Bias Against Domestic Cars
in [Toyota]
|
From: C. E. White on 25 Nov 2009 00:00 "SMS" <scharf.steven(a)geemail.com> wrote in message news:4b0c0ac2$0$1600$742ec2ed(a)news.sonic.net... > Ed Pawlowski wrote: >> "SMS" <scharf.steven(a)geemail.com> wrote in message >>> Because there's never been even the slightest bit of bias shown in >>> Consumer Reports' reviews. These complaints have always been sour >>> grapes. >> >> How about other products? What CR calls a design defect, I've often >> called a good feature. Their expectations differ too much from mine to >> be regarded as meaningful. > > Consumer Reports values safety, reliability, and value. It's true that > there are other aspects of vehicles (and other products) that are often > more important to buyers than those three characteristics. I'd have never > bought several of the vehicles that I've purchased if I went mainly by > safety, reliability, and value. But that doesn't mean that Consumer > Reports is biased. Sure they are, you even said so, just in different words - "Consumer Reports values safety, reliability, and value." > The most amusing claims of bias are when people get upset about their > surveys which ask owners of the product to rate the product that they've > purchased. Whether it's vehicles or wireless service, there's no reason to > believe that the owner or user of one product or service is more or less > likely to lie about their experience with the product or service than the > owner of a different product or service. I am not saying that anyone is lying about there responses. I am arguing that the sample group is not statistically sounds and that it is likely that the people who respond to the surveys are likely to parrot the CR opinons. This is not lying, it is human nature at work. Ed
From: C. E. White on 25 Nov 2009 00:02 "SMS" <scharf.steven(a)geemail.com> wrote in message news:4b0cb131$0$1644$742ec2ed(a)news.sonic.net... > Derek Gee wrote: > >> Sure there's been bias. I've seen it with autos and I've seen with >> computer reviews from many years ago. I've written to them about it, and >> I know they've received many subscription cancellations due to their >> abuse of the Big Three. > > LOL, sure you do. > > Even when there are two very similar vehicles with different nameplates, > there are valid reasons for differences in the results of the CR surveys > of owners. Of course there are reasons, one is that the survey is faulty, another is that the CR survey is basically an opinion poll, not a data collection exercise. Ed
From: Canuck57 on 25 Nov 2009 08:18 Ed Pawlowski wrote: > "Mike Hunter" <Mikehunt2(a)lycos,com> wrote in message > news:4b09c67c$0$22020$ce5e7886(a)news-radius.ptd.net... >> You should have know better than to buy an import ;) >> >> > > Right, the Buick was imported from Canada LMAO. I bought one too in 2001, and sold it in 2004. Last GM I will ever buy. Had transmission issues early on, many bandaid type repairs, eventually told them to put a new one in as we are getting close to lemon law - hint - hint. After being jacked around, I vowed it was my last GM.
From: hls on 25 Nov 2009 08:51 "C. E. White" <cewhite3remove(a)mindspring.com> wrote in message news:FIedna90p7riJ5HWnZ2dnUVZ_sednZ2d(a)earthlink.com... > > "SMS" <scharf.steven(a)geemail.com> wrote in message > news:4b0cb131$0$1644$742ec2ed(a)news.sonic.net... >> Derek Gee wrote: >> >>> Sure there's been bias. I've seen it with autos and I've seen with >>> computer reviews from many years ago. I've written to them about it, >>> and I know they've received many subscription cancellations due to their >>> abuse of the Big Three. >> >> LOL, sure you do. >> >> Even when there are two very similar vehicles with different nameplates, >> there are valid reasons for differences in the results of the CR surveys >> of owners. > > Of course there are reasons, one is that the survey is faulty, another is > that the CR survey is basically an opinion poll, not a data collection > exercise. > > Ed Might it also be that these types of vehicles, although similar, are not identical, and that they might actually be viewed differently by the buyer? Dealership handling of problems and warranty issues can certainly have a major impact on the degree of satisfaction one might have with the unit.
From: SMS on 25 Nov 2009 11:02
C. E. White wrote: > Sure they are, you even said so, just in different words - "Consumer > Reports values safety, reliability, and value." No, they're not biased because they evaluate all of the vehicles to the same set of standards. > I am not saying that anyone is lying about there responses. I am arguing > that the sample group is not statistically sounds and that it is likely > that the people who respond to the surveys are likely to parrot the CR > opinons. This is not lying, it is human nature at work. The sample size is very large. The questions on the surveys are very specific, asking about problems that the owner has had with the vehicle. They aren't general touchy-feely questions where the owner has the opportunity to parrot CR's evaluations and recommendations. The surveys about reliability and the articles evaluating the products are two very different animals. |