More Consumer Reports rants

Not even close to how CR munches numbers. Please do not make shiit up. If it is not an error, I suspect the most likely answer is that compared to other 2013 cars one area had statistically significant relatively high repairs.

OP: Look for the details in the problem area for a clue.

Disclaimer: I recently canceled my CR subscription of many years in part out of protest of how their influence is used, but mostly because CR simply does not reflect anything close to my buying preferences and priorities anymore, so the bias is annoying.

 

Yes, beware of a Tesla offered at charity auction.

George Clooney Disliked His 2008 Tesla (TSLA) Roadster So Much He Dumped It Off At A Charity Auction

 

Ok, lets say you're correct.... only 2 PIP owners responded to the CR survey- and one of them had transmission trouble.. how would CR rate the transmission?

 

IIRC their methodology correctly, an average score would be given.

Don't take my word on it though, CR publishes details of how it crunches numbers.

 

Isn't that pretty much what I said- "the car would get a 50% rating"? Or more specifically, the transmission would get a 50% or "average" rating?

 

No, that would be absurd. We may not agree here with all of CR's testing methods, but as SageBrush said, it's easy enough to find how their reliability statistics work:

"How many samples do you have of each model?
While we do not publish information on individual sample sizes for specific models, we require a minimum of around 100 cars to publish reliability information for a model in a given model year. Our sample sizes tend to track quite closely with market sales. Individual sample sizes vary from year to year and range from a hundred to several thousand for the more popular models. A typical model has about 200 to 400 samples for each model year and engine variant."

Car Reliability FAQ | Answers to Reliability Questions - Consumer Reports

 

While their methodology is valid and reliable statistically, their results still contain bias. Returning surveys takes a certain level of commitment. Unless you're heavily Pro or Con on the topic, there's plenty of research out there on randomly selected individuals who return surveys.

 

NO NO NO.

An average rating does NOT mean 50% trouble rate, it means the trouble rate of said car is in the average range* of all the models on the road of same manufacturer year. It really behooves you to learn some elementary statistics and then read how CR crunches numbers.

* Again, IIRC, CR uses +/- 20% wide intervals. So for example (AND NOTE THAT THIS IS REPAIR RATE), if the average repair rate for all models is Y, then

0.8Y - 1.2Y receives an average mark;
0.6Y - 0.79Y above average
0.4Y - 0.59Y excellent

 

Interesting... the Tesla Model S has the same low reliability rating for '13, the dreaded half-black circle. Yet its their Top Pic for '14. And both the Tesla and the Prius Plug-in have the same top reliability rating for '12. Funny how the reliability went so bad from one year to the next especially when we know the PiP '13 is the same car as the '12.

Then there's the non-reliability comment about dropping out of EV when they drive it like a hot rod. I suspect there are no 200 to 400 samples backing that.

 

Bias by itself is not a problem for the kind of results CR is looking for. It just causes a shift. Biased bias is a problem. By that I mean that an individual reports differently based on the nameplate. Some evidence of that has been found by looking at car twins like the Toyota Corolla and Chevy Prizm but not much. And IIRC when it is found, it is in non-critical area like rattles.

 

I have a theory about the 2013 bad ratings. In 2012 the PIP (and Tesla) were being bought almost exclusively by PHEV and EV enthusiasts, including Prius owners who wanted more EV capabilities, and Tesla buyers who had previously owned other EVs. BY 2013, though, more typical consumers were buying them, and not entirely understanding them. It's easy to have your PIP fail to charge as expected because you set the timer wrong, or to trip a breaker repeatedly because you have the circuit overloaded. And just think of the typical driver putting a PIP in EV mode and then mashing the gas pedal, only to have it 'inexplicably' drop out of EV mode. Maybe it was non-defect-related consumer complaints (ones that they thought were defects but were actually owner error or misunderstanding) that resulted in the poor ratings for that year.

 

Or lack of public charger infrastructure, or delays in the promised supercharger build-out, or "range anxiety"... any sort of failure to meet expectations (realistic or otherwise) or buyer's remorse. But that's where the implementation of EV technology stands.

 

Deleted.

 

just shows how cr is superficial in their testing and fools some of the public some of the time.

 

22 Feb 2014

That is exactly my take on this as well.
Just as 99.9999% of our lives are not as they used to be, at least in my guesstimation.
food for thought: What is the bottom line? And where does it rank in the current business model, generally?
If your answer to those questions is anythingk even remotely close to mine, understanding CR becomes much easier to digest.

 

I don't think all states give a tax credit, and it varies, plus if you're one of the 49% that pay no federal tax you won't get it, and you have to wait to the next year to get your money after you file the previous year's taxes. Expect to pay full MSRP if the vehicle comes with an HOV sticker.

You should really research if the PIP is better for you than the regular Prius. High power costs, lack of a spare tire, smaller gas tank, and higher cost than a Prius 2 even with the tax credits are some possible negatives.

 

I cancelled my CR subscription this year, but I still think their data is excellent.
Reviews are subjective and mirror the priorities of the journalist, the magazine, and the money.

 

that's true, but telling people to buy the standard hybrid because the pip doesn't provide substantially better mileage and costs substantially more, doesn't tell the whole story. as mike dee states above, it depends on your state, toyota incentives, and your income level.

 

there's not a lot of research required when you see how far the prices have fallen - in part due to Toyota incentives
No one is paying full MSRP or even close - a CA buyer just reported a net price of $21k. That's under the Prius 2, 3 or whatever.
Check Diane's deals with sticker... and the 5yr 0% deal conservatively knocks another $2k off

Its a little hard to imagine someone buying a car for over 20k yet paying almost no taxes over the year - remember its not your tax bill when you file - its if you'll have paid $2500 total. A quick analysis shows if you made 25-30k then you'll qualify for the fed tax deal.

I agree only on the tire which could be an inconvenience