http://www.metacafe.com/watch/298629/suzuki_vs_consumer_reports/
it's about 15 min, but it goes in depth on how they royally screwed over the Suzuki samari to sell magizenes......

So, I refuse to buy their magizenes ever, and refuse to listen to any of their "findings"

I wonder who paid them...
~Nate

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95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)

Doesn't surprise me. Aren't these the guys that knock Mercedes because of brake dust on the front wheels? WTF?

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I've heard lots of stories of those guys rigging their "tests" to show a negative result towards a brand/product. They did it with Suzuki and they've done it elsewhere. Since their reviews are all locked behind a subscription, I've never been interested.

Good/impartial reviews of products should be freely available.

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-justin

1987 300TD, 1987 300TD
2008 R32, 2000 Passat Wagon

Why? Why is anything to be free? Nothing is life is free

What are the cliff notes of the video?

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

My ex sister in law rolled hers. She and her passenger got out fine - they weren't moving very fast and had their belts on.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

I'd never pay for a movie review.

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-justin

1987 300TD, 1987 300TD
2008 R32, 2000 Passat Wagon

i have always rejected their ideas on cars.

they report in their own way. benzes have always suffered at their hands. i think their methods don't consider the correct things. they say that benzes are not particularly safe, iirc, which is hooey.

the samaris are obviously not very safe....anyone can tell by looking at them. but then so are many four wheel drives, vans and pickups.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

cliffs= consumer reports rigged the tests to get the samari on two wheels. It did NOT flip, and they had to change a 15 year old test to do so. They then said it didnt require alot of effort, when the video clearly showes a stunt driver trying hard to get it on two wheels.

Buckwheat, how old was that truck at the time? Sounds pretty rough if it broke the frame in a very minor collision... They were like 8k new, so they werent designed to last forever...


I'd get one in a heart beat... Cheaper then a 4 wheeller, and (usually) the heat and radio still work.
They're tough little trucks, and can go wherever needed. Larger payload capacity then a 4 wheeler, cheaper, and did I mention heat?


but yeah, consumer reports sucks...
~Nate

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95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)

Not to defend CU, but the magazine is "free" when you join the Consumers Union.

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99 ML320
94 SL600
92 SL500
95 E320 Cabriolet
87 560SEC
86 300SDL Grease Car
80 380SLC Euro

13 Fiat Abarth
02 Maserati Spyder Cambiocorsa
00 BMW Z3
90 Rolls Royce Silver Spur
80 Ferrari 308 GTSI
88 Jaguar XJS12 H&E Edition
99 Land Rover Discovery

Transport Canada is calling into question the results of Consumer Reports latest testing of Child Safety Seats.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/childsafety/notices/TP14563C/2007c02/menu.htm

In the US, the NHTSA comments on Consumer Reports withdrawing its Infant Seat test.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

This car seat thing has been a fiasco for Consumer Reports and certainly undermines their credibility.

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ARVY

1999 E430
1999 C230 Kompressor
1992 300E (write-off)
1984 190D 2.2 (sold)

Its hard to say which came first in this case. Many SUV's and "Jeep" type vehicles will roll under certain circumstances. Its just physics. I'm not sure a car needs to be absolutely "roll-proof" to be safe to market to the public. In this instance, there is obviouosly a buzz over the rollability of the Samarai, and undoubtedly some actual roll-overs resulting in injury or death. Put the two together and sprinkle it with some effective trial lawyers and you have a very lucrative bit of business.

The video actually makes me a little sick. Its too bad. I for one always loved the Samarai, as well as the Isuzu Amigo. I never had one of either, but I liked the idea of a cheap fun off road capable car that wasn't necessarily a hummer but was a bit above a toy. The old Mitsubishi Montero 2-door was the same way. A friend had a Samarai in college, a real fun car to cruise around in, very reliable. I don't know about the wheel hop or anything else, I neber noticed anything like that.

Bottom line, I don't think CU/CR served anyone a duty by slandering the car. I hope they got a nice settlement.judgment out of them.

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1984 300D turbo, 250K
1971 MGBGT, 101K
2007 VW Jetta, 4K

Reminds me of our government - the bigger it gets, the more errors it makes. Except that in this case, CU still has some credibility left.

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It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D

This is not safe..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPpU5azjCB8


My dad had one of those stupid looking trucks.. It was kinda cool.

The vid nate put up loads in the left corner of my screen. It is reallly annoying.

I've always found CU to be a valuable resource. I understand that people feel that they disparage Mercedes, but they called a 300e they reviewed in the late 80s the best car they had tested. IIRC they did go on to dampen the praise by saying that it wasn't by a huge margin over the previous champ, which I think was a Toyota Cressida.

I understand that CU takes political positions on things like the environment and health care reform that not all agree with (I certainly don't). Their tests can sometimes be questioned - they clearly blew it on the car seat debacle, and the Samurai criticism ( a good part of it justified) has been around forever. But, if you read the reviews, they usually explain their test methodologies, and give a lot of information that you otherwise wouldn't have.

I can't think of an occasion when I've bought something they rated highly that I felt burned about getting. I also have often bought lower rated products that I felt would be fine for my purposes. Usually, they work out too.

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Tjohn

82 300 SD
77 450 SL (gone)

I would hate to see what they say about the SLR's brakes that tend to catch fire after agressive braking