Nine Hybrid Car Models Score Above Average per Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is known for ranking the quality, value and reliability of products ranging from vacuums to televisions and refrigerators to automobiles. The organization has released the results from its 2008 Annual Car Reliability Survey and nine hybrid models rated above average. The results will appear both on the Consumer Reports website and in the December issue of the magazine that will be available on November 4, 2008.
The following hybrid vehicles all scored above average in the “predicted reliability†ratings: Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Lexus GS 450h Hybrid, Lexus RX 400h, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Ford Escape/Mercury Marine Hybrid and the Honda Civic Hybrid. In addition to the above average rankings for these popular hybrid models, several vehicles with above average fuel-efficiency scored well including the Honda Fit, Scion xD, Smart ForTwo and Toyota Yaris.
“Consumer Reports Annual Car Reliability Survey is used in determining which makes and models are recommended to consumers by CR. Consumer Reports recommends only models that have performed well in tests conducted at its 327-acre Auto Test Center in Connecticut, and that have average or better predicted reliability based on its annual survey. In addition, vehicles must perform well in government or insurance-industry crash and rollover tests, if tested, in order to be recommended.†(Source: PR Newswire)
|
If you enjoyed reading this article... Subscribe to Our Feed |
Loading ...
What CR doesn’t say, and that few people therefore realize:
1. The data are already about five months old, and will be over a year old when many people use them to buy a car next summer.
2. The average problem rate isn’t very high, probably around 18 problems per 100 cars for the 2008s (based on past years; they didn’t have a number when asked this year). So the differences between the different “blobs” is only three or four problems per 100 cars.
For vehicle reliability information that is promptly updated four times a year and actual repair rates (not just blobs):
http://www.truedelta.com
Do you want to know how reliable a car was a year ago, when it was a year younger and had 12,000 or more fewer miles on it, or how reliable it has been recently?
I have been subscribing to CR for years and usually that is my first resource when planning to purchase those high ticket items. I have to agree with you about the shelf life of the data they publish, especially in the Appliance Category. I am not sure if that is an isolated problem with their hardcopy publication or if that trickles to the online articles too.
Shopping cars has taken a on a whole new level of research and analysis. We are having trouble in our house just narrowing our list down to 5 makes/models before we start test-driving.
During my due-diligence last night I stumbled across
http://www.carfunfootprint.com an interesting way of measuring how fun your car is versus how much impact it has on the environment.
Jim
Ah, a flashy bit of MINI PR that is shockingly difficult to use. My curiousity led me to complete the process for one car. Don’t think I could endure a second run, though.