Comments on: I’ve had a strong perception for a long time that Consumer Report is subsidized by Toyota motors. Yes or No.?

By: sdoeuyasodom

sdoeuyasodom — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:00:59 +0000

sure, it is no!
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By: Csdongsmokg

Csdongsmokg — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:18:59 +0000

no,
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By: Terrence B

Terrence B — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:59:59 +0000

No, there is no validity to your perception. Consumer Reports bases it’s ratings on actual owner’s responses. You should read the first few pages of their book. It explains how they determine the reliability of a vehicle. Toyota gets top marks in nearly every magazine so it’s hard to justify targeting Consumer Reports. Read J.D. Powers, Yahoo Autos! and every car magazine’s review on any Toyota. They all say the same thing about Toyota’s stellar quality and reliability. The late model ones aren’t up to par with the old ones but that seems to be a common occurence in the auto industry. Toyota still is rated higher than most of the cars out there. The CR comment is somewhat unfair. Check with mechanics, insurance companies, etc. They will all still say good things about Toyota. Their biggest flaw has always been lack of soul in most of their cars but you really can’t do much better when you look at overall ownership costs. do you know that most of the cars on the road with over 400,000 miles on them are Toyotas? I know of fourteen with over that much with original engines and transmissions. In fact six of those have over 500,000 miles and three have over 700,000 miles on the original engines (-never rebuilt). This is no joke. Toyotas reputation is justified. The beauty is that they (and Hondas) tend to still go strong when most others are starting to fall apart.
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Experience

By: ryan a

ryan a — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:42:59 +0000

if u want to do your own consumer reporting look in the classifieds of your local news paper and look in your local junkyards then look to see the ratio between the domestics and the imports. i am bieng slightly sarcastic but it is so true.
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By: 12pleze

12pleze — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:23:59 +0000

That is stupid thing to think as Toyota is best selling in USA and 2nd to Corolla in world. 1st year no repairs needed on average and with maintenqance last They are the leading car mAKER in world Showed 12 billion a 1/4 profit last year
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By: Windowphobe

Windowphobe — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:10:59 +0000

If they did, they're not getting anything for their money: Toyota hasn't gotten an automatic prediction of above-average reliability for any new model for several years now. And some Toyota models, notably the Yaris, do fairly crummy in the Ratings.
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By: Chad

Chad — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:38:59 +0000

the only reason it seams to be bias is because
toyota honda and subaru build good cars and GM Ford chrysler dont.
consumer reports still praises GM WHEN they build a good car. for example
the new chevy malibu beat honda in initial quality. the first American sedan to beat a
japanese car in initial quality in i think it was over 10 years
im a mechanic and when you spend as much time around cars as i do
you’ll understand why. i have had ALOT of cars in my life and done A LOT of repairs on everything
from audi to lotus and everything inbetween and im telling you.
toyota builds the best product. and they get awarded for it.
consumer reports isnt bias against american cars. its just the three big need to pull their heads out of
their assets at build a good car more offen.
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By: blcad82

blcad82 — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:56:59 +0000

They say not, but it’s getting harder to have faith in anything anymore
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experience

By: fire4511

fire4511 — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:43:59 +0000

Consumers Reports is not subsidized by any auto manufacturer, but they have for years had a bias against American made vehicles. They claim to be independent, but their corporate culture has a definite tilt towards certain car makers.

If you were to go to the local Ford owners club and ask them to rate Ford, Chevy, Honda and Toyota, you would expect that they would rate Ford highest. This is what happens when Consumers Reports hires only people who think the same way, and bring their own biases to the ratings
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30 years in the auto business

By: Old Man Dirt

Old Man Dirt — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:00:59 +0000

No, not in my opinion. Believe me that would be one of the biggest scandals in consumer history if true.
If you take time to read the latest issues and reviews in Consumers Reports, Toyota has been falling in ratings, and Ford, Mazda have been moving up.
IMHO the GM Toyota alliance hurt Toyota to the point that they are facing the same problems as GM.
I would have thought about buying a MR2 if Toyota and GM were not in bed with each other, so I bought a Miata. But I ramble.
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