Silly Consumer Reports

"CAR_IS_MI" (car-is-mi)
03/05/2014 at 14:24 • Filed to: None

Consumer Reports most disappointing cars... Its a Jeep, not a Lexus.

Rides like a truck - is a truck

Handles like a truck - is a truck

Braking - well braking does suck, but it always stops...

Wind noise - Yes Jeep tops are noisy, if you want a Jeep you deal with it, otherwise you dont buy a Jeep...

Driving position - I dont get this one????

Seat comfort - Mines way more comfortable than the Prius I rode in, but you gave that high reviews...

Fit and finish - again, its a JEEP, you know, the kind people take through dirty places without doors or a roof... I dont want leather and alcantara, I want cheap plastic parts that are easy to clean.

Visiability - ARE YOU SERIOUS. ITS A FUCKING BOX SURROUND BY 95% GLASS IF YOU HAVE ALL THE DOORS AND ROOF ON, OTHERWISE ITS MORE OPEN. GTFO.

Fuel economy - Show me any other truck platform that gets over 20 mpg on the highway (yes yes F150 eco-boost, shut up)

Reliablity - Well, it is a Chrysler product.

TL;DR version, Fuck you Consumer Reports and your idiotic-ness.

http://autos.yahoo.com/news/disappoin…

DISCUSSION (49)

benji > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:27

Pretty much hit the nail on the head with this one, CR is whack.

Tom McParland > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:27

With the exception of the Wrangler...the rest of that list is pretty spot-on

cazzyodo > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:27

Every explanation you gave is why I want one, not why I shouldn't want one.

YSI-what can brown do for you > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:29

They also said the reliability of the FRS was subpar.

letsgomets86 > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:33

They're doing exactly what they should be doing. Jeep enthusiasts are already aware of the tradeoffs of owning a Jeep, and are fine with it for it's other capabilities / charms. However, for undecided shoppers who might be considering a Wrangler to commute in because it's cool looking, this is just the information they'd need to probably make the right choice and go in a different direction. CR has a pretty strict methodology for testing cars, and it doesn't always jive with the uses enthusiasts come up for with our cars, but that doesn't mean it's wrong.

Party-vi > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:33

Really? That off-road badassmobile you reviewed doesn't have Mercedes-like ride quality or Rolls Royce fit & finish? You dumb fuckers...

CAR_IS_MI > cazzyodo
03/05/2014 at 14:33

exactly why I bought one as well.

CAR_IS_MI > letsgomets86
03/05/2014 at 14:36

Totally wrong though. I mean the most majorly obviously wrong one is the visibility thing. The only thing that really 'obstructs' your view is the spare, and even that is not that bad. Everything else seems to be in caparison to a Lincoln town car, but you dont go out car shopping like, hrm, I am really between buying this plush luxury sedan and this bare bones SUV.

BKRM3 > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:36

Why is the poor Spark on there!? What in the hell do you expect for 14 grand? The ONLY problem with the 2014 Spark 1LT manual is that you can't order it in Techno Pink. Poor lil Spark...

CAR_IS_MI > Tom McParland
03/05/2014 at 14:38

I would tend to agree, as most of these are also entry level cars, but again, when you go to buy a brand new $12,000 car, you dont expect to sit on much more than cardboard seats with an under-powered engine you can hear straining itself from every red light.

I might also say the FJ is a bit off too, but I have never personally drove / rode, been inside one.

letsgomets86 > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:38

Yeah I get that, and that ones seems odd to me. Remember though, CR is targeting the 98% with these things - the rest of us have Jalopnik, C&D, R&T, etc. to help us figure out what impractical lump of steel we actually want.

CAR_IS_MI > letsgomets86
03/05/2014 at 14:42

Even at that though. I feel it is reasonably expected that if you are just Joe Schmoe with no true car knowledge, and you are car shopping for something in the <$20k range, you aren't expecting Corinthian leather with messaging vented seats, a 400 hp V8 that gets 30mpg, and the smoothest ride of your life. I think that guy is going to the lot saying at the volume I normally keep my radio I cant hear all this road noise and the seat is good enough for my 12 mile daily commute...

RacecaR > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:43

Driving position - I dont get this one????

Maybe they couldn't get the gangsta' lean on while driving? Or the douche bag slouch over the wheel...who knows.

willkinton247 > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:45

The problem with CR when it comes to cars is it neglects the most important aspect: soul.

