Well, no arguments there with Alex Dykes (Alex on Autos). He certainly earns his pay. He does an excellent job (arguably the best) of initially-reviewing a vehicle, but, like most video-reviewers, is not in a position to determine long-term reliability.

 

almost? it's always and very deliberate. now not saying other 'media' doesn't do the same, in fact, it's so competitive you pretty much have to stick a finger in someone's eye or strip naked or do something else outrageous to get noticed.

yup, let's face it, in a society DROWNING in opinions and media, CR is really pretty irrelevant and i bet their subscriber base is shrinking or not growing much so they have to do controversial things like going from saying the S class is the best vehicle ever made to its successor being average without even driving it or having ANY data to go on. the fact that toyota/lexus leads their ratings is hardly big news these days although not taking anything away from toyota/lexus, it's well deserved!

except when it isn't, like when they give ratings on vehicles they've never heard from anyone about or even driven. that's a 'WAG' (wild *** guess) and highly irresponsible. moreover, they conveniently never say how many surveys they got for each model which would be enormously helpful. and with the internet they could publish VASTLY more details than a few stupid black and red circles which would give them MORE credibility. and sure, they could monetize their site with ads, why not, everyone else does, i don't believe it would harm their credibility any more than they've done to themselves.

to swing that much on the verano and pivot on other things like that shows their 'methodology' (using the term very loosely) is hugely flawed. it doesn't have to be (can't be) perfect, but it lacks credibility when you see the problems they have. and i DON'T believe it's the 'best one currently out there" because we have better reviews, forums, and tons of other data that is more useful. the CR rankings are frankly very lazy and weak. the survey rankings are counted and turned into overall rankings and circle data... they could do so much more. but with limit funds they do what they do and throw hail mary controversial 'rankings' to try to gain credibility. they're certainly not the only media source to do that but the lengths to which fans will go to defend their practices is funny.

again, CR should disclose it ALL, except for the survey respondents personally identifiable data... they would gain a ton more credibility.

 

The good news is that in another day or so it will be old news and on to something else - Until the next CR article...

 

I meant to say they always do something to grab headlines. Other than that, you are right, they are pretty much irrelevant these days.

 

Ok then, I guess we should all be lab rats and just go out and buy the cars irrespective of reliability concerns and then we'll just tell ourselves, "oh well, I didn't know about this car's reliability because it was too new so I just spun the roulette wheel".

And it's already been pointed out, how exactly do you plan to predict the reliability of a new car or truck by driving it courtesy of an all expense paid vacation by the car maker? Were you planning on touching the interior and using some incantations whispering some voodoo dance to figure out that it's going to be great?

This is yet another nonsensical attack on CR by people who don't like the organization because they are not a corporate *****. Jalopnik's so-called article apes the exact press release that came from Tesla. Jalopnik describes itself as a "news and opinion" site. They are not in the business of finding out about reliability. And their corporate heritage is a bit questionable. Linked to none other than Gawker.

 

Good post, Matty. You generally hit the nail on the head.

It should also be pointed out (as many Car Chat posters already know) that reliability itself is becoming less and less of an issue......notwithstanding the occasional goof like the badly-sprung dash plate on the Toyota C-HR I recently looked at, or the mostly-inoperative power seat controls on a BMW M3 I looked at. Given the average number of defects per vehicle, even today's most unreliable Fiat, Chrysler, or Land Rover products (makes that have been at the bottom of reliability-surveys for years) are as reliable, if not more, than the best Toyotas or Hondas of the 1980s. Now, obviously, that's of little consolation if YOU, as a car owner, DO happen to get stuck with one of today's rare lemons, of if Roadside Assistance has to come and tow you because your engine craps out on the freeway in the middle of rush hour (or worse, in a high-crime area at night)...but the actual chances of that happening have probably never been lower, no matter that you own.

 

I don't have much issues with their reliability surveys. My issue is that their reviews are not very good.

 

Agree. Their assessment of handling and other performance aspects is garbage. They are only good to rate reliability.

 

That would be better than not driving or touching or even seeing the car at all.

 

And their reliability ratings are now becoming irrelevant as you can find all that all out without CR. I noticed abut a year the format of CR changed. It seems they are trying to appeal to a wider range of readers. Their headline grabs are inappropriate

 

I think the list is total hogwash. A whole brand is ranked by the wurst model in the lineup. Cadillac is dead last? Only because the old Escalade model is a dinosaur.

 

Just goes to show that GM still has some very unreliable vehicles. I would be dead scared to own a GM product long term. Been there done that. Been stranded way too many times. But, they make some good models that are interesting.

 

A number of GM's problems stem from the large body-on-frame SUVs, which generally have durable engines and drivetrains, but have shown numerous problems elsewhere. Cadillac sedans have also been sub-par. The Opel-based Buicks, though (Regal, Encore, Verano, Cascada), are generally well above average....as are some Chevy sedans as well.

 

CR really needs to show the data of how they are collecting and determining their data. The discrepancy between Buick and Cadillac is alarming. The public should know.

 

despite the above, i know several people with escalades who LOVE them and no problems. clearly cadillac sucks, lol