CR: Top 10 Cars (or The Japanese Love-Affair Continues)
03-02-2006, 01:39 AM
#1
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CR: Top 10 Cars (or The Japanese Love-Affair Continues)
http://www.cnn.com/2006/AUTOS/carrev...cks/index.html
Honda cleans up in Consumer Reports picks
All 10 of the magazine's 2006 Top Picks are Japanese nameplates, but half are U.S.-made Hondas.
March 1, 2006; Posted: 9:01 p.m. EST (0201 GMT)
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney staff writer
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Japanese carmakers -- or, more specifically, Honda followed by Toyota and Subaru -- took all ten spots in this year's Consumer Reports magazine top picks.
No American or European nameplates are represented in this year's list, which is published in the April issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
The lone American model on last year's list, the Ford Focus, was replaced this year by the new, redesigned Honda Civic
Of the five Honda vehicles on Consumer Reports' Top Picks, four are manufactured in the U.S. The remaining vehicle, the Honda Ridgeline, was designed and engineered in the U.S. but is built in Canada.
Of the five other vehicles in the list, two are Toyotas, two are Subarus and one is from Nissan's Infiniti luxury division. Those remaining five are all are produced in Japan.
Consumer Reports buys vehicles anonymously for its test fleet through ordinary retail dealerships and tests them at a specially built facility in Connecticut. Among the tests performed are acceleration, handling, braking, ride quality and visibility.
In addition to track tests, test engineers also drive the vehicles in ordinary day-to-day situations.
To gauge reliability, the magazine surveys subscribers to both the magazine and its related Web site. Each respondent can supply data on up to two vehicles and the magazine received survey data on about a million individual vehicles this year, Consumer Reports said.
In order to be considered for a Top Pick a vehicle must have at least average predicted reliability, based on survey results, and good scores in crash tests by the government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Honda cleans up in Consumer Reports picks
All 10 of the magazine's 2006 Top Picks are Japanese nameplates, but half are U.S.-made Hondas.
March 1, 2006; Posted: 9:01 p.m. EST (0201 GMT)
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney staff writer
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Japanese carmakers -- or, more specifically, Honda followed by Toyota and Subaru -- took all ten spots in this year's Consumer Reports magazine top picks.
No American or European nameplates are represented in this year's list, which is published in the April issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
The lone American model on last year's list, the Ford Focus, was replaced this year by the new, redesigned Honda Civic
Of the five Honda vehicles on Consumer Reports' Top Picks, four are manufactured in the U.S. The remaining vehicle, the Honda Ridgeline, was designed and engineered in the U.S. but is built in Canada.
Of the five other vehicles in the list, two are Toyotas, two are Subarus and one is from Nissan's Infiniti luxury division. Those remaining five are all are produced in Japan.
Consumer Reports buys vehicles anonymously for its test fleet through ordinary retail dealerships and tests them at a specially built facility in Connecticut. Among the tests performed are acceleration, handling, braking, ride quality and visibility.
In addition to track tests, test engineers also drive the vehicles in ordinary day-to-day situations.
To gauge reliability, the magazine surveys subscribers to both the magazine and its related Web site. Each respondent can supply data on up to two vehicles and the magazine received survey data on about a million individual vehicles this year, Consumer Reports said.
In order to be considered for a Top Pick a vehicle must have at least average predicted reliability, based on survey results, and good scores in crash tests by the government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
03-02-2006, 06:03 AM
#3
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Who the hell reads Consumer Reports anyways? 
That is like the most boring mag on the market. I wish magazine reviewers and editors would realize that they are part of the problem with the American car market. There are lots of morons who read their reviews and act like it's the word of god then run out to buy a Honda. 
Car magazines need to stop bashing American vehicles. It seems like they have been doing it since the 80s, about the time American cars started to loose a foot hold in the market. In 1979 the big three used to sell 9 out of 10 cars on the road ony leaving 10% to foreign manufacturers. According to Forbes magazine in 2005 the big three only accounted for 40% of the vehicles sold in the US. It is truly a sad time in America when our own companies have less of a foot hold in the American market than their foreign competitors. Now American companies are being forced to cut back, shut down, and lay off. Yeah go ahead and blame unions for it or whatever else you have to do to justify buying a foriegn car and killing our economy. The truth is stupid ass Americans looking to save themselves a few bucks and buy a cheaper foriegn car killed the American auto industry. I just hope with how much it has been in the news lately Americans will smarten up and realize they are killing our economy and bringing us one step closer to being the United States of Japan. Save American jobs and industries, buy American!