A car with a lot of soul can overcome the most objectively bad qualities.

The Wrangler may be terrible for someone who has no concept of automotive soul, but it's pretty fantastic for those who do and have the ability to recognize it.

jariten1781 > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:46

Consumer Reports market is for people who cross shop the Venza and the Wrangler

offroadkarter > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:49

Well lets see here:

Jeep: This isn't a camry!

Smart: Piece of shit

iQ: Piece of shit

i-Miev: High Voltage Piece of shit

Spark: Low Voltage Piece of shit

FJ: This is an odd jeep

Yaris: Piece of shit

willkinton247 > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:51

Actually, interestingly enough, in the "Best Cars" list, the number two spot is the BMW 135i, which is a fantastic car that has meh reliability.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 14:56

When we were looking for a new Jeep for my wife, I warned her on the way to check out the Wrangler Unlimited. I was like this is the opposite of refined, if you don't want that we shouldn't even go. "what do you mean?" What I mean is, some of the interior is just painted like the outside is, this thing isn't supposed to be fancy. It's going to be slow...but pretty unstoppable.

She loved it, just wasn't what we needed for a DD for her.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > offroadkarter
03/05/2014 at 14:56

PERFECT RECAP!

CAR_IS_MI > willkinton247
03/05/2014 at 14:59

It's not even that. I mean a good car review needs to be objective. This is like they have one car in mind and are comparing everything to that as the bar. But not everything serves the same purpose.

cazzyodo > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 15:08

I wish I could...should have done that last year during my search instead of wondering what if now.

BrtStlnd > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 15:09

You may not like their rationale, but that's an accurate assessment of a Jeep Wrangler.

oldirtybootz > letsgomets86
03/05/2014 at 15:18

Exactamundo. We've had several customers trade JKs with less than 10k miles after they realized how awful of a DD it is. My girlfriend's mom wanted one too and I had to explain to her that she doesn't actually want one. They're not for everyone.

classbutnostile > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 15:21

Even worse? Their VP of digital products came from KBB and Edmunds - http://www.linkedin.com/in/christianni… . Tsk, tsk.

CAR_IS_MI > BrtStlnd
03/05/2014 at 15:22

No its really not though.

Sure, if you are comparing this to say a Range Rover or Mercedes SUV, but if you are in the market for a Range Rover or Mercedes SUV, Maybe an X5 might be on your hit list, but a Wrangler surely would not be.

You can't compare apples to oranges and call it accurate.

Casper > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 15:26

I can't really fault them. They are outlining the negatives and most of those are the same things I have noticed driving one for a little bit as well. The vehicle is very compromised in many ways for the perks it gives that most people buy them for. They are trade offs. It's the same concept with you get with a sports car, trading some perks for others. No one goes out and buys a Corvette and gets mad when someone says they are rough riding, have poor visibility, don't get good mileage, and aren't as reliable as a Camry (although the new ones may well be). The buyer simply accepts the short comings in some areas to do the things that vehicle are good at.

I think you might be being sensitive because you don't like people saying negative things about a vehicle you own even if true.

Mercedes Streeter > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 15:28

I think even more amazing, is that the list is populated with arguably the best city cars and two of the most capable offroaders on the market.

Consumer Reports...You should just stick to reviewing dishwashers...

PushToStart > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 15:28

Smart ForTwo: seats only two

WELL NO SHIT IT ONLY SEATS TWO, ITS CALLED A FORTWO, MEANING FOR TWO PEOPLE.

Does CR really think they're doing anyone a favor by pointing that out?

*faceplam*

CAR_IS_MI > Casper
03/05/2014 at 15:31

But you made exactly my point. Even if I didn't own a Jeep I would still say the same.

" No one goes out and buys a Corvette and gets mad when someone says they are rough riding, have poor visibility, don't get good mileage, and aren't as reliable as a Camry "

This is my exact point; so why does it seem like they are trying to stack them up like this?

Make your comparisons relevant then we can talk. If I told you my right right shoe fits my right foot better than my left shoe fits my right foot you would say "Duh, that's a dumb fucking comparison to make". Same thing.

