Pretty bad review by consumer reports

[psychobeth]

I don't read CR - just because - but when I was picking up my Tiny Red, there was a gentleman picking his up when I got there, and while I was waiting for the Lojack to be installed, I was talking to three other parties there to pick up their smarties.

Wonder if there are other dealerships doing quite so well... In two hours, five deliveries..

[eolon]

Consumer Reports is owned by Idemitsu, a Japanese corporation. If it ain't Japanese, they don't like it. I thought everyone knew that.

Best Regards,

e

.::.

[Willy]

Originally Posted by eolon

Consumer Reports is owned by Idemitsu, a Japanese corporation.

.::.

That is nonsense. Consumer Reports is published by the Consumers Union, an American company.

Idemitsu is a Korean company that, as far as I can see, has no interests in the publishing business.

[Bill Marshall]

Originally Posted by eolon

Consumer Reports is owned by Idemitsu, a Japanese corporation. If it ain't Japanese, they don't like it. I thought everyone knew that.

Best Regards,

e

.::.

What did you disagree with in their review? Is there anywhere in their review of the smart fortwo that they got it right?

[smarticus]

CR's bent data the way they wanted it to be for the past 30 to 40 years, why would they do an accurate report now?

[john&becky]

Carl 242 is right, this "objective" report from Consumer Reports is one of the worst I've seen. Once again, CR has proven their inability to not be in the "back pocket" of the Japanese Automakers. The Smart is not comparable to the Honda Fit - it never was meant to be - and as for comparing it to the Prius, no mention was made of the purchase price difference, or the cost of replacing that battery pack when the time comes. Sorta makes one wonder again about the honesty of the "no advertising accepted so we can maintin our objectivity" Consumer Union. I'm a subscriber, but I certainly am getting tired of the Honda, Toyota, Nissan stranglehold on this publication.

[Bill Marshall]

Originally Posted by smarticus

CR's bent data the way they wanted it to be for the past 30 to 40 years, why would they do an accurate report now?

Bent data?

1. CR reported that they got 39 mpg combined with a smart fortwo in their testing. EPA reported 36 mpg. None of the other cars that got 30 mpg or better on EPA got better than their EPA rating on CR's testing this year except the Yaris which got only 1 mpg better than its EPA rating. Most did worse on the CR testing. It was CR in 2007 that exposed the Honda Civic Hybrid as getting much worse fuel economy than its EPA rating.

2. CR reported gave the smart fortwo excellent ratings in reliability & in owner satisfaction.

That's 3 different sets of CR data that were favorable to the smart fortwo. They also rated it as exellent in owner cost & very good in crash protection. They didn't like it in their road test. Big deal. I did think they were heavy handed about it, but I'm hard pressed to find anything they said that isn't true.

The only thing I'd criticize them for is their comments about the transmission. They showed their ignorance of this innovation & a lack of skill in operating it. Not much different than someone who had never learned to drive a standard & then criticized it for bucking when they tried to drive a car with one. It's a learned skill; the CR test driver didn't learn how to use this automated manual before he drove the car. That's their bad.

[Thompsolonian]

Reason that Consumer Reports hates smart is that Smart doesn't sponsor them perhaps?


No one can trust CR lately, I have bought items they hated, but are probably the best I have had...

Placed an order for my smart!!!:P

Take the CR!

[smartskate]

That guys mom never showed him how to have fun or have his own opinion.
I think my car is very cool and so does everyone that comes up to me everyday for a better look or to ask questions

[T12121]

how is it that the car cant keep up in highway traffic? WTF is he talking about? I drive on the highway nearly daily. I am 50% of the time passing people left and right. Oh I know lets take a car that isnt built for a race track and put it on a racetrack, what is up with that? C. R. is usless worthless and you cant trust anything they say.