Consumer Reports Prefer BS over Bronco

[Mighty Mouse]

I've used Consumer Reports for all my major buys and it has a great track record in my eyes. The junker stuff I've bought in the past when I didn't check with them till after has provided some validation.

Before I placed my BS order, I did a lot of research. Looked at jeeps, Toyotas, land rovers, etc. Totally forgot about the previous bronco I had years ago. Then I saw a new one and started digging.

If you want the best, Toyotas are the way to go, but they come with a price. I already have a Tacoma so I wanted something different.

Cant wait to get my Badlands.

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[DMEARC]

I quit reading anything from them years ago. They seemed to be biased towards advertisers/influencers more so than actually providing honest reviews.

I thought Consumer Reports didn’t have ads for exactly this reason. Did they start selling ad space recently?

 

[SC21]

I don't know, I may be an outlier here, but I imagine CR reviewers whine a lot and run to the emergency room if they get a blister by accident.
But then again, I'm kind of an a$$hole at times

 

[Michigunman]

I thought Consumer Reports didn’t have ads for exactly this reason. Did they start selling ad space recently?

No idea. Like I said I quit reading their stuff (20 ish) years ago when they were a magazine. Maybe they have changed.

 

[Osco]

Care to add to this? I get that some of the ratings they post are subjective, but stuff like reliability and cost of ownership is based on data.

A slightly adjusted parameter that favored a particular design here and a omission of a spec there.
Maybe overlooking a problem area or design flaw.
Judging stopping distance with different tires and or different tire pressures.
I dunno Mark,
There Is so many discrepancies just like Consumer Reports.
I’d lean towards Accurate some times or most times but if the biggest contributor calls and says “I need this or that on Top”
Followed by “Make mine the winner or I’ll pull your plug”
You gotta at least admit the others could be right.

 

[Mark S.]

You gotta at least admit the others could be right.

Sure, anything is possible! CR is a non-profit, which means it's precluded from accepting advertising from manufacturers it rates. I would think it would be news indeed of it were cheating on that. Does anyone have a link to a report?

 

[The Shark]

Owning both it's like comparing apples and oranges, the Bronco is a truck and the BS is a SUV.

 

[DMEARC]

No idea. Like I said I quit reading their stuff (20 ish) years ago when they were a magazine. Maybe they have changed.

I see. Well, I’ve looked at one recently and there were no ads, and they claim to not take money from any company in order to remain unbiased.

 

[Tom 5778]

I thought Consumer Reports didn’t have ads for exactly this reason. Did they start selling ad space recently?

They don’t take ads and they buy everything they test. That means they don’t get the cars they test from the manufacture’s marketing department. They buy them anonymously off the lot of random dealers. That said I have had a fair amount of success buying based on their customer’s reviews that are often at odds with the official CR reviews. At least for household appliances and yard equipment. They have their biases and you have to allow for them.

 

[SilverVVolf]

Thanks. Or basically it’s a summary as to why I chose the BS over the full size. Lol. Actually it’d be interesting to see them do off road evaluation & testing, but