Consumers Reports continues to be inaccurate garbage

[TomcatDriver]

Consumer Reports reviews are for people who buy cars like they buy refrigerators. Their historical reliability ratings are of some value but I think even those are impacted by the biases of their core audience.

If a magazine (or newspaper) publishes an article on a subject of which you have personal knowledge and totally screw it up, it doesn't make sense to turn the page and read about a subject that you don't have personal knowledge and assume it is correct. No, I assume they have that just as screwed up, I just don't recognize it as quickly. I kind of assume they get most basic irrefutable facts right (weight, EPA fuel economy, dimensions) but you can see that's not even a sure thing.

Yes, reliability scores are of some limited value, but that's about it.

Sponsored

 

[mc68386]

Consumer Reports once published nearly word-for-word (just some tense changes) a report I made to the government regarding my Ford Fiesta. Literally just copied it...

...for me that proved that magazine is not to be trusted.

I've never made a report to the government about any of my cars. Have I been missing out? Unless you count the annual registration application, but that hardly seems worth publishing in CR.:headbonk:

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I've never made a report to the government about any of my cars.

Maybe you didn't have a 2011 manual trans that refused to go into gear from time to time like I did. ;) That problem almost made Boss302 #1 a hood ornament when trying to up-shift while passing a semi on a 2 lane blacktop with another one barreling down at him from the other way.

 

[Hashbrownn]

Hmm, the car I have now has reached 7,000 miles. It's a 2017 GT PP with the Pirellis. I don't want to die with these tires if they are for sure unsafe.

Please check your tire tread. They wear out quickly. I had to replace mine at about 7-8000 miles. I went with Michelin just for that reason.
I have about 25K miles on my Michelin. They're about ready to be replaced.

 

[wildcatgoal]

The Pirelli tires are not unsafe. ALLLLLLL summer tires are not appropriate under 40. ALLLLL summer tires do better in like 65-70+ weather.

People on the internet had some bad tread life or maybe they weren't as grippy as they wanted. They come on flipping Ferraris and get good reviews. Sure, they're probably overpriced for what they are. Yes, there are better tires. Pirelli may have put a less long-lasting formula on the ones that come with the Mustang, but if you buy them aftermarket, they're excellent tires. Relax. If you drive like an idiot and slam on the gas all the time or turn without properly braking, no tire is going to make you look good. Use them until they die, then get what you want.

At least you didn't buy a Hyundai, some of which come stock with Nexen tires that'll really piss you off.

 

[Grintch]

CS has always been prejudiced against some vehicles. "A Mustang GT has too loud an exhaust and too rough a ride. A Jeep Rubicon will tip over going around a tight curve at 70 mph. An LG refrigerator costing twice as much is 20% better than a Whirlpool".
Think of Consumer Reports as your mother-in-law who started to hate you as soon as she found out what your name was. Nothing will ever satisfy her.

Consumer Reports is for the average consumer, not the enthusiast. So it is biased for value, comfort, and fuel economy. Not what the GT is designed for (well, value IF considering its performance).

So good source for a review if you want a lawn mower for the house. But not if you are a lawn care professional who spends all day mowing.
Or good source for recommending a car for your mother or daughter who doesn't care about cars, but not good for hard core car people.

P.S. The Ford brochure doesn't specify the tire make & model. So given they probably haven't gotten a 2018 to test yet, assuming the GT still used the Pirellis given no change per the brochure (size unchanged) isn't a big miss IMHO.

 

[e30og]

I swear by CR normally

so I am confused AF why they gave this car poor reliability? non-tuned cars seem to be doing well...Sync 3 seems pretty flawless. idk, panel gaps? Rattles?...(to that which I had few in winter with an EB PP)? Can someone fill me in how these cars are breaking left and right to deserve that rating?

**I also wasnt trying to start fires with tuned cars, sorry just speaking to factory stock cars

 

[Grintch]

Right. The infotainment systems now drive 80%+ of the reported "quality" problems.

 

[wanted33]

Wait...what's wrong with the pirelli's?

Are they okay for everyday driving? I have the new set that came with my car and I don't want to risk anything.

They are fine for DD, but if they are like the ones that were on my brides '13 you'll fine out what's wrong with them at about 20K miles. They will have so much road noise you can't hear yourself think, they bump, thump, and follow every little line in the road. Mine still had good thread, but I yanked 'em off because of all the mentioned crap. Hopefully they are redesigned by now, and you'll be OK.

 

[GreenS550]

CR said the car did 13.2 in the 1/4 which is OK for the '15, but from all runs on the '18 we've seen the car is in the mid 12s at least. Then they referenced the Pirelli summer tires which are not on the '18, the Michelins are. So, with that clearly innacurate reporting, I distrust ALL the stuff they write.

It tells me CR makes "assumptions" about cars which is exactly the opposite reason why you would buy a consumer magazine. You want the trust, not assumptions.

The worst part is that just spending 5 minutes on the internet, you know the car has Michelins and the drag times are faster.

 

[Nate B]

The pirelli's are fine if you live in an area where it's never under 80 degrees, never take you car past 2700 RPM's and don't care if they only last 4000 miles. If you meet all of those criteria, they are the tire for you!



Slight sarcasm but not really....

As I understand it, they suck in weather below 40°F-ish, and I can attest to the fact that they are rock hard and don't stick to dry pavement worth jack in such temperatures. I've only gotten my car since it's been cold out, but I imagine they do stick pretty well in warmer temps. I have heard they go away in a hurry, like 10,000 miles if you're lucky and drive like you're trying to save the tires.

 

[Nate B]

CR said the car did 13.2 in the 1/4 which is OK for the '15, but from all runs on the '18 we've seen the car is in the mid 12s at least. Then they referenced the Pirelli summer tires which are not on the '18, the Michelins are. So, with that clearly innacurate reporting, I distrust ALL the stuff they write.

It tells me CR makes "assumptions" about cars which is exactly the opposite reason why you would buy a consumer magazine. You want the trust, not assumptions.

The worst part is that just spending 5 minutes on the internet, you know the car has Michelins and the drag times are faster.

I think different publications have different launch methods. Like Car & Driver will brake-torque the start, or whatever it takes to get the best numbers. Stuff with lesser performance car-cred, like CR, won't brake stand, they'll just take off. Easily worth a few tenths, depending on the car. But it does sound like they're re-hashing a review from earlier cars.

 

[xt6wagon]

The Pirelli tires are not unsafe. ALLLLLLL summer tires are not appropriate under 40. ALLLLL summer tires do better in like 65-70+ weather.

Nope, sorry but summer tires have a wide variety of compounds used to make them.

Hell I've owned summer tires that were mud and snow rated, and perfectly fine in light snow. It was a old style compound that stayed soft at low temps and wears like a pencil eraser if you get them hot and start pushing them.

Where as modern long life summer tires tend to be rock hard when cold so they don't wear much at all in normal driving.

Most importantly just drive to conditions. Or don't drive if its a bit much. AKA don't drive super sports in the snow. They go pure bowling ball at 32F. Well might be ok with an auto 2.3L/V6 and some careful driving... might.

 

[EcoVert]

CR is secretly ran by run by general motors trend :lol:

Sponsored