In the December 2005 issue, on the page recommending sports coupes, CR lists cars that that it has upgraded (and downgraded).

The MINI Cooper has been upgraded to recommended.

 

I used to subscribe to Consumer Reports, but came to the conclusion that they did a pretty good job of reviewing refrigerators and grass seed, but they sometimes had problems reviewing autos.


I had to downgrade them to "not-recommended"..



edit: Please don't get me wrong - Consumer Reports does a fine job for a lot of people. I'm just not one of them. (But it's nice to know they care... :smile: )

 

its nice that they are on the list, but consumer reports isn't a real factor in my decisions for cars. i still like to read their stuff every now and then though..

 

CR is like car guys reporting on Tiffany jewelry.

we don't know what the heck is going to sell or not...

 

As they do a lot of wieghting based on previous years data, and the Mini is still relativly new (at least to them). Just in time for the 07s and all the changes.
I've found that CR isn't too compatible with the modern age, the reviews of things like digital cameras usually list lots of models not made anymore, and cars the reviews just suck (like hitting the Mini based on early "issues" and ignoring the fact that it topped the charts in customer satisfaction).
Looking for a Camry type car, they're OK. Anything with any enthusiasm behind the mark, and they pretty much suck...
Matt

 

I disagree... what you're saying is they're not willing to overlook the common flaws of the car like you are. Maybe they need a "fun" column to balance things out, but faulting them for pointing out the known issues doesn't make sense.

 

When cars are bought by enthusiasts, they tend to find more little things, than those that buy a Taurus for basic transportation. So many of the desirable brands have hits for small items (in 2002, one was the rear hatch adjustment). Because one of the items they weigh is number of reported defects per new car, which is a stat that is compiled, not a subjective evaluation of the CR staff. CR doesn't take any of this into account. Also, the "fun" category deserves some consideration. There may be a way to correct for some of the finiky nature of owners like the Mini crowd. CR doesn't take customer satisfaction studies into account, which is quite a disservice to their readership. Sure, there are X issues reported in the first 6 months of ownership, and that says something. But so does the fact that the people who bought the cars would buy one again, or are very, very happy with the purchase that was made. Just counting the defect rate isn't a complete picture, and this is why I find their reveiws less than helpful.

Matt

 

I have to disagree with everyone here and say that CR does a good job reviewing and summarizing cars for non-car people. The problem is that we are all auto enthusiasts and see things very different than the general public. To put things in another perspective would you really want them comparing dishwashers and having a "fun" category describing how enjoyable it was to remove bowls from this machine for blah blah... My point is CR is a review magazine for people who see a car as an appliance. If you want a detailed review buy an enthusiast magazine, be it for cars or dishwashers. But if you don't care about something and know nothing about it then CR is a great first step.

 

 

I think a couple of you have hit the nail on the head. Consumer Reports is excellent at reviewing appliances. For people who view automobiles as appliances - it's a decent enough reference. For the rest of us... not so much.

 

The good news is that their recommendation might be worth a couple of percent in residual value when you sell the car...

 

The nice thing about CR is they are totally unbiased because they don't take ad money. Road & Track will never say a car is crappy because they don't want to lose the ad dollars! CR is what it is... they have a formula for judging cars that is intelligent and you are a fool to ignore it completely. Even if they give a MINI a poor review it is useful to see how they formed their opinion. Read R&T to see what makes a car fun and CR to see what you can really expect as far as quality!

 

I disagree about unbiased. I gave up on CR when they compared the Mustang and Camero years ago. They used a normal lens to photograph the Mustang then a wide angle on the Camero. That wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't then gone and commented about the wider track of the Camero. I think at the time there was something less than two inches difference.

If that's not bias I don't know what is.

 

What's amazing is how many people i work with go by CR.

I've come |this| close to convincing a few people to get MINI's. But they of course check CR and think "wow, i'd never buy that, i'd rather have a Corolla or a Camry."

So while i'm going through explaining every minor detail of the FEW issues i've had with my mini, and that i frequent boards like this where people list real issues, but are still totally in love with the car... they go read CR and forget i said anything.

