Just Announced: 2009 Consumer Guide Best Buys

[BerettaZ]

Personally, I think Consumer Guide is the most objective, "real world" car publication around. I've recommended it to several friends and family members in the car market. So it's good to see positive reviews from them for GM products.

[bone]

How often does Consumer Guide get quoted? It, unfortunately, doesn't hold a candle to Consumers' Reports.

[guitarlix]

Well there you go Driver Tom. You got a good dose of what the GMI crowd is like. Don't recommend a GM product and they go ballistic and start hurling all kinds of conspiracy theories at you.

Head back to TCL....at least there are some real auto enthusiasts there.

[Gm786]

Originally Posted by K-1

So, where are the Fords, Mulally?

They are no where to be found. Even though I don't like or trust Consumer Reports, it's good to see all those GM vehicles rated as best buys. Looking good.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by Gm786

They are no where to be found. Even though I don't like or trust Consumer Reports, it's good to see all those GM vehicles rated as best buys. Looking good.

(psssst! this isn't Consumer Reports)

[stevecmh]

nice to see alot of GM cars on there

[JeffInDFW]

I also thought it was Consumer Reports, but knew it COULDN'T be as soon as I saw there were other cars recommended besides Toyota and Honda.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by JeffInDFW

I also thought it was Consumer Reports, but knew it COULDN'T be as soon as I saw there were other cars recommended besides Toyota and Honda.

Ya, my original comment was going to be "now I know why GM is broke, they've been paying off Consumer Reports with all that cash, the way Toyonda has been doing all these years"...but then I actually clicked on the link.

[SAngelo]

I told my brother, who will never buy another American car that the new GM is building some great cars. The Fab Four in cars are getting recognized in addition to the Lambdas and the new Vue.

CTS
Malibu
Aura
G8

[Driver Tom]

Originally Posted by SAngelo

I told my brother, who will never buy another American car that the new GM is building some great cars. The Fab Four in cars are getting recognized in addition to the Lambdas and the new Vue.

CTS
Malibu
Aura
G8

My personal Fab Four would delete the Aura, and include any Lambda, perhaps the Enclave.

[Driver Tom]

I'm also thinking I have to replace the G8 with Vue.

[AMERICA 123]

Hmmmm........... well...... first of all Consumer Guide always has been and still is a far superior source of information than Consumer Reports.

Gm appears to have received representation that approximates a good list - although arguably - perhaps a few could've merited inclusion within an expanded recommended category or two - which is an outstanding feature that CG includes - nothing in this business has a lock on its category - there is way too much good product out there for that..

The same applies to a lesser extent with regards to Chrysler.

I'm not done reading the new guide so perhaps there is more to the following that needs to observed but it appears to me at this time that there were some hard to understand changes in some individual vehicle scores from 2008 to 2009.

The net result of which, while not particularly large in nature effectively has lead to a situation of over representation (large) for Toyota and under representation for at least Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury and a few others - like BMW and Nissan in regards to both 'best buy' and most especially 'recommended' status.

A great example of some of this concerns the midsize category in terms of last year's results and this year's.

To keep it simple, the main problem appears in the changes in regards to the recommended group with in this segment.

For 2008, that list in that group was composed of the following;

Ford Fusion

Hyundai Sonata

Kia Optima

Mazda 5

Mercury Milan

Nissan Altima

Saturn Aura

Toyota Camry.

( The best buys were the same in both years meaning the Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord, and the Kia Rondo. )

***********

For 2009, that recommended list within that same midsize category now looks like this ;

Hyundai Sonata

Mazda 5

Saturn Aura

Toyota Camry

Toyota Prius.

So the net effect is that the Prius replaced the Fusion, Optima, Milan, and Altima.

Well...... what to say next......... that is polite...... perhaps - 'you had a much better' .... and 'larger and more useful' list in 2008.

Given the realities of all parties product changes from 2008 to 2009 including the lack there of ..... that would be x2.

And another thing.

Cutting the recommended list down in size - for this segment was by itself a lesser move as well - regardless of what someone may think about replacing the Fusion, Optima, Milan, and Altima with a Prius - which is basically indefensible - that's in regard to all four and not just the Ford product .



Finally, as BigAls87Z28 pointed out , the Kia Rondo and the Mazda 5 do not 'fully' belong in the category although the concept you present of those two very different types of vehicles representing worthy alternative choices most definitely does - but perhaps it should've been handled in a different way rather than including them in a midsize 'car' category where they most definitely don't belong in a direct sense.

And where pray tell, using the kind of logic in play here concerning the Mazda 5, the Kia Rondo, - and the Prius is the Jetta Clean Diesel Sportwagon ?


Perhaps in some 'editorial' commentary - which often is pretty good over there.

Or maybe better yet, an expanded list of best buy and recommended including all ie 2008 / 2009 ?

********************

There are a good sized group of some others that are at least questionable in the same way and or in somewhat similar way.

Perhaps the most ummm..... illogical ? of those would center around the Scion tC making the best buy list in the 2009 sporty/performance cars group along with the Mini Cooper and the Mazda Mx-5 Miata but in front of the Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, and Volkswagen GTI .

There is much wrong with this - including many who are not even mentioned but I guess the nicest way to say it is that the tC doesn't belong on either list - its insulting to all the others named and not named as well as the very concept of the category.

Basically the tC represents total error - and not just in terms of its selection but also as part of a trifecta of small cars for this category.

Even if you just think of it this way, the tC is very clearly the weakest within that best buy (small car) grouping ie if you kept the Miata and the Mini and substituted the Challenger - or the Mustang ......

Well, that's just a few examples ( out of many possible ) of some things you people have handled IMO much better in the past.

**********************

Without a doubt, I will continue to recommend your organization and publication - but this year my accompanying editorial comment and correction will be 4 to 5 pages long as opposed to a 1/2 a page or two.

I'm looking forward to not only your full size pick up evaluation but also the later in the year product introductions such as the new Fusion and Milan - and some others.

And finally - worth noting your scoring system and scores do not look off by much - in fact by very little - it seems to be just enough to create a much more dramatic effect in terms of the recommended and best buy labels.

Thats not meant as an insult or an insinuation - rather an indication of at least a 'pretty good' job.

[Gm786]

Originally Posted by Uzzy

(psssst! this isn't Consumer Reports)

Maybe it isn't! LOL