Re: Consumer Re****ts reliability survey for Cars

"SC Tom" <sc@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:thZhk.7120$CY7.3888@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>>
>> The J.D. Powers surveys also rank Toyota highly
>
> Not to start another rant, but J.D. Powers will rank highly whoever pays
> them. That's why you see the auto company ads stating "Best vehicle of
the
> year according to JDP" and 4 different companies have 4 different models
> each that won. Kinda hard to believe that every vehicle out there is the
> "Best of the year." But that's just my opinion, I may be wrong. . .

JD Powers collects data to sell to auto companies. They publish part of
the 
data in an effort to create a brand, but they sell a lot more information 
than they give away.

I believe the JD Powers data (as far as it goes) is more reliable than the

CR data. I have filled out surveys for both. The CR data collection scheme

is rudimentary, non-random, and the data re****ting scheme is designed to 
emphasize very small differences. People who defend CRs data like to 
emphasize the fact that CR doesn't take money from advertisers. While
true, 
it is irrelevant. CR has to please the subscribers and keep them
interested 
in buying the magazine. Suppose they started saying that all cars were 
pretty much the same - would that make for a "must have magazine?" CR
slants 
their re****ts to suit their own needs (the need to attract and keep 
subscribers and to promote their particular somewhat nanny state agenda).
I 
enjoy reading CR, but I am never going to confuse their re****ting with 
absolute truth.

Ed