So, CR surveys a select group, that is more likely than the general population to agree with there opinions, they don't provide data on the number of vehicles of a particular type surveyed, or the even what average means, Nor does J.D. Power state exactly how much input it had for each model. Plus, for dependability J.D. Power looks only at three-year old cars, by all indications from a sample arguably as self-selected as CR's. JD Powers starts out with a random sample. CR starts out with their subscribers. Ed

A large but biased sample is not going to give better results. You have proved no more bias in CR than in J.D. Power, either in its questions or in the group it samples. CR's million owners surveyed per year over ten years trumps J.D. Power's hogwash 3-year-old vehicle survey of some 57,000 owners.

I've never had much respect for the CR survey results. I've answered them for years, but think doing so is largely a waste of times. The survey is far from random and they collect too little information to make the broad pronouncements given in the magazines. The little circles they display in the magazine are also misleading. They over emphasize the difference between vehicles. Many ears ago I gave up or CR as a reliable source of information. My personal experience was far different than theirs in many cases and what they perceived as a problem, I'd perceive as a feature.

Jeff Strickland < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it wrote Any survey is dependent upon the sheer number of participants/respondants, and the more there are the greater the accuracy of the data. With any survey, if one throws out the top and bottom extremes of the response curve, the result should be relatively level and a reasonably accurate indicator of the overall feeling of the sample group. ? The extremes cancel each other out and should not affect the average in any significant way, assuming the sample size is large enough. I don't think that JD Powers and Consumer Reports will attract significantly different samples. Sample size per year-model seems about the same for the IQS and CR surveys. Power is not as forthcoming, IMO, about sample size per vehicle. _link_s at http://www.jdpower.com/autos/car-ratings/ , says Power used input from 97,000 car owners for the IQS. The input covers I guess over 100 different models. (I am too lazy to count them all up.) So there's input of maybe around 1000 owners for each model. J.D. Power's 2007 dependability ratings (for three year old cars, asking about problems in the last 12 months) use input from a paltry 53,000 car owners. CR uses input from 1 million owners, covering 1100 model-years for the past decade. So CR is using the input of about 1000 owners per model-year. So I'd guesstimate that CR's input is of higher statistical significance for any given model-year. Take a few years running where the model design is known not to have changed a lot, and CR is of much higher statistical significance. Which hints at a big CR strength; presentation of the data.  With CR you can quickly see the entire history of each system in each model. You can quickly spot the year they fixed the transmission or whether manufacturer X has problems with the first model year of a new design.

So, CR surveys a select group, that is more likely than the general population to agree with there opinions, they don't provide data on the number of vehicles of a particular type surveyed, or the even what average means, yet you think they are highly accurate..... The opinions are irrelevant.  The question is, did you have to repair the transmission last year, yes or no?  If the survey is inaccurate, it has produced some uncanny results.  For example:  Honda, of course, has a stellar repair record - traditionally neck and neck with Toyota for best in the world.  Yet one year, CR reported that one feature on one Honda model had the worst repair record in the survey.  That would seem to indicate that the survey respondents weren't influenced by preconceived opinions.

and at least they start out with a random sample. I suppose you should stay away from any vehicle with solid black circles, but how many fall into that category? None if you are dealing with Toyota or Honda.  If you look at GM, Chrysler, Mercedes, Kia, Nissan, Ford and VW, there is a wide selection of models to choose from.