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Comments
Pontiac has always favored the 'sport' side of things so I'm not sure how the G6 is related to the XR or FTM the Malibu.
I think there is no doubt that CR has its own motivations and priorities in evaluating a car - perhaps - safety, reliability, and economy, in no particular order.
But, I also think that there is a very strong case to be made for the fact that CR (and its ratings) are likely the single most influential publication to the average car buyer. Given that and the fact that they are not beholden to anybody or anything for whatever 'opinions' they do have, you are welcome to form your own opinions and/or have a different set of priorites - as I would bet they would tell you as well.
Couldn't of said it better myself to explain how the car holds up over time. Not just drives, but looks, feels, and sounds.
Time is money, and frequent breakdowns and warranty visits cost both time and money (the gas you waste driving to the dealership every 2 months).
It is not a low score by any stretch of the imagination.
It just isn't up to the league of Accord, Camry, TL, Altima scores.
so will most cars if you take care of them. I have a 9 yr old nissan that looks and runs as well as the day I bought it. and it has 145k on it.
I have no problem with their product evaluations on particular vehicles where they do a full report. I like that they measure leg room and cargo and towing capacity, although that information is on the manufacturer's website :confuse: And I like how they run them into things at 5 mph to see how the bumpers hold up and what not; although that information is available from the IIHS :confuse:
I like that they mention how requirements to install an infant or child seat. I like the subjective commentary on ease of use, although I like to evaluate on my own as well.
I think the only thing I pretty much ignore is the survey responses for reliability and what not.
Think that you'll have a difficult time finding any of these cars these days in the shop every 2 months! Things have improved substantially in that regard in recent years, so much so that reliability over even the first 100k is assumed. It's the 2nd (or 3rd) 100k that separates the men from the boys, a number that very few of us that buy new cars will ever see.
that curious, being about the only thing (other than measured performance figures) that is NOT subjective.
"As we said, almost right, until the sponges in GM’s Cheapness Department got to the project. Although styled well, the interior is executed with hard plastic, glaring panel gaps, ragged mold lines, and the scrape-scraping of a gear selector that slides through its range like a screwdriver through sand. Have GM’s cheapness freaks ever sat in an Accord?"
When you compare it to a real nice car, it comes up shy.
the enthusiast mags do have a way with words don't they? CR would say something like 'ill fitting parts and pieces, and generally 'subpar' fit and finish and probably wouldn't mention the Accord at all. Have read the same thing about the Fusion interior referencing its use of 80's vintage LED displays, an interior that I personally found agreeable and 'un-Ford-like'. Regard this kind of thing in the same way as exterior styling - beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
I hope so! The Aura is new for 2006. That Camry debuted more than five years ago.
60 hp or so will do that won't it? Also a part of human nature - your coworker WANTS to rave about something she just paid all that money for, for her own gratifications (and ego) as well as those reassurances that might come from you when you nod approvingly. This would be why those 'initial' satisfaction surveys need to be taken with a grain of salt...
The thing for me was, for the first 10 years or so I was driving, I was always in one POS after another. couldn't afford 2 new cars, and the newest was always driven by my wife. As I got older, and more affluent, I was able to pay off my wifes car early and get another new one while her's was in good shape, with low milage. Well, after 10yrs of driving crap, (and boy did I have some crappy cars) I realy appreciated having a new one, and took very good care of it. did all the required stuff right on time, washed every week or two, waxed 2-3 times a year, treated all the interior every couple months, and never allowed my kids to bring food or drinks in it. As a result, the car was in such good shape that when I bought my alti in feb, just couldn't bear to trade my old one in. the car just ran and looked too good to sell.
and the idea that just because CR does not take ads does not mean they are unbiased. everyone has their bias, and reputation will always play a role in developing opinions.
To me a most of supposed studies, statistics and reviews have no relevance when I buy a car. I don't care how many awards JD Powers gives the manufacturer, if the car is COTY, how many black marks CR gives it or if CR says the trunk is too small. You never really know about the ownership experience until years after you buy the car and it's a fact of life for lemons occur in every manufacturer. In general, I believe you get what you pay for. One mans no-frills stripper is another mans golden carriage.
The only exception to the above comment is end of year clearance sales, where manufacturers provide incentives to move the cars. If one shops judiciously a good value can be had.
At least CR's biases are personal (like yours and mine), and not bought and paid for. CR treats car evaluation like Joe Friday, "Just the facts maam". The advertising mags seem to only get critical (less bias) when doing a comparison test. When they do an individual car review, it sounds like an endorsement, that's been paid for.
Did you mean new name? This car has been out for what, three years.
I wish them luck especially since I recently bought a lot of Ford stock at a real cheap rate. The Five Hundred, Taurus, or whatever they call it still looks odd to me. It's bubble top needs to be chopped 1 or 2 inches to look nicer. I don't think I could live with the looks as it is.
I've always wondered about that because of their past reluctance to change as cars changed.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Not according to some people around here, that blindly think that a 8-year-old CamCord is still better than the brand-new "American" cars built today, without even stepping foot in any of them, or taking them out for test-drives.
No grad, you're not one of them...
Considering how she drives, HP has nothing to do with it. She WANTS to brag because she test-drove everything else out there, including the new Camry, and feels she made the right choice because SHE loved it more than the Camry.
