[Steve Pert]

Is this a question, or what? And are you saying there are three people who want to buy your van in 2013, two years from now?

If someone wants to buy your van and is aware of all potential issues, what's wrong with that?

 

[MTPockets08]

People lining up to buy your used vehicles? 'Grumman the lowest prices in town!'

 

[davedrivesody]

CR rates the 2007 Ody transmission as poor but they rate the 2007 Ridgeline transmission as good. Yet they both have the same transmission, the new 4-shaft design. I usually trust their findings, but I'm not so sure about this one.

 

[DrD]

I usually trust their findings, but I'm not so sure about this one.

The ratings posted on older vehicles are based upon responses to the reader survey - the rating is based upon the average number of issues for that class of vehicle in that area - so if more Odyssey owners stated they had an issue than Ridgeline owners, then it will get a below average rating in that area - it has nothing to do with how the performance test CR did on the vehicle turned out.

 

[wild willy]

CR is great for washers and dryers...they are full of **** about cars....I trusted them on my oddy..........What I mistake.......All the red dots turned black

 

[DrD]

With CR, you just need to realize what their ratings are, and what they can and can not tell you - when CR rates a vehicle, they are doing tests on a brand new car/van - and provide information accordingly (just like many of the car magazines) - they don't have a long term fleet to evaluate issues which might evolve as the vehicle picks up miles.

The second part of their ratings are the ones in the April car issue, where they go back 5 or 6 years and post reliability numbers for a variety of categories - those are based solely on reader feedback (from the annual survey they ask subscribers to fill out) - you really need to take those with a grain of salt, as the person who cares for their vehicle and has an issue is in there along with people who beat the snot out of their cars with minimal maintenance and have problems - they are both weighted equally (since there is no way for CR to distinguish between the two)) - to put it simply, there is no correlation between the tests CR performs and the long term data - they are two very different things.

CR tests are more readily applied to things like washers and dryers, ovens, refrigerators, etc. as they measure the normal operation of the appliance, as you would use it at home. They also sort of hide the reliability data for each model and post it as a per-manufacturer problems per unit chart of sorts - which again, is based solely on subscriber feedback provided on the annual survey.

 

[cnn]

Consumers Reports was good in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the days before the Internet when finding info was difficult.

Their current model of business is doomed.
The young kids these days do not read CR.
I just stopped their subscription after some 20 loyal years!

You want to buy a washer, dryer? Search forums.
You want to buy a car? Search forums.

CR's days are numbered, sadly though, because I like them but I find them to be behind in the digital age.

 

[shall36]

Just to add to what cnn said, I have found the CR data suspect at best and their actual reviews are also flawed. Don't look to the CR test drive reviews for any information about new models that will be of much value. Find a source that specializes in auto reviews. As for reliability data, you can check out TrueDelta.com.

What's also interesting is how their own test ratings (not subscriber ratings) can and do change drastically year over year on some products. For example, I bought a specific cordless drill because of their test results one year and the following year the ratings for that same drill dropped off substantially. I don't think the newer drill model was substantially changed. Their test results are also suspect. For example, they rate the Toro recycler mower as providing a superior cut to the Snapper mower, but when I used both on my lawn, I found the Snapper cut as well and didn't leave clumps of grass clippings like the Toro. Go figure.

A little off topic, but another gripe with CR is that they look to the government to get involved to fix everything.

 

[Steve Pert]

Consumers Reports was good in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the days before the Internet when finding info was difficult.

Their current model of business is doomed.
The young kids these days do not read CR.
I just stopped their subscription after some 20 loyal years!

You want to buy a washer, dryer? Search forums.
You want to buy a car? Search forums.

CR's days are numbered, sadly though, because I like them but I find them to be behind in the digital age.

I used to subscribe to their online access. But for nearly everything I researched, CR included only a small number of models out of all available models of a product. They reviewed so few models of a product that they were essentially useless.

I eventually gave up and cancelled my subscription. It wasn't worth it.