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September '07 Consumer Reports - Bummer


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Have you seen the September '07 Consumer Reports? They compared the Toyota Tundra, The Chevy Silverado 1500 & 2500, and the '08 Ford 150 and 250. They rated Ford lowest in almost all categories! It's an 8 page report, so I can't recap it easily, but you may want to buy an issue or read it at the library. I'm still going to buy an '08 F-450, but the report is rather disturbing, as I do put a lot of faith in their research.

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but I'm sure they had a 2008 F-250 not the 07, I will give up some speed for the new cabin and other features any day of the week. I think Ford will not get TOTY with Motor Trend. They will probally hand it to the GM 2500. Only because the GM is faster and they basically judge everything from that.

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Have you seen the September '07 Consumer Reports? They compared the Toyota Tundra, The Chevy Silverado 1500 & 2500, and the '08 Ford 150 and 250. They rated Ford lowest in almost all categories! It's an 8 page report, so I can't recap it easily, but you may want to buy an issue or read it at the library. I'm still going to buy an '08 F-450, but the report is rather disturbing, as I do put a lot of faith in their research.

 

 

I read the article and dismissed most of it. I, too, put a lot of faith in their research, but try to remember who they and and why they exist. [They've come up with beaucoup egg of their faces a few times, too.]

 

To me, the review of ALL the trucks was written from the perspective of somebody that drives cars and has to practical use for a pickup, let alone a one ton. If you never tow or haul anything, get off in the deep sticks or such, then their review is right on. Why buy a truck then?

 

I try to imagine a review of the Honda Fit or Kia Cinco written by the guys at, for instance, Truck Trend magazine. It would be about as weird. :shades:

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  • 2 weeks later...

The CR article might have been credible if they had equiped the trucks equally. But those amoung this fine group of blog junkies, myself included that know you have to equip the vehicles similarly at least to get a decent comparison. Just going down to the dealer and negotiating for one (anyone at that which in the CR opinion is what most buyers get-no actual statistical data here folks) off the lot. And then comparing it to others that in their opinion best reflect what folks of that brand mostly buy. Is totally missing the point on light, midium and Super/Heavy duty trucks are all about. If you look at the packages, they barely make a match in any more than a couple of catagories. CR blew it again on trucks. Just like the main article proclaims the Toyota as recommended in it's first year of production. Yet they state that they don't do that for products until they have proven themselves as reliable. The new Toyota isn't built in the same plant, or by the same people, or with the same components as the last Tundra. Yet, they recommend this all new Tundra based on the last one's performance. Violating their own (CR) rules...DUH!

Edited by jonas1022
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If you notice, any American vehicle that sells really well is immediately slammed by CR. When have they ever liked the Chrysler minivans, the Chevy Impala (even though it's heavily fleeted), or the Edge or MKX? Same old BS coming from them for years. :banghead: It just seems like the way they rate Fords is really inconsistent across their lineup.

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If you notice, any American vehicle that sells really well is immediately slammed by CR. When have they ever liked the Chrysler minivans, the Chevy Impala (even though it's heavily fleeted), or the Edge or MKX? Same old BS coming from them for years. :banghead: It just seems like the way they rate Fords is really inconsistent across their lineup.

 

Interesting that Silverado has best gas mileage according to EPA, but CR rates 381 hp Tundra as getting best fuel mileage according to "their testing methods." Also interesting that diesel F250 got the worst gas mileage according to their tests again. I have read other reviews of Super Duty diesels getting 16 mpg in mixed driving, not 10. A diesel supposedly gets up to 30% better gas mileage than gas powered engines. I never have trusted CR findings.

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Interesting that Silverado has best gas mileage according to EPA, but CR rates 381 hp Tundra as getting best fuel mileage according to "their testing methods." Also interesting that diesel F250 got the worst gas mileage according to their tests again. I have read other reviews of Super Duty diesels getting 16 mpg in mixed driving, not 10. A diesel supposedly gets up to 30% better gas mileage than gas powered engines. I never have trusted CR findings.

It's their observed driving. If they have one test driver. I am concerned that they test drive these vehicles at different times on different days with different weather and traffic patterns. If they were to test them at the simultaneously I can, and I am sure others here can attest that they get better mileage than someone else over the same course in the same type vehicle at the same time. So what the variable? The driver of course.

 

I think that unless the vehicle is on a dyno, being operated by a computer with the same computer map no one will get the same mileage out of the same vehicle. If there is a pattern, then only the totally thick, and/or inattentive will miss it. And that is their problem.

 

CR claims that they cover long miles and a greater amount of time. But that certainly only exacerbates what I am concerned with above in the first paragraph. Totally throwing off the test results and making them even less valid than they might be over a short period. CR claims that other magazines only get the vehicle specially prepared and loaned to them by the car companies for a short period. Fact of the matter they admit that it is their observed mileage and not some clinical test with specially designed paradym.

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If you notice, any American vehicle that sells really well is immediately slammed by CR. When have they ever liked the Chrysler minivans, the Chevy Impala (even though it's heavily fleeted), or the Edge or MKX? Same old BS coming from them for years. :banghead: It just seems like the way they rate Fords is really inconsistent across their lineup.

 

First off, they did surprisingly, give a nod to the current Impala. Go Figure.

 

But, what gets me is the inconsistency you mention:

CR has two different set of comments for the Freestyle and 500: mechanically, they are the same. So, how could that be?

 

You would think they would ask themselves the same question, too.

 

-Chris H

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You have to consider the source of CR information - mostly urban car driving folk that have time to upload/lie about the reliablity of their Jap cars and trucks. There are far more people driving SD's that never give a rat's about CR and never upload how great their SD is.

 

Word of mouth is better than CR. IMHO. (except the bad word of mouth that the 6.0 generated)

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That's why my aunt is still deciding whether her next lease will be an '08 Edge or '08 Taurus X (she is leasing an '06 Freestyle right now and it's almost up). Even though CR didn't like Edge, I told her it's a matter of personal preference and I believe the sales numbers contradict CR's findings. She probably will go with the Taurus X unless it's too expensive since she sometimes needs the third row.

 

Also with the way they rate trucks, it just seems like they rate them the same way they rate midsize sedans, which is why the Ridgeline tops the compacts and the Tundra is near the top of the full-size trucks. I'll admit that I don't know as much about trucks as others on this board, but I can't imagine the Jap trucks are as functional as the American trucks while making them more car-like.

Edited by Ford Rules
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