And amazingly, these are the same people that i've diagnosed the issues they have had with their cars. Stupid stuff, like how it vibrates when they brake. Probably a warped rotor. Yep, after i offer to literally change their rotors for them, they pay hundreds for labor and parts for a shop to do it. Another lady is at 170k miles, and all of a sudden her car won't start. Turn the key and it clicks, but nothing fires. Probably a bad starter. She pays for three different shops to tell her they can't find what's wrong, but they think it's blah blah blah... then i say just ask them to replace the starter. She does it, and poof, it runs.

God, no wonder they need CR. They can't handle anymore "issues."

 

You are having the same experience I've been having since I was your age!!! But with me it started with me driving a TR6!!!!

 

For me, my TR6 was moving up in the world. Fiat 124 Spider, Jag Fixed Head Coupe (XKE), Fiat 124 Sport Coupe - believe me, when I walked up to Sports Car Salvage in Mt. Holly, NC, I didn't have to say anything. It was always, "What do you need this time, Bob?"

But those were the days I could tune the 124 Spider with a vacuum gauge and small common tip screwdriver. It had a -*gasp*- carburetor.

 

Heck!!! All you needed with the TR and those Strombergs was a straw!!!

 

My problem with consumer reports is that they have no TASTE. They want to be like scientists discovering physical laws, but they are evaluating consumer products. The look and feel of a consumer product is an important characteristic. It is ignored by CR. If all you want data on reliability and mpg, or how many watts per dollar a stereo receiver puts out, then I guess you'd like it. If you want to know how it feels to drive, or how it sounds to listen to, then CR is a big disappointment. There are limits to the scientific method, and CR proves that to me. They need to add to the scientific evaluation of technical specifications and reliability opinions from knowledgable people concerning the intangible characteristics of the product. Also, they need to do a better job of reviewing all of the products available, instead of 5 of the 50 products out there (many of which may be off the market by the time the magazine comes out). I get some information from CR when I buy things, but it's not the final word for me.

 

Who needs CR? I have this need to at least test drive a car if I'm going to drop 20G's on it... and, yes, I taste test the strawberries at the market as well...

dan

 

you say that you taste test the strawberry's like youre not supposed to. i thought they wanted you to

 

You can take refrigerators off of their good list. I paid for a month subscription to their online service when purchasing a refrigerator just so I could read their reviews. Although there are at least 50 versions of these appliances that fit my needs (bottom freezer, reversible hinges, ice maker), they only had reviewed TWO of them and both of the models they had reviewed were no longer made the same as they were 3 years ago when they reviewed them.

Talk about a total waste of my time and effort! CR gets a big thumbs down from me. . .

oh wait, wasn't this thread about MINI's? Good for CR to recommend the MINI!

 

What people think of Consumer Reports is irrelevent: the MINI being recommended by them is simply good news for those of us with 04 or newer MINIs - it means we can expect good reliability from our cars!

(in addition to a solid red dot in the hypothetical "fun" column we all care most about, but CR doesn't even consider)

 

HEY! I work with jewelry all day! ...and I'm a guy!


But as far a CR goes; too little, too late. At least they've finally woken up!

 

REPORT CARD
Highs: Acceleration, handling, braking, fun to drive, turning circle, character, sunroof, easy top operation.
Lows: Ride, noise, rear seat, trunk, rear visibility.

Ratings Snapshot (see below for detail)
Predicted reliability Fuel economy Owner satisfaction Acceleration Predicted depreciation Ride Accident avoidance Front seat comfortNA / NA Crash protect w/wo side air bags
The Mini, developed by BMW, blends 1960s charm with modern levels of amenities and safety. The 1.6-liter engine is paired with a slick manual, a continuously variable transmission (CVT), or a 6-speed automatic. Handling is agile, with quick, precise steering and hardly any body roll, making it truly fun to drive. The ride is a bit choppy. The base engine lacks oomph, but the supercharged Cooper S is strong. The rear seat is very tight and some controls are unintuitive. The easy-to-use convertible top incorporates a partial-open sunroof position and lowering the top requires no manual latch release. Reliability has improved to average, allowing us to now recommend the Mini.

 

Interesting the projected resale value of the convertible lower than that of the hardtop...