atreis wrote:
IMO, the more detailed pictures they provide are more useful - the one that shows the reliability/satisfaction scores for various aspects of the vehicle over time. That will let you know that a particular score, for instance, is a result of very low satisfaction with the Nav system (or whatever), but the rest of the car is basically fine.
The detailed ratings on vehicles will also let you see things such as the example from gmw photos - that a car is good for the first 4-5 years then suffers lots of problems. If you only plan to own it for 4 years, you might not care. If you're like me, and want to own it for at least 10 years, reliability as the car ages becomes more important.
This.
Don't just look at the overall numbers. Look at the detailed reports for the vehicle, that lists problem areas by year. What you consider a minor problem might be a big deal for someone else and be listed as a major problem.
Also, it becomes clear that across every brand, the first model year of a major overhaul is NOT a good choice. Either go for the last year of the old version, or wait a year.
CR does not accept advertising and IMHO is basically unbiased. There reliability surveys go back 10 years. Keep in mind that what they report are RELIABILITY ratings, not general performance. They are not concerned with towing capabilities or cargo capacity. IMHO they are also overly concerned with electronics systems and creature comforts. But those are very important to some people.
Another good resource for reviews and model history is Edmunds. Just go to the main site and put the model you are interested into the search box, and you will get a history of all the different design generations, with changes from one to the next. That is very useful.
