piper87C Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 In the most recent Consumer Reports they tested among other cars a Saturn Aura and a Hyundai Sonata. They gave the Saturn faint praise but ranked the Sonata as a best buy. Well in the past few months I have rented Two Saturn Auras and one Hyundai Sonata plus put several miles on a Ford Fusion. The Saturn 6 cylinder I drove was a great car with outstanding power and good fuel mileage. The 4-cylinder was a very good car with adequate power. The Hyundai was a decent car but a giant step below the Saturns, plus it had a lot of wind noise from the passenger side for some reason. How on earth it was rated higher then the Saturn is beyond me. The drive, ride, was way below the Saturn. The Ford Fusion was a very nice car but I have to say I liked the steering feel of the Saturn a bit better and the Fusion had a bit more road noise then the Saturn but still a very nice car. So I do not know whether CR is biased or just plain wrong. I sent them a note but have never heard back from them.. My two cents Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one2gamble Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 normally both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mettech Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 normally both Unless they rank a Ford in a high position. :shades: I drove a Aura and was surprised on how much I liked too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I haven't driven an Aura for comparison, but I've driven a Sonata and Fusion. In that case, I definitely preferred the Sonata until I stepped up to the V6's in both so I'd say it's possible CR isn't completely off base in this case. I liked the Fusion overall as a vehicle, but that four cylinder flat out ruined the car. (This was before the new 2.5 in the Fusion, however - may change my mind now.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Unless they rank a Ford in a high position. :shades: uh, no. They have shown us too many times that they are not using unbiased research methods in their data collection, interpretation and reporting. Doesn't matter which model they recommend. They way they get to that recommendation is flawed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mettech Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Outside of quantitative data, there will always be flaws. However, the more data points you do have or use, the less flawed it will be. CR uses its members and "experts" for the noted product information. If I was going to buy something, I would ask someone that used all of the like products, and a few people that own one of the products. The information can still be flawed, but it is still a better option than buying something blind. CR is not perfect.... but it is relative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 I liked the Fusion overall as a vehicle, but that four cylinder flat out ruined the car. (This was before the new 2.5 in the Fusion, however - may change my mind now.) You're not driving it in enough twisties then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 You're not driving it in enough twisties then. is your an auto or stick? I test drove a 4cyl stick and really liked it. Yeah the V6 was obviously more spunky, but I saw nothing wrong with the 4cyl/5spd. Now of course I didnt drive the 4banger auto so I cant comment on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomaro Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 The old 2.3 in the Fusion is best at making noise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piper87C Posted December 31, 2008 Author Share Posted December 31, 2008 The old 2.3 in the Fusion is best at making noise. The one thing I am surprised about is how much better the Hyundais are compared to just a few years ago when they were rated the worst cars. It makes me wonder why Chryslers always seem to have quality issues. My dad drove Chryslers way back in the 60's and more often then not they had quality issues. There were only two of them that were really good cars, and they were outstanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 You're not driving it in enough twisties then. All of the twisties in the world wouldn't have made the 2.3 an adequate engine for the Fusion. It had precise steering, but power delivery was so sloppy and underwhelming I can't think of any driving condition that would have rewarded me with a grin. As I said, it's quite likely my opinion will change once I get a chance to drive one with the 2.5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustangfan100 Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Cosumer Reports is really biased, it seems like they always go crazy about Honda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKII Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Lets see if CR gives Ford models a free pass (recommended) in the future as they did with Toyota. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smok Posted December 31, 2008 Share Posted December 31, 2008 Cosumer Reports is really biased, it seems like they always go crazy about Honda Honda deserves it. Ford is getting praise for its better quality recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arniect Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Take what Consumer Reports says with a grain of salt. Keep in mind that they are not car guys, they treat cars like stoves or washing machines. The long time readers "members" of CR are folks that want to save money and get more for what they spend. thats where CR is coming from. An example of how they think was when the media and car rags were all gaga about the Chrysler 300c "hemi". CR said it was not practical, they brought up the fact that you sit low and its hard to see out of. The car guys only care about how much HP it cranked out. The same issue CR loved the Ford 500, they did not care about the perceived lack of power. They have in the past given Yota a free ride no doubt, but they have now admitted they made mistakes. where that comes from in a large part is the reliability surveys they send to members. Thats where the ratings come from. The problem with their surveys is they ask people with little or no knowledege to rate problems as minor or serious. Whats minor to me could be major to the next guy. Example: To me a power window switch is minor, to the next guy it might be a major thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UltimateX Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Comsumer Reports also has a very incestuous data source, there subscribers. People read CR, CR tells them to buy Toyota, they buy a Toyota, CR asks them how they like their Toyota. It is a little like justifying a position against a gun law by taking a poll at a gun show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g48150 Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 ROFL, the only thing biased about Consumer Reports is that you have to pay $30 a year for the subscription. Honestly, one man's opinion is easy to buy ... I mean ... give. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mettech Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Comsumer Reports also has a very incestuous data source, there subscribers. People read CR, CR tells them to buy Toyota, they buy a Toyota, CR asks them how they like their Toyota. It is a little like justifying a position against a gun law by taking a poll at a gun show. They would be the perfect people to point out the problems with gun laws.. :shades: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
springforfun34 Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 The old 2.3 in the Fusion is best at making noise. That is funny! 2.3L is adequate for most people. Actually, the early 2.3L Fusions were the worst for making noise and no power. The autos would hold the higher rpms at WOT, even though there was no extra power there! The 07's had better shift points, and it was available for 06's. The 2.5L will be about perfect, when gas goes back to $4.00 this year. LOL. Consumer Reports isn't an enthusiastic magazine, so they aren't going to pick the same favorites. I think they liked the Miata's better than Mustang's. As Ford quality and product has improved, more Ford vehicles have made it on to their recommended list. When Tundra/Camry quality tanked for 07, they fessed up and took them off the list. I don't have a problem with Consumer Reports at all. They clearly stated what they didn't like before too, if Ford cared to improve. Many customers take what Consumer Reports says seriously before laying down their money. Consumer Reports Recommendations also matches up reasonably to 3rd party quality data such as JD Power/etc. GM & Chrysler aren't making similar progress to Ford, so have less CR Recommendations (Excluding Malibu). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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