Consumer Reports Kicks Toyota in teeth

It's almost like they're stringing random words together to make sentences.

 

you can buy a Ram 4x4 quad cab V-6 for the low 30's

if you but a leftover year model and buy a Ram Tradesman model, you can probably buy below $30K

comparing MSRP on a Ram,GM or Ford half ton to your cost on a Tacoma.........means nothing

 

In general I am a CR fan. I subscribe, and generally find the products they rate highly, to deserve those ratings. For example, I just bought a CR recommended point and shoot camera, and am very pleased.

That being said, they have objective, measurable, benchmarks.... and they have subjective opinions. WRT the Taco, objective benchmarks relate to reliability, mpg, stopping distances, towing capacity, 0-60 times, time through their cone course, hydroplaning, etc. Subjective measures might relate to certain qualities of a ride, seat 'comfort', driving position, whether or not the high floor is a positive, or a negative, interior design esthetics. etc.

I'm 6'3", and my wife is 5'4". We both feel our 2015 Taco is more comfy for long-ish trips than our Subie Outback.

I am not convinced, however, that I love the Bridgestone Rugged Trails, that come with my Taco, so I have been looking at CR's tire ratings. They like the Mich LTX MS/2's, that I've noted are also highly rated here within this forum. I may buy a set.

I think one has to use CR for what they excel at... objective measurements, but temper their recommendations where they stray into subjectivity. Some of their complaints wrt the Taco are simply not all that important to me, or I have not agreed with them, in my subjective experience.

 

CR can be helpful when shopping for electronics and appliances, but their car reviews are pretty worthless.

 

I think Consumer Reports can be a very valuable resource when shopping for a car. I have subscribed to them for many years and always check what they says before buying a car.

That said you need to realize who is writing their articles and the agenda that they have. For consumers reports I assume that the magazine is written by leftist tree huggers.

What they said about our trucks is mostly true but that doesn't make our trucks bad or not the right vehicles for us. Their review may help people who shouldn't be driving one from buying one.

My wife drives a Wrangler and Consumers Reports couldn't think less of them. The things they say about it are mostly correct, but my wife loves her Jeep. She's happy so I'm happy. But Wrangles, despite their popularity are not for everyone and Consumers Reports tell people this like they do for our trucks.

 

CR treats everything as an appliance. Their reviews are valuable for things like refrigerators, washing machines and TVs.... Not so much for vehicles. I'll stick with Motor Trend, Car and Driver, etc. for vehicle reviews.

 

Consumer Reports didn't kick Toyota in the teeth. Consumer Reports just published their test results. At least the Tacoma scored higher than the Smart Car

 

How do you explain the favorable reviews that Mazda almost universally gets from the various publications? They certainly can't spend like the big boys.

 

the Tacoma is the best truck choice out there /thread

 

Hahaha, haha, ha, oh, you're serious?

Tyler

 

I agree on your points. And CR dumps on all of the intermediates. CR compares the Tacoma to ALL trucks and cars as far as ride and handling. That's fair. They all use the same highway. They point out always that it is one heck of a work truck and tough as nails. They just can't recomend it vs a Ridgeline. You and I buy the tacoma for reasons other then owning Ridgeline. That does not make CR wrong. They are a great source for car buying info compared to mags that accept advertising. Drum brakes...who cares.

 

Who cares about drum brakes? People who tow do, that's why in tests the 2015 Colorado is considerably better at stopping and handling a load down hill. But who cares about that braking down hill stuff, if it aint broke dont fix it right?

 

Been buying Toyota products since 1969. Never had a lemon, all service concerns always fixed right the first time. Subscribed to CR many years but take their ratings with a grain of salt. Buy their online version but get tired of their asking for donations. Their highly rated Ridgeline is ok, but I wouldn't be caught dead in one. Sales numbers indicate quality and popularity. Tacoma wins it's category. Ford won't go head to head with the Taco, Chevy/GMC are going to suffer concussions from the Taco.

 

If you want to see how CR has repeatedly kicked Toyota in the teeth since their previous editor retired, it's not hard to find. Examples... in one issue, the Corolla was omitted entirely from the small cars reliability list, as if they never sell. The Tundra, which a year or so ago was rated highest in the full-size truck category, is now last. Yes, they automatically gave the Nissan Titan something like 10-15 score points (without the upcoming redesign!!!) to make it list higher than the Tundra. Then they do silly things like give the Impala a score of 99/100 (equivalent to the Tesla sedan, really?!) to make it impossible for something like a Camry or Avalon to come close.

Yeah, they lost a subscriber

However, I agree with their summary of the Tacoma. These trucks never have had the best steering or held a line as well as most other vehicles can. The tech is old school... my five speed shifts like a Jeep because it's nearly the exact same transmission they started using in 1990, and that was evolved from Toyota five speeds that came out years and years before that. They refuse to change the rusting and seizing steering shaft u-joint design. Heck even my sister who drove a Wrangler at the time asked why the ride was so rough in my Taco. Actually most everyone I know who drives a truck asks me why theirs feel like a car after riding in mine. The only guy with a worse ride had a 1992 chevy K1500 that he'd put a massive leaf pack set on the back (that was incredibly stiff... watched him put over 3000 pounds of steel in the bed and it was just barely below level!). Oddly enough my 2007 sucks up bumps better than my 2009 ever did, too, so it's not just this one.

Rant over, everyone who's driven one knows all that anyways

 

Consumer Reports is rarely wrong in their assessment of features. The problem is they place a premium on things the consumer doesn't care about while discarding things the consumer does care about. If I buy a midsize truck, I'm not towing, I'm hauling light stuff (under 800lbs), camping out of the back, and offroading. That's the prototypical consumer of a midsize truck. You have to step high to get in? That's...not a mark against it. That's a feature for what the consumer intends to use it for, e.g. not having sh#$ hanging down killing your clearance. The writers use their subaru wagon to get granola and tofu from their vegan, free-range, fair-trade boutique grocery store and then try to imagine the vehicle they're testing in that context. No, the Tacoma is not the best car for that.

 

You nailed it here. They're objective, but routinely focus on the wrong objectives. If you're looking at a compact or midsize sedan, and view cars as appliances, merely to get from point a to point b, CR is a good source. For everyone else, not so much.

 

I'll have to disagree....the Tacoma is far better to run to Whole Foods, sits a little higher than the Suby for better yoga pant viewing while cruising the parking lot.

 

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At least they like the composite bed!
But look, the 2nd Gen Tacoma has been in the market a relatively long time, it's a 10yr old truck design. We all know it's reliable nonetheless. I use it as a commuter/work truck, and like the way it handles. The only complaint I have, is it is noisy inside the cabin, and poor gas mileage. But it's a truck. The 3rd gen will address those head on. For now, I love my truck as is. Consumer Report should stick with reviewing Cameras and TVs, because their verbiage and critique is identical to those reviews.

 

Truck means truck, a real truck will have compromises, it actually needs a stiffer ride because the stock soft suspension sucks, High floor and low roof sucks until you go off road and you have 17" of clearance compared to the suv's 9" and you can still drive under fallen trees, the brakes are weak but that's so you can fit off road wheels, the other statement are just nonsense, my handling is great and now it's even better...

When I first got my truck I thought some of those things, but when I started modifying my truck I was so glad Toyota didn't make it a street truck. It's amazing how good this truck is with just a new suspension lift and some 32"...

It is time for an update not sold on the 2016 yet, seams like a good refresh but nothing really new here.. Toyota will start making changes with all the trucks coming into the market. I think they will make some good changes over the next few years and the 2016 is a good start...