Ford Focus Removed From CR's Best Picks

[nsap]

Consumer Reports pulls Focus as pick


March 8, 2005
BY BILL KOENIG and BARBARA POWELL
BLOOMBERG

Consumer Reports magazine removed the Ford Focus from its "top picks" list after the car received a "poor" rating in a crash test by an insurance group.

Six vehicles made by Asian automakers were removed from the magazine's list of recommended cars as a result of the tests, the magazine said in a statement late Sunday.

The magazine never before stripped a vehicle of a "top pick" rating, said David Champion, senior director of its automotive testing.

The Focus had been one of the magazine's 10 "top picks" in its annual auto issue and the only model from a U.S. automaker in that group. The Focus and about a dozen other small cars got "poor" grades in crashes on the sides of cars in results released Sunday night by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety of Arlington, Va.

The six other vehicles removed from the recommended list are Hyundai Motor Co.'s Elantra, Mazda Motor Corp.'s Mazda3, Nissan Motor Co.'s Altima, Honda Motor Co.'s Element, Mitsubishi Motors Corp.'s Outlander and Suzuki Motor Corp.'s Grand Vitara/XL-7.

The Focus wouldn't have been removed if no small cars had earned an "acceptable" rating, Champion said. Two of 16 cars tested did: General Motors Corp.'s Chevrolet Cobalt and Toyota Motor Corp.'s Corolla.

Those cars passed after each automaker requested a second test be done with optional side air bags installed at the automakers' expense. "The Corolla without side air bags actually did poorly, as did the Chevrolet Cobalt," Champion said.

The removals reduce the number of vehicles recommended by Consumer Reports to 73. Of that total, 43 were made by Asian automakers, down from 49 initially. A total of 23 were made by U.S. automakers, down from 24. The number of recommended vehicles made by European automakers remains unchanged at six. The European brands include Sweden's Saab, owned by General Motors, and Volvo, owned by Ford Motor Co.

The nine remaining "top picks" were all made by Japanese companies. They are: Toyota's Prius and Lexus LS430 and RX330, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.'s Subaru Forester and Impreza WRX, and Honda's Pilot, Odyssey, Accord and Acura TL.

Ford said Monday it's working with the insurance institute "to better understand" its side-impact test, which was adopted after the Focus was designed. The automaker said it will consider the side-impact test "as a design consideration as new and redesigned vehicles are introduced."

The test simulates the impact of being struck by a large pickup or SUV at 31 m.p.h.

http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/...e_20050308.htm

[nsap]

I would like to know when the Cobalt is going to become a "Best Pick" from the wonderful Consumer Reports.

[Ming]

Shock! A HONDA removed from CR's list???

Honda Motor Co.'s Element

Originally Posted by nsap

I would like to know when the Cobalt is going to become a "Best Pick" from the wonderful Consumer Reports.

Not sure, I think CR has to wait a year or something, and then get glowing reviews from its subscribers.

[syr74]

Originally Posted by nsap

I would like to know when the Cobalt is going to become a "Best Pick" from the wonderful Consumer Reports.

Possibly when the car actually becomes a "Best Pick"?

[Action]

Originally Posted by nsap

I would like to know when the Cobalt is going to become a "Best Pick" from the wonderful Consumer Reports.

The first of never...

[member12]

I feel bad saying this, but all other cars being deathtraps will actually help GM. Good job, GM on the cobalt. For America's safety, I hope it sells well.

I feel sorry for all those folks who bought into the Honda Civic, and others that CR once gave a glowing review for, but now don't recommend it b/c they are deathtraps.
Thanks, CR for proving my point, which is that CR is totally useless.

[member12]

Originally Posted by Action

The first of never...

They havent published the test yet, but the cobalt is ranked in the latest issue as barely ahead of the Ion, but lower than the Lancer, Elantra, Focus, and Spectra. Would it kill them to like an American car?

[nsap]

Originally Posted by syr74

Possibly when the car actually becomes a "Best Pick"?

Well, according to the latest crash test, it is a best pick.

[wpbharry]

IIHs' Best Picks have nothing to do with CRs Best Picks. In order for CR to rate a vehicle as a Best Pick, first, it must be recommended, which can't be the first year of production. Then, it needs to establish a consistently reliable record when the subscribers report on it in the following year. A Best Pick from CR probably takes into account a vehicle's long-term record, including a prior version, in this case the Cavalier (forget it), to some extent, perhaps a very small amount. I doubt you'd see the Cobalt as a Best Pick by CR before 2007.

[syr74]

Originally Posted by nsap

Well, according to the latest crash test, it is a best pick.

Remember the discussion on this board recently about the Detroit News article in which the 500 bested the Lacrosse? Funny, but the 500 scores much better than the Lacrosse does in the safety rating, but unlike in this instance I don't recall you defending the 500's win on the merits of its better safety rating.

[SUPERBADD75]

Originally Posted by member12

I feel bad saying this, but all other cars being deathtraps will actually help GM. Good job, GM on the cobalt. For America's safety, I hope it sells well.

I feel sorry for all those folks who bought into the Honda Civic, and others that CR once gave a glowing review for, but now don't recommend it b/c they are deathtraps.
Thanks, CR for proving my point, which is that CR is totally useless.

okay, okay, tap the brakes a little. if you don't spring for the side airbags, which most people won't, then the Cobalt is rated poor just like all the other ones. GM's Saturn Ion got a poor rating WITH side airbags, so why don't you beat up on it? these cars (compacts) are usually bought by people that need economical transportation, and an awful lot of them are sold with little or no equipment, so the side airbags that remove the Cobalt from "death trap" status won't be in many of the ones that are sold, making it no better of a choice than the rest. the only car that was really trashed was the Neon. they said that it was unlikely that the driver would live through such an impact in the Neon, and actually singled that car out. don't beat up all the other cars, because GM still has a BRAND NEW DESIGN that failed to meet acceptable standards WITH SIDE BAGS. just realize that all these companies have a lot of work to do, and tell GM "good job on the Cobalt, now get back to work on the Ion".

[jro4566]

Finally, CR makes a great decision! Even though I don't like the Corolla, I sure know that it is an overall better car than the Focus.

[Trendkiller]

I couldn't care less. All of this safety BS is another excuse that the human race has jumped on so that they don't have to learn to drive better. If people actually cared how they drove then safety issues WOULD NOT even be a factor. Safety plays absolutely no part in my decision to buy a car because I actually care how good of a driver I am!!!!!

OK rant off

[hudson32]

I think this a fair verdict. The Nissan Altima drives and performs well, but safety is paramount, and it didn't perform well in the crash tests. Honda Element is fair game too. And since the Focus didn't perform well, its fair game.

[jro4566]

Originally Posted by Trendkiller

I couldn't care less. All of this safety BS is another excuse that the human race has jumped on so that they don't have to learn to drive better. If people actually cared how they drove then safety issues WOULD NOT even be a factor. Safety plays absolutely no part in my decision to buy a car because I actually care how good of a driver I am!!!!!

OK rant off

So basically you're saying that safety is BS? You could be the best driver in the world, but that doesn't decrease the fact that you could be in an accident. Just because you're a good driver doesn't mean you could have the occasional run with black ice or an icy bridge. Even the most cautious of drivers need safety.