Casper > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 15:34

They are outlining the negatives of the vehicles and basing them on the standard appliance vehicle standard. Compared to other SUVs, a new Wrangler is a very flawed vehicle in many many ways. They had 7 or 8 categories and rated whatever other vehicles were in the same category based on them and it panned out the worst. The first time I got into my coworkers new Wrangler I thought the same thing I thought when I drove my uncles old Wrangler... this feels cheap and weird. The vehicle is very specific, and feels cheap compared to many SUVs (most are much more expensive so it makes sense). When you are use to driving in a Suburban, Tahoe, etc, and get into a Wrangler thinking of it as an SUV, it's dreadful... but they have to compare it to something. They can't very well say it's a good Wrangler and make it a category of it's own.

I would expect that for a cheap vehicle with a lot of luxuries cut back to fill a specific niche. If you wanted a more favorable review, get one from a magazine that is reviewing it for a use you bought it for.

CAR_IS_MI > PushToStart
03/05/2014 at 15:34

HAHAH I somehow managed to glance over that. IN-FUCKING-CREDIBLE.

It says it right in the vehicles name. Like ordering a meal-for-two, you expect it to feed two people. Why would a car neamed "Smart FOR TWO" be any different?

BrtStlnd > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 15:39

Jeeps are loud in the cabin, have poor handling, difficult access, terrible seats, spartan interiors, crappy fuel economy and are unreliable. This is true. Your argument is that it shouldn't be compared to everything else out there because people should know what they're getting if they buy a Jeep... while that may be true it doesn't negate that these criticisms are accurate.

Jeeps are very good at one thing and really ONLY one thing. They're also very stylish and unique, but you're buying a one-trick pony with a Jeep.

CAR_IS_MI > Casper
03/05/2014 at 15:39

Lets completely move away from the Jeep and look at their other cars. Like a $14,000 car that has poor acceleration, is noisy, and not very comfortable. This car is brand new for less than a large percentage of used vehicles. Are you really expecting it to have lightning fast acceleration, be super quiet, and coddle you in plush seats?

Or how about the Smart ForTwo, which is flawed as having only "two seats"... I mean they couldn't have been any more clear and up front on the fact that it is FOR TWO...

Casper > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 15:43

Why do you assume if a cars labeled slow they automatically expected super fast? There are acceptable levels of acceleration based on vehicle type... and minimums for all vehicles (no one wants to take 10+ seconds to hit 60MPH). This list is some of the crappiest cars made, of course they will have some serious critiques.

As far as having two seats, that is a draw back in the realm of economy cars. People expect sports cars to lack seats, not slow economy cars. Not all cars are excellent simply because they exist and there always have to be worst just as there always have to be best.

The list doesn't look bad to me at all. I haven't driven all those cars, but I of the ones I have, I don't see any I disagree with.

Xander, Proud of BOXER > BrtStlnd
03/05/2014 at 15:43

But that's so logical...

brian1321 > BrtStlnd
03/05/2014 at 15:43

Wranglers suck balls. They're not even the best at what they do, there isn't any justification for how much it costs for what you get and what it does.

BrtStlnd > brian1321
03/05/2014 at 15:44

- says a Jeep owner

PushToStart > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 15:45

Yeah, but then again, if someone is picking a car based off of what CR has to say about it, they probably couldn't figure that one out for themselves either.

I remember I was flipping through one once a while back just to see what it had to say, and it rated the FR-S and the BRZ differently in some areas (that had nothing to do with the cost, maybe it was reliability, can't remember for sure). I just don't understand how a car could be rated worse than itself.

Kate's Dirty Sister > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 15:49

Most people are buying them because they think they're cool, they love how they look, etc.

The truth is that they are terrible daily drivers, and gets terrible fuel economy.

People should know what they're getting into when buying one, and don't count on the sales rep for letting them know. That's what CR is for.

