consumer report

[ThunderBubba]

Re: consumer report

Gosh, you would think I or Consumers Reports was attacking somebody's child here. I have never seen such a defensive bunch in all my life over a car. Yes I like the Thunderbird or I would not have bought it, but as a car, while it is unique, it is not the best car I have ever owned by a long shot. To me it is better than average and fun to drive. As a performer it is not great and has been left behind by the newer technology. I don't have blinders on when I evaluate cars I own or have owned in the past. I do a heck of a lot of research, and I have made some bad mistakes, but the Tbird is not one of them. I can see weak areas after owning and driving it for 6 years though I have had hardly any mechanical problems - but it is a "garage queen". Why do you need so many extended warranties if Tbird is so reliable and inexpensive to maintain? That is usually the first thing somebody on this site tells a prospective Tbird owner to buy. I don't need them on any of my other cars including one 1999 vehicle I traded in last fall. I stand by my statement that Consumer Reports is credible when you are dealing with their RELIABILITY studies because THE DATA COMES FROM THE OWNERS. As for some of you that take ctiticism so personally when a magazine (or website) such as Car & Driver, Consumers Reports, Motor Trend, etc or any of the news media says something negative about the Tbird, get over it.

What I find interesting is that you feel the "need" to come to the defense of CR. Your not on their staff are you?
It is a mag that rates a wide range of products. You feel you derive a benefit from their ratings when you make a purchase. Others do not. Count me in the camp of those who don't use CR. I tried on 3 or 4 occasions and when I bought highly rated products, they ended up pieces of junk. So your logic for using CR falls on deaf ears as far as I'm concerned. But if it works for you by all means go for it.

[Bradford]

Re: consumer report

I put about as much credibility into Consumer Reports findings as I do J.D. Powers and Associates....that's nothing.

[jerrym3]

Re: consumer report

I don't have a clue as to whether or not CR's reports are on the level. I don't read CR.

But, why would they report erroneous data? Makes no sense. What's their motive?

[V8 Cat]

Re: consumer report

What I find interesting is that you feel the "need" to come to the defense of CR. Your not on their staff are you?

Marty
No, I am not on their staff, but when someone posts on this site that basically Consumer Reports doesn't know anything or in so many words is falsifying data in reliability surveys I thought something needed to be said. I don't make statements like that on this site unless I can back it up. Plus I take the magazine and I fill out the questionaires they use as their data on these surveys. As someone said here, what sense does it make to give "erroneous data"? They accept no advertising. I have had several cars that showed up on their recommended list for used cars over the years and they were very good; reliable automobiles. Several of the ones I had trouble with were on the "avoid" list which included company cars I had. As you know CR has charts on individual models that go back 5 years that show details on the different components of a specific car such as 'Engine, major"/"Engine, minor","Transmission, major"/"Transmission, minor","Climate system", "Brakes", "Body integrity", etc. I have found that the cars I have been involved with over at least a decade have about the same strengths and weaknesses as those shown on these charts. Did this answer your question?

[Vintage Merlot]

Re: consumer report

Just hang it up and move on.

[lasuvidaboy]

Re: consumer report

I did'nt have any real issues with my 'Bird until it hit 70,000 miles which I think is pretty good. Other than normal maintenance it was a very reliable car. After 70k miles, the clockspring, COPS, A/C thermostat control and the engine thermostat all went. With this car, I've noticed that issues pop-up regardless of the mileage. I still love the car w/the styling is #1 reason and the performance and handling a distant 2nd.

[jerrym3]

Re: consumer report

If I'm a typical CR reader, and I get a form regarding the quality of my car, I'm probably going to tell it straight.

But, if I'm a TBird/TBN enthusiast, I'm liable to overlook some things.

After all, love is blind.

And, I still don't like the idea that to sleep better at night, I need an extended warranty for any product, which is really an insurance policy.

It's like the mfg is telling me "hey, there's a possibility that we may have screwed up some things, so here, pay us and our screwups will be covered".

If the product is of high quality, as most manufacturers claim their products are, they should extend the original warranty.

Everything breaks down with time and/or high usage, but some things seem to go bad too soon.