UPDATE - Consumer Reports Expedition towing

[Guest]

Ok guys,

Remember the lengthy discussion we fell into about the X vs. the Tahoe and Sequoia in CR magazine... pulling 6200 lbs for 1/4 and all that stuff?

I knew something hadda be up with that Sequoia out towing the X. The Seq has a 240 Hp motor the generates 315 ft lbs fo T. The X is 260 Hp and 360 ft-lbs. So how did the Seq out tow the X?

I wrote Consumer Reports a nasty letter and said they were imcompentent boobs (paraphrased) for not including final drive ratios on these trucks....especially considering they putting them through tow tests.

CR actually wrote back and thanked me for providing "valuable feedback"....shock...shock....

They also coughed up the data. The X had a 3.73. We all knew that. I think that's all the 5.4 comes in. But the Sequoia had a 4.1:1 final drive ratio. This would've helped it immensely in the 0-60 tow test. No doubt if the Seq had a 3.73 it would've been toast in the tow test 0-60 mph.

My attitude toward CR has risen one notch. Well.....maybe 1/2 a notch.

Cody

FYI the Tahoe had a 3.73 and the Pilot had a 4.43 final drive ratio.

 

[Guest]

I still don't put much weigh on what cr says. I have used them in the past for used car reports and they have been dead wrong every time. My parents quit subscribing to it years ago because the tests seemed biased.

 

[Guest]

Oh I don't put much stock in what they say either. I am just shocked they replied to my letter and actually gave me the info I was looking for. I seriously figure my letter would be promptly placed in file 13.

Cody

 

[Guest]

I was surprised as well. I doubt it will do much good as they will continue to leave certain facts out of articles.

 

[mm7759]

Once I heard that CR rated the old RX7's from the 70's/80's really highly....then finding out that those particular years Mazda "coincidently" happened to be the biggest contributor in advertising dollars.....really made CR lose all it's credibility to me.

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by mm7759
Once I heard that CR rated the old RX7's from the 70's/80's really highly....then finding out that those particular years Mazda "coincidently" happened to be the biggest contributor in advertising dollars.....really made CR lose all it's credibility to me.

I'm not a big CR fan but there isn't any advertising in their magazine.
You may be thinking of Consumers Digest not Consumer reports.

 

[Guest]

Consumer Reports vs Consumer's Digest

Consumer Reports has a very solid reputation.. It is a non-profit organization which funds itself through its subscription.
It takes ZERO advertising dollars so it maintains it's independence. The data it uses to rate the reliability of cars is from actual owners' surveys.
I have found them to be very accurate over the past 20 years.

Consumer's Digest is a magazine with merely a similar name. It has advertising paid for by auto manufacturers. There is a inherent conflict of interest.

2 different organizations with absolutely zero in common.
I trust Consumer Reports... I never bother with Consumer's Digest.