CAR_IS_MI > BrtStlnd
03/05/2014 at 15:55

Mine is actually no louder than the company Prius is when I have my hardtop on with the doors and windows rolled up. Poor handling as compared to what? I have also owned F150s, F350s, Grand Cherokees, and a Chevy 1500, Comparred to all those others (Which all happen to be trucks or SUVs, not sedans or sports cars), the Jeep handles way better. No you cant take a turn at 65mph, it is an suv and will flip the fuck over. Difficult access? HOW? Sure, if you are a 65 year old woman, getting into and out of an SUV or truck would be difficult. I agree. But that rings true for ALL SUVs and trucks. This is because these vehicles have a more specific purpose and can not be low to the ground, not a demerit point... Terrible seats, Okay, I admit, they arent great and could be a little bit better, but no one is going to the Jeep dealership looking for a Wrangler with heated / ventilated / messaging seats wrapped in leather and alcantara. The seats are far from terrible as well. I commute almost 300 miles a week in them and we see plenty of off road in them as well and I have no quarrels with my seats. Spartan interior. Again, if you want a lexus, go buy a Lexus. Given the fact that a LARGE percentage of Jeep owners actually take their Jeeps off road, having a nice trim fit and finish would be counter intuitive. Sorry other 30% of buyers who buy a Jeep just for the cool factor, suck it up or buy something else. But I will give you this one because the soccer mom will get a better interior buying ANYTHING else. Crappy fuel economy.. Again, compared to what? It is a 5000lbs truck shaped like a brick. I have gotten 24MPG highway and average 17 MPG WITH a lift and 35" tires on mine, meaning anyone in full factory form should be able to get just as good if not better. For a truck or SUV, that is not piss poor, that's not even half bad, in fact, its borderline impressive. Unreliable, I will not argue with. While mine has had zero issues, it is a Chrysler product, and I have zero faith in their reliability.

CAR_IS_MI > Casper
03/05/2014 at 16:11

1: it takes well over 10 seconds to go from 0-60 when you are driving normally.

2: The slowest car on this list would have been deemed fast not much over 20 years ago. Its societies obsession with instant gratification that has forced this feeling of 'fast'.

3: Yes these are some crappy cars. They are also mostly entry level cars, not cars you expect to be anything amazing.

4: It's not intelligent to call something a design flaw if it was designed otherwise. Like saying there's not enough hard top on a convertible....

5: I am not saying the list is horrifically wrong and all cars are great in their own way, there are pluses and minuses to everything, but this whole list seems like it is comparing every type of car to one standard.

CAR_IS_MI > Kate's Dirty Sister
03/05/2014 at 16:13

Not true. I dd a lifted Wrangler on 35" tires. I average 17MPG and have gotten up to 24MPG on the highway. For a truck / SUV, thats good. Could it be better if I got a Camry, sure.

brian1321 > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 16:16

I drive a bone stock '06 six speed and get 16-18mpg highway.

Casper > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 16:18

You seem hung up on the fact that because you expect them to be crappy, they shouldn't be considered such. In the realm of cars, this is the low end. It's just how it is. There are a lot of negatives in vehicles down at the bottom of the list... and that's by design. They are designed to be cheap... which was a decision that resulted in taking away some things in favor of cost and function.

They are the worst cars. Period. Unless you can find other cars for sale worse then them new in their respective categories, the list stands as accurate with proper justification of which areas pushed them down there.

Blind Willy > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 16:29

Yeah, I didn't like the review on the FJ either. I still bought one!
7 years ago I didn't like their review of my Ford Ranger. "It drives like a truck"

NO SHIT, that's what it is!

I gave up on their reviews of vehicles this past Oct when I test drove my FJ and fell in love with it.

CAR_IS_MI > brian1321
03/05/2014 at 16:30

Yes, and the 3.8 was 'bad' on gas. This is saying the 14' with the 3.6 is also bad on gas...

Blake Noble > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 16:44

I've driven a 2008 JK Wrangler two-door hardtop. In fact, I almost bought it. Know what? It wasn't really any louder inside than my Charger. If anything, there was slightly less tire noise. I also thought the seats were fine, the driving position was okay, and the visibility was good. Can't see any of that being any worse for the four-door version.

Then again, what do you expect from a group of assholes who tests a damn car the same way they would test a fucking vacuum cleaner? No wonder they're so drunk on Honda Kool-Aid.

Now the TJ — bless it's 4.0 AMC heart — was a loud and noisy little thing inside (but that's also a part of its charm that I wouldn't expect Consumer Re—you-know-whats to understand).

brian1321 > CAR_IS_MI
03/05/2014 at 16:50

Right, its been consistently shitty for almost a decade.

CAR_IS_MI > brian1321
03/05/2014 at 16:56

No doubt, the Wrangler has had terrible MPGs since forever. But the 3.6 improvement was literally the tipping point for me to buy one. Like I said before, I have gotten 24 max on the highway while running a 4" lift and 35" tires (both of which decrease MPGs). My old F150 on 35"s got about 11 MPGs max... I think, for an SUV / truck, the mileage on the new Wrangler is impressive, and I am sure about 90% of truck people would also agree.