDCdriver]

@Docnick

Most people buy cars to DRIVE, not to crash them

Doesn’t everyone–except for perhaps the folks who compete in Demolition Derbies–purchase a car for the purpose of driving it, rather than crashing it?

That being said, I am very interested in how a particular model fares in the IIHS crash tests…just in case I do wind up in a collision.

[Rod-Knox]

I am saying that CR’s reviews in the 1990s often gave a positive impression of Toyotas and Subarus despite several common problems that I was professionally involved with correcting while giving a negative impression for several domestic models that I was professionally involved with maintaining that were virtually trouble free for well over 100,000 miles… FWIW.

[Nevada_545]

@Docnick

When GM built cookie cutter full size cars with only badges and trim different the least reliable was Pontiac, the best was Buick with Chevy and Olds in between.

After some digging I found that Buick had old and conservative buyers, Chevy was the bread and butter car but Pontiac sold ATTITUDE!!! The ads reflected a tough hombre who did not take flack from anyone and drove accordingly!

I Think that tough guy attitude would wear off in a few minutes in a full size Pontiac, I just don’t see it.

The slogan then was “We build excitement” but that would be more in line with the Grand Prix and Firebird.

[Docnick]

I’m referring to the front drive units in full size and intermediate models. Pontiac had the 6000 model so that stressed handling and speed.

The big rear drive boats had good handling with the special package or police equipment. I had a 1984 Chevy Impala, a 1988 Caprice, and a 1980 Olds Delta 88 with the F41 handling package.

Having said that, a person with attitude can wreck any car in short order.