Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Hyundai, Toyota



Do the opinions of automotive journalists matter? For us, that may be a bit of transcendental self-examination, but for the consuming public, it's a very real question. Is a potential customer of a new family sedan going to rely completely on Consumer Reports, or are they willing to go with their own gut feelings and neighbors' recommendations?

Bloomberg has an interesting new report highlighting cars that are selling well in spite of not receiving high marks from Consumer Reports. One such vehicle is the 2012 Honda Civic, which has been largely derided by the automotive press. Yet sales of the Japanese compact are on pace to beat out vehicles like the acclaimed Chevrolet Cruze.

One criticism offered for CR's methods is their approach of putting all types of vehicles through the same type of testing. The Chrysler Town & Country as well as the Dodge Grand Caravan were given low marks for their performance in the slalom-the same slalom in which sports cars are tested. How important is that in buying a minivan?

While cars from Korea and the United States are increasingly lauded by the automotive community, owners of brands like Honda and Toyota remain fiercely loyal. In a time when some critics suggest that "there are no bad cars," customer loyalty and brand equity play a large part in the buying process. Korean and US automakers may be building some terrific vehicles now but the Japanese automakers have history on their side, and most buyers are still heavily weighing brand reputation in their decision-making processes.

It might be difficult convincing a consumer that the Civic is a substandard vehicle, just as it may be difficult to overcome someone's preconceived notions that a given automobile is an inferior product just because of its badge. If, in fact, there are "no more bad cars," then what's the role of professional evaluators in the buying process? Hopefully it still resides in educating consumers on making the best buying purchase-as long as they're still listening.Is Consumer Reports losing its sway? Are we all? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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I have been ignoring CR for many years. They have had an anti-US car bias for so long it's ridiculous. They were pushing Toyotas and Datsuns back in the '70's when they would rust through in two midwestern winters.

 

It's not just CR - I tend to read any automotive article with a grain or two of salt... The Bias that is in some articles is so blatant that there is no credibility of the article or the author.

Too many are just journalists that specialize in writing about cars.... they are not automotive people & do not have oil running through the veins.

Chrysler gets slammed for the 2.7L sludge issues, but according to these authors the sludge issues that Toyota experienced during the same time period - if they even mention or admit that their beloved car manufacturer had a problem - were really just a minor inconvenience. Funny thing... my 2001 Sebring with the 2.7L has zero sludge. Maybe how a person cares for their vehicle plays a part? Granted, other cars/engines of the same era did not have sludge issues - so no doubt that design played a part too - but why was it only the american manufactures that were idiots according to the writers?

Don't get me wrong... I'm not anti Japanese cars. I just think that there is a huge bias out there that has no real reason behind it. The Pontiac Vibe & Toyota Matrix are a case in point. Which one had the better reviews?

 

Yes, Facebook doesn't seem to have any good groups on this topic yet. In fact, it is a pity that this is so, because in any sphere of life everyone gets more profit if they unite.