She doesn't care about my approval (or anyone else, for that matter). In fact, when she started her search a few months ago, I recommended the Camry and Altima to her. Apparently, her husband was pulling for the Camry as well, but she did her own thing, and bought what SHE liked. And after having sat and rode in one, I agree that she made the right decision, and I too like the Aura very much as well.
Egos have nothing to do with it, unless one's not very confident in their own.
Check his post again. I don't see anything else mentioned but the new styling, which indeed is new for '08, as well as the 3.5L and a new name.
I wish them luck especially since I recently bought a lot of Ford stock at a real cheap rate. The Five Hundred, Taurus, or whatever they call it still looks odd to me. It's bubble top needs to be chopped 1 or 2 inches to look nicer. I don't think I could live with the looks as it is.
And who's fault is it that you bought stock in a company in which you find the styling of it's products "odd"? I'm sure I can speak for everyone else here when I say that that last thing I'd do is invest in a company who's in dire straits and whose product I'm not particularly fond of.
Grad, is that a typo? I thought the Aura was new this year, 2007.
I would also drive the Saturn over the Camry any day. The Camry is an old peoples car.
That new styling, looks like the same car from 3-years-ago other than new headlights and a grill on it, big deal. The rest of the car is the same. What about the bubble top roof?
"And who's fault is it that you bought stock in a company in which you find the styling of it's products "odd"?"
I don't see a fault in supporting a company with a funny looking car when there are other vehicles in their line-up that show some promise including the upcoming F series trucks. My hopes an aspirations are not banked on that silly looking Five Hundred/err Tuarus. The stock was cheap because of the poor direction of the company and products. They can only get better but I don't think this car Taurus/500 is the answer, but maybe they will find buyers? That will be a bonus to me and my bottom line. People who buy stock and have a diversified portfolio don't necessarily have to believe or like everything about company they invest in as long as it shows profit/potential. If you have a diversified portfolio (15 + different companies) do you really know all the products they produce and use them?
Who was the first to put five blades on their Fusion, Gillette or Ford?
The Fusion was out first... or was it the Fusion? I can't remember, anyways besides having the same name, they do kinda look alike to me.
Standard ABS on 2.5 models
Standard splash guards
Available Xm radio on all trim levels.
I am happy that the once hard to find ABS will now be standard...took Nissan long enough.
Standard ABS on 2.5 models
Standard splash guards
Available Xm radio on all trim levels.
I am happy that the once hard to find ABS will now be standard...took Nissan long enough.
Yeah I agree, that makes it go back on the shopping list. And splash guards make my heart go pitter patter.
The only comparison test I've read of the Aura put it up against five other competitors, one of which included an Accord SE, that's very similar to my Accord EX (which is a 2006). In my head, it was 2006 vs. 2006.
These days, no cars "debut" in the model year in which they are designated. Look at the Camry. It has been out for what, 15 months, ALL of which are 2007 models!
Thanks for the correction though.
XM is a beautiful thing. I have it in my car, but not in my wife's. When we're in her car listening to the radio, it feels so ancient.
Exactly, and it also makes the car seem newer than it actually is. We are only halfway through 07, and some 07 Camry's are more than a year old.
The model year of a product is a number used to describe approximately when a product was produced. However, the model year and the actual year of production don't always coincide.
Automobiles
In the United States, automobile model years traditionally start in the third quarter of the preceding year. In other cases products of a previous model year can continue production, especially if a newer model hasn't yet been released. In that case, the model year remains the same until a new model is introduced. This is to ensure that the model will be seen by the public and will actually sell an amount of vehicles before a new vehicle model is produced and people will look at the newer model rather than the previous one.
In the United States, for regulation purposes, government authorities allow cars of a given model year to be sold starting on January 2 of the previous calendar year.
It took a few repair bills and tow trucks to turn on the lights on what had just happened.
That is the essence of fair, consistent reviews, across the board, no matter what the price.
The ultimate "perfect" car would have decent trunk space, get great MPG, and if it is loud, would be a "pleasing" sound, and only mainly when your accelerating quickly, not just loud and annoyous at idle.
CR does look at the fact that "30 MPG is excellent for a powerful V6, vs. 40 MPG being excellent for a 4 banger." But all in all, even a 400 HP supercar should get good mileage in a perfect world.
WATCH OUT!!!
Ask her how she likes her Aura at 60,000 miles!
The warranty is 100,000 miles.
:surprise: Such a broad brush. Maybe off topic but I'll bite. I've been amazed at the assumptions made by people who haven't owned a domestic car in the 90s and later who try to make them seem unreliable. Perhaps that's better saved for some of the foreign brands riding on their reputation who have had problems with their redesigns in the last few years.
Overall I agree with a post in some discussion I saw recently that if you take good care of a domestic just the way some take good care of the foreign product and you'll get the same results. If you don't take good care of the oil changes and maintenance schedule with a foreign brand you'll get the same result as you get when you don't take care of the domestic. I saw a Honda Accord knocking it's way home that was a few years old. I saw a wrecker dragging it away a few days later. The lady probably didn't take care of it--it was a model before 03 but I don't know the exact year but it was less than 10 years old. :confuse:
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,