holstein13 wrote:
tplife wrote:
I know where you can get independent, reliable advice from thousands of owners of this vehicle. Their experience is one of "worse than average" reliability compared to similar vehicles from different manufacturers. For whatever reason, you are not allowed to say their name on this forum, but the initials are "C. R." and loosely would mean "buyer's reviews". Their April issue details reliability and if you choose, the recommended version of this vehicle. Here in the low desert, their vehicles are highly regarded off-road. On-road, they seem to offer greater opportunities to expand your mechanical skills, or at least meet and greet a wider audience of dealers and repair facilities.
I hear you and understand where you are coming from. Certainly, it makes sense to check the reviews but you have to take them with a grain of salt.
First, the worst car on the road today is far more reliable than the best car on the road 30 years ago...
Second, each car seems to have its own problems. It's way too confusing to draw statistical conclusions...
Third, A lot of review sites feature very upset customer...
So yes, you are correct, the reviews are often bad, but how does that translate to my expected experience with a given new model that's not even out yet?
Those reviews I cited from C.R. Magazine are from subscribers like myself, we do lengthy surveys each year on our vehicles, appliances, and other consumer products. They also pretend to be an average shopper and buy an unprepared vehicle for rigorous scientific testing. They are "independent and reliable", unlike JD P'ers or other companies that accept $ for advertising and product placement. Because "past performance predicts future reliability", their comprehensive ratings are useful in predicting outcomes. Personally,I'm Ford and GMC certified (gotta make a $ between jobs as a chemist sometimes) and in my experience each model usually last around 10 years, and parts don't change 100% every year, so there's a lot of carryover with small improvements over the life of the model decade. If you want to buy the least reliable cars on the road, more power to you and your mechanic, lol. The "statistical conclusions" are there in print and online, but you have to borrow the issue or buy a subscription. If a product maker uses their name in advertising, they are as vicious as Disney for stomping out illegal infringement to protect their reputation. I've been taking their advice for over 30 years, and outside of their "social issue" stances, the product advice is as good and saved me a lot of $ and aggravation. :@