That is like the most boring mag on the market. I wish magazine reviewers and editors would realize that they are part of the problem with the American car market. There are lots of morons who read their reviews and act like it's the word of god then run out to buy a Honda. Car magazines need to stop bashing American vehicles. It seems like they have been doing it since the 80s, about the time American cars started to loose a foot hold in the market. In 1979 the big three used to sell 9 out of 10 cars on the road ony leaving 10% to foreign manufacturers. According to Forbes magazine in 2005 the big three only accounted for 40% of the vehicles sold in the US. It is truly a sad time in America when our own companies have less of a foot hold in the American market than their foreign competitors. Now American companies are being forced to cut back, shut down, and lay off. Yeah go ahead and blame unions for it or whatever else you have to do to justify buying a foriegn car and killing our economy. The truth is stupid ass Americans looking to save themselves a few bucks and buy a cheaper foriegn car killed the American auto industry. I just hope with how much it has been in the news lately Americans will smarten up and realize they are killing our economy and bringing us one step closer to being the United States of Japan. Save American jobs and industries, buy American!
Last edited by captain howdy; 03-02-2006 at 07:36 AM.
03-02-2006, 07:22 AM
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I'd really like to see some crash test ratings.Since I got the base model I couldn't afford the ABS and side curtain airbags.IMO (fist time I used IMO) safety features should be standard.
03-02-2006, 07:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Skatetheglobe
I'd really like to see some crash test ratings.Since I got the base model I couldn't afford the ABS and side curtain airbags.IMO (fist time I used IMO) safety features should be standard.
03-02-2006, 10:02 AM
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Originally Posted by RickyO
Right on Capt!!! 
When I buy a car and everything being close to equal I will buy American......I think I'm becoming a dinosaur tho 
When I buy a car and everything being close to equal I will buy American......I think I'm becoming a dinosaur tho But I'll be a dinosaur right along side with you. :)
Last edited by captain howdy; 03-02-2006 at 10:37 AM.
03-02-2006, 10:26 AM
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Join Date: 12-28-2005
Location: Worcester County, MA
Posts: 2,531
I read CR and get a lot of info. Unfortunately, I don't usually give much credo to their auto reports. Some of their tests are very unrealistic. After working in the fire service, I can honestly say that in high speed accidents, there really aren't any vehicles that hold up well. Volvo does keep the bodies more easily identifiable. I drive what I like and I like what I drive. PERIOD.
03-02-2006, 10:48 AM
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Join Date: 02-08-2006
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Right on Captain Howdy ,I totally agree with you, America better freakin wake up !
And you are also right about Americans reading something and taking it as law of some sort,I look at it like this ,When I read something/anything it is just the writers view,and I take it with a grain of salt, Many people take the written word as being law? that is soo scary in itself, I would say like being sheep of sorts, and pertaining to buying American ,I will and have always bought American ,even during the years that were not so great, I would rather push my American car down the road (in support of American Families)than buy an import and support some other Country, I mean look Japenese Corps, are right now eating up all entertainment companies as I type this, what's next? Oh wait I know.....Americans will start pissing and moaning about not having a good paying jobs and they can't support their families, come on America keep buying that imported garbage,you are buying yourselves right out of good paying jobs! I originally wanted to purchase a Dodge Magnum ,but I went with the HHR ,not only because it was a very cool looking vehicle, my main decision was because an American Company one of the founders of the Car industry(Chevrolet) is hurting with their overall sales, and I will support a company that needs me as a consumer.
Now I know somebody on here (an import lover) will say that Americans get jobs from these vehicles being built here,and this is true,although that is where it stops, the funds are still sent to an overseas account. I look forward to the day when Americans start asking.... well how come I lost my house or how come we can't feed out kids anymore, sorry i just had to vent on this a little, So America keep buying the Imported goods,it makes for a flat broke American family.
And you are also right about Americans reading something and taking it as law of some sort,I look at it like this ,When I read something/anything it is just the writers view,and I take it with a grain of salt, Many people take the written word as being law? that is soo scary in itself, I would say like being sheep of sorts, and pertaining to buying American ,I will and have always bought American ,even during the years that were not so great, I would rather push my American car down the road (in support of American Families)than buy an import and support some other Country, I mean look Japenese Corps, are right now eating up all entertainment companies as I type this, what's next? Oh wait I know.....Americans will start pissing and moaning about not having a good paying jobs and they can't support their families, come on America keep buying that imported garbage,you are buying yourselves right out of good paying jobs! I originally wanted to purchase a Dodge Magnum ,but I went with the HHR ,not only because it was a very cool looking vehicle, my main decision was because an American Company one of the founders of the Car industry(Chevrolet) is hurting with their overall sales, and I will support a company that needs me as a consumer.
Now I know somebody on here (an import lover) will say that Americans get jobs from these vehicles being built here,and this is true,although that is where it stops, the funds are still sent to an overseas account. I look forward to the day when Americans start asking.... well how come I lost my house or how come we can't feed out kids anymore, sorry i just had to vent on this a little, So America keep buying the Imported goods,it makes for a flat broke American family.