Featured Confirmation Bias CR

Yeah, I've subscribed since 1977. I bought my first Corolla that year, based on their recommendations.

They LOVE the Prius, except for the Prius C. They're very fond of the Camry Hybrid, too.

 

I wouldn't say that they always loved the Prius.

Interesting with the Aviator rating. The new one had a rough start with some major issues.

 

Same site says Prius is best for economics. https://www.consumerreports.org/new-cars/best-and-worst-new-cars/
Go figure. Quote from that great philosopher Homer Simpson. Facts are meaningless they can be used to prove anything that is remotely true.

 

“Best for economics” and “most satisfying” are not the same. Also, the former was based on a combination of CR test results (facts) and owner surveys (opinions) while the latter was based solely on owner surveys.

 

How is it “bias” to report the results of an owners survey?

 

as compared to review companies -
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Not following, can you explain?

 

Interesting the last one - TOYOTA C-HR. I looked at one when they first came out - had a giggle at the "unique" (read awful) styling - by 4 designers given a corner each to sort out and not talk to each other.

Then had a look inside. Driver's seat was very nice - better than PRIUS. Boot was marginal. But the back-seat - I could barely see out the side windows - hate to see how the grandchildren would fare in there. I had trouble not laughing out loud as I walked back to my car which was being serviced in the next building.. I still try to avoid looking too close when I drive near one on the road.

 

On the first anniversary of my Prius Prime a few years back, I made a visit to the dealer for some very minor service, and a C-HR was in the showroom. My salesperson happened to be there and invited me to sit in it and give her my opinion - they just got a few of them in that day.

Likes: The brake hold button when it is in Drive mode. Wished mine had that.

Dislikes: The dash area was a mess and not logically laid out. The exterior design was more of a mess, like they decided to use every single idea from a design group all on the back end, and most of the dissimilar ideas everywhere else. Back seats unusable. Driver's blind spots (getting worse in most makes and models of cars these days). No hybrid option (do they have one now?).

I even wondered what class of car this thing was. Is it a compact car trying to be a crossover? Or is there now a micro-crossover class? I honestly don't get it. Toyota is becoming stranger every year.

 

Yes, it's got a HYBRID version now. Not that it improved the looks and utility.

 

It had a hybrid option from the beginning. Just not in the US as it was originally going to be a Scion. It is in the same segment as the Trax and HR-V, which makes the C-HR a 'subcompact' to the Rav4's 'compact'.

Would the brake hold button hold them indefinitely, or just momentarily for hill start assist? In the my Camry, depressing the brake pedal all the way, literally, activated the hill start assist. If your Prius has hill start assist listed as a feature, that is how it works. The HHR and Sonic always held the brakes for a moment for the hill start assist. This is an example of why reading the manual is a good idea.

 

Checked the manual, and it works like Lincoln's Auto Hold. Come to a full stop, and the brakes are held until the accelerator is applied.

 

Tesla hasn't exactly built a reputation as a trouble free car either...

The fact that they rate so highly speaks volumes....at least for something.

I had an MX-5 once upon a time (CR score:88) and it was flawless in terms of reliability, and absolutely a blast to drive, as nearly all proper RWD cars are.
If I could have found a place to put a child seat, I'd still have one.

It even got halfway decent mileage and it was equipped from the factory with a millennial anti-theft device.

 

This is a customer satisfaction survey, no? If so, results are those of customers surveyed by methods of CRs.

Relative ratings are not surprising for most of these rankings. Customers look at their overall driving experience. In the case of Tesla, many customers feel there is something exceptional they can't get elsewhere. That experience weighs a lot more heavily than some other factors to them (like occasional cosmetic defects), whether CR considers their weightings the same or not.


Edit, from their site:

...CR’s predicted owner satisfaction scores. Every year we ask our members, in our Annual Auto Surveys, whether they’d buy their same car again if given the chance.

The survey also queries owners about their satisfaction with several specific aspects of their car ownership experience, such as comfort, driving, and ease of use when it comes to in-car electronics.

Based on the responses, we calculate a predicted owner satisfaction score each year for new models...​

 

I subscribe to CR and yes, this is a satisfaction survey only. They might ask about problems, but there are other metrics for reliability they use.

 

sure!
A bias of owners show how owners feel, as opposed to reviewers, which will typically go for the drama of either super horrible, or super great turning on drama for clicks. Only when the two sides' opinions converge are the media willing to publish both views.
.

 

Got it, thanks!

 

Yes - most owners will justify their Sp€nding - up to a point, the point of being blind to minor bits. UNTIL something really holds the red flag out to the raging bull - then, they send the opposite message.

Had an acquaintance with a JEEP ... . Was even better than sliced bread for a couple of years, it could do anything, looked better than everything else on the road, was the best car he'd ever had. But something MAJOR went wrong - and he became avidly anti-JEEP.