Oh, the Red White and Blue…
Consumer Reports published their top cars in 10 categories for 2007, and it’s a clean sweep for the Japanese. 4 Toyota’s, 3 Honda’s, 2 Infinities and a Mazda Miata for good fun.
Our Top Picks are recommended vehicles that have met our stringent requirements in three key areas:
- Testing: Of the more than 250 vehicles we’ve recently tested, each Top Pick has scored at or near the top of its category.
- Reliability: Each has proven average or better in reliability, which is based on more than 1.3 million responses to our Annual Car Reliability Survey.
- Safety: Top Picks also performed at least adequately in overall crash protection if tested by the government or the insurance industry. The report card accompanying each Top Pick shows how the vehicle fared in those areas. Based on those multifaceted criteria, we’ve judged these vehicles to be the most well-rounded packages in their categories.
What can American car companies do to compete? Other than blame unions?
A UK perspective – the results of the 2006 Top Gear motoring survey
http://www.topgear.com/content/carsurvey/2006/features/01/1.html
They survey 56,000 owners for this
Again the Japanese dominate with Skoda! featuring well
Consumer Reports…the definitive guide or source for trusted information?
What, no cars that go 0-60 in 3.4 seconds? 490 Horses, 22s on all four corners? A stereo that can drown out a stadium? Mufflers that do everything EXCEPT muffle? Yahbut, that’s what we’re told we’re supposed to like, and buy… why? Unfortunately, consumer Americans (well over 50% of the population) are a VERY stupid group of people that dictate high prices on cars and homes, and are completely wrecking the economy. “It’s market driven” my ass — it’s “MARKETING DRIVEN” — and we eat it up.
As an American, who wants everybody to buy American, I’m GLAD the Japanese are kicking our asses with cars! Americans and Germans, SCREW US ALL! We promote these HUGE gas-guzzling SUVs, or FAST gas-guzzling sports cars; great for showing the Joneses how far ahead of them you are, or getting laid — but otherwise totally impractical for the daily commute.
WHY THE HELL can’t America produce an AFFORDABLE reliable car that seats one or two people, and has room for a couple bags of groceries or a briefcase and a notebook computer?
Truth is, America CAN do that — it just isn’t profitable. And really, all that matters, is profit. Stay blind Americans! COME ON OVER TOJO!
What can American car companies do to compete? Other than blame unions?
That’s an easy one. Follow the advise of W. Edwards Deming. The Japanese did and you know the rest.
#3: Yes, CR is pretty reliable; the car seat article was a fluke.
#4: Exactly. New cars come with bells and whistles that we really don’t need, and reduce the reliability of the vehicle.
#5: These days, most Toyotas available in the US are actually made in the US, by union labor. The difference? Toyota and the union actually work together to build better cars.
I wonder: what is the comparison of the number of Detroit executives that are always driven around by the chauffeurs versus the Japanese? Has the GM prez regularly driven a Cobalt or Ford Jr a Focus? And not just the first unit off an assembly line?
Or whether Detroit has ever done a cost analysis of their nickel and dimeing every possible option, rather then just deciding that a rear trunk release is a good idea and making it standard on every model?
I didn’t see Large SUV and Full Size Truck – the only categories that matter.
Not a whole lotta cars coming out of Detroit these days.Toyoda cars in America are rubbish, they just don’t feel as cheap as GM or Ford cars. I can’t even buy a Honda and be confident on it’s build quality anymore especially when you’re buying the crappy version of the Accord that’s unique to North America.
Funny how the American consumer isn’t being questioned in all of this. The customer isn’t always right, guys.
Personally, I’m glad so many people drive rice buners: They’re easy to pass in my (mostly) American car.
All this tells us is that Consumer Reports uses benchmarks more in line with what the Japanese produce. There are different ways of measuring cars, weighting each factor, etc.
for all you American car lovers, CR posted a second rate guide for you…
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2007/03/2007_top_picks_.html
I had some co-workers talking about this the other day. They were discussing how Consumer Reports is actually owned by a Japanese Company. They were talking like this was common knowledge and that its easy to find the information on financial websites. Has anybody else heard this before? I’ve been unable to find any information that supports or contradicts what they were saying. If its true it would certainly be interesting.
I can tell you what they can do….
CUT all executive WAGES by 1/2, and then LOWEr the price on US cars…
Considering 90% of the Parts are made in other countries at 1/100 the USA cost….They are making a profit margin equal to OIL companies.
So WHAt the Exec’s are making an average of $1,000,000 per year…ARE THEY WORTH IT?? NOPE…
Oops, wrong thread. Disregard or discard #15.
#13 – Consumer’s Report – is published by the Consumer’s Union –
Here’s a link to their board of directors – the only Japanese sounding name in the board belongs to a George Washington University professor.
[edited: pls use tinyurl]
Domestic vehicles are absolute crapola…especially when compared to what’s coming out of Japan.
Why would anyone in their right mind want to drive a car that’s going to depreciate faster, break down sooner, and have to deal with goons in both sales and service like they do for GM and Ford?
Get yourself a Toyota or Honda, and speed the (overdue) death of the ridiculous domestic automakers.
“What can American car companies do to compete? Other than blame unions?”
1) Cut all executive pay in half – it’s their doofus decisions regarding what to make & sell that are killing them, not the workers.
2) Start lobbying Congress and the president for a SINGLE PAYER UNIVERSAL HEALTH SYSTEM. The bastardized mini-monopoly system that employers are on the hook for now is the single largest cost driver in their industry (and probably every industry in the US).
3) Divest themselves of major stockholders who also happen to be … oil companies! That’s right; among the largest (and hence most influential) owners of these publically traded car companies are the oil industry. Do you /now/ understand why US carmakers have been emphasizing gas guzzling cars and SUVs, even with US national security being at stake? They’re simply responding to the wishes of their biggest shareholders.
My 3 Step Program – garaunteed to turn Detroit around.