Consumer Reports

  • 2012 Chevrolet Volt

    Fewer Chevrolet Volt owners would buy another this year than at the same time last year, Consumer Reports has discovered. ...Of course, when that figure is still 92 percent (down from 93) and the Volt has topped Consumer Reports' consumer satisfaction survey for the second year running, perhaps a drop isn't so bad... Unsurprisingly, the Volt is going down a storm with owners. As The Detroit News reports, sales in the first 10 months of 2012 are 286 percent greater than the same time last year. That suggests that and even greater number of owners would still be happy to continue with the Volt...

  • 2012 Tesla Model S Signature
    2012 Tesla Model S: Consumer Reports Joins Chorus Of Praise (Unofficially)

    It isn't easy to impress Consumer Reports. Fisker Automotive knows this better than most, after its Karma range-extended sedan was savaged by the magazine earlier this year. In contrast, the 2012 Tesla Model S looks to have gone down rather well, CR describing it as "a revelation". High praise...

  • 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, Catskill Mountains, NY, Oct 2012
    Hybrids, Plug-In Cars Score Well In Reliability Survey

    Buyers of hybrids have long known that they can be surprisingly reliable, as well as costing little to run on a daily basis. The 2012 Annual Auto Reliability Survey from Consumer Reports has confirmed this once again. As reported via The New York Times, the Consumer Reports survey predicts the...

  • 2012 Fisker Karma during road test, Los Angeles, Feb 2012
    More 2012 Fisker Karma Woe: Consumer Reports Review Savages Plug-In Hybrid

    The well-respected Consumer Reports doesn't pull any punches, and its review of the 2012 Fisker Karma range-extended electric luxury sedan is no exception. The magazine all but savaged the car, calling it "full of flaws" and deeming its touchscreen controls an "ergonomic disaster." The verdict may...

  • Gas pump
    Busted: 7 Things That Won’t Improve Your Gas Mileage

    Here at GreenCarReports, we often remind you what you can do to improve the gas mileage of your car with articles devoted to tire maintenance, good driving practice and following service schedules. According to Consumer Reports however, there are just as many things that are rumored to improve your...

  • 2012 Mitsubishi i  -  First Drive, U.S.-spec MiEV
    Consumer Reports Hates 2012 Mitsubishi I’s Range: Is It Right?

    Mitsubishi’s tiny egg-shaped electric car known as the 2012 Mitsubishi i is currently the cheapest electric car you can buy in the U.S. Starting at $29,125 before incentives, the 2012 Mitsubishi i features seating for four adults, a 16 kilowatt-hour battery pack, and an EPA-approved range of...

  • 2012 Toyota Prius C

    At $19,705 and up, the 2012 Toyota Prius C subcompact is the company's least expensive hybrid. It's also tied with its larger Prius liftback sibling for best gas mileage on the market: 50 mpg combined. And those two qualities seem to be making it a sales hit for Toyota, meaning car buyers seem to like the littlest Prius. But not Consumer Reports. Oh boy, do they ever NOT like the Prius C. The renowned consumer magazine doesn't like its handling, its power, its noise suppression, its interior materials, and the numb feel of its power steering. We disagree somewhat on the handling--it's far...

  • Gas pump
    Fuel Economy Now #1 Factor In Car-Buying, Consumer Reports Study Says

    Historically, when gas prices are relatively stable, fuel efficiency doesn't rank very high on car buyers' lists of priorities. But that seems to have changed recently. A new survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center found that fuel economy was the leading consideration of 37 percent...

  • 2008 Suzuki SX4
    Want A Used Small Car? Consumer Reports Rates Best Deals

    Shopping for a used car can be one of life’s more frustrating experiences. If you know what you’re looking for in terms of year, make and model, the trouble is often in finding the specific car you’re seeking. If you're just shopping for a used small car, and you're flexible...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt drive test, March 2011
    What Do Consumers Really Think Of Electric Cars? We Find Out

    Depending on which websites you visit and which news channels you watch, electric cars are either portrayed as the poster children of green revolution, or an example of catastrophic government failure. But while it’s relatively easy to find examples of extreme pro- and anti-electric car...

  • 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
    2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid Highly Rated By Consumer Reports

    Toyota's Camry has long dominated the family car sector, and that doesn't look set to change any time soon. The February issue of product testing organization Consumer Reports carries tests of three different 2012 Camry models, including the important and extensively-updated hybrid model. All three...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt on test in Little Rock, Arkansas, July 2011
    Chevy Volt Electric Car Owners Most Satisfied, Consumer Reports Says

    Despite the NHTSA inquiry into battery-pack fires following severe crash tests of the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car, the car's 5,000 or so owners to date seem to be unworried. Comments on Volt owner forums largely dismiss worries about any risk of fire during accidents, and many owners...

  • 2011 Fuel Economy Labels

    While certain parts of the automotive industry might not be feeling the love towards the tough new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards announced yesterday, it turns out that 93 percent of car owners are want to buy greener, cleaner cars. In a study conducted by Consumer Reports, 86 percent of those interviewed said they wanted to see fuel economy averages rise to 35 mpg by 2016, with 80 percent saying they supported a 55 mpg average fuel economy by 2025. Consumers will pay more to save more Interestingly, of those questioned, 83 percent said they would be willing to pay a little...

  • 2012 Honda Civic sedan
    Honda: Okay, We Know You Hate The New Civic, So We’ll Redesign It

    In April this year, Honda unveiled what it hoped would be the next generation of car to bear the Honda Civic badge. The ninth major revision of the Civic in its 38-year life, Honda promised better gas mileage, better performance and its all-new Eco-Assist technology to help drivers drive as...

  • 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
    Consumer Reports Pans 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid For Unrefined Drivetrain

    The magazine Consumer Reports is deeply trusted by many car buyers for its analysis of auto reliability, so when it pans a car, automakers sit up and listen carefully to its criticisms. We suspect Hyundai Motors America is sitting bolt upright about now, because in its November issue, the...

  • 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid, road test, Spring 2011
    Our MPGs Vs Consumer Reports: Volt, Civic Hybrid, Jetta TDI, Lexus CT 200h, Fiat 500

    The good folks over at Consumer Reports are the ultimate rationalists when it comes to testing and buying cars. They don't use media-fleet cars, but buy their test vehicles anonymously. Their rigorous assessments make hard-nosed fleet buyers look like flighty schoolgirls in comparison. In the...

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency adminstrator Lisa Jackson and President Barack Obama
    Consumer Reports On 56.2-MPG Gas-Mileage Goal: Meh, Can Do Better

    Much debate will occur--and that's putting it politely--over the next round of gas-mileage standards, which the EPA hopes to finalize next year for 2017-2025 vehicles. Earlier this week, news reports from Washington indicated that the Obama Administration and EPA are pushing for 56.2 mpg as the...

  • Pump handle
    What Would You Give Up For Higher Gas Mileage? Cash? Features? Safety?

    It happens every time. Gas prices go up sharply, and new car buyers suddenly decide that gas mileage is important--and shop accordingly. With gas around $4 a gallon in many parts of the country, what would you trade for higher miles per gallon? Would you pay more? Would you buy a smaller car than...

  • 2004 Toyota Prius

    Gas prices are going up, smaller cars are better than ever, and once again, U.S. car buyers are turning their sights toward higher gas mileage. For that, there's nothing that beats the 2011 Toyota Prius, with its 50-mpg combined EPA rating. But will that Prius hold up? Will the battery pack and electric components work properly after the shine has worn off? It's a valid question, and one that Consumer Reports considered recently when they reported on a 2001 Prius that had covered more than 200,000 miles. Now the magazine covers another high-mileage Prius, this one the far more numerous...

  • 2011 Nissan Leaf and 2011 Chevy Volt, with charging station visible; photo by George Parrott
    Consumer Reports: Usually Thoughtful, Not Always Accurate

    Last week, the Associated Press distributed a video report called "Are Electric Cars Worth the Price?" (It's embedded at the bottom of this article.) The video featured this author as an example of someone who owns both the 2011 Nissan Leaf and the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, and it included commentary...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Volt
    Consumer Reports Pans 2011 Chevy Volt, But Misses the Point

    If Consumer Reports didn't exist, someone would have to invent it. It may be the most trusted brand in evaluating cars, and it offered reliability ratings well before J.D. Power became a household name. A bad rating can send auto execs crawling to its doors to learn what they need to change to get...

  • Aptera 2e during Automotive X-Prize handling tests, from Consumer Reports video on YouTube
    Aptera Grits Its Teeth, Glosses Over Auto X-Prize 2e Handling Issue

    Optimism is a useful thing for a startup company, maybe even a requirement. But the April newsletter from Aptera Motors, which is struggling to launch its ultra-aerodynamic three-wheeled electric vehicle in the face of delays and funding constraints, smooths over some crucial handling issues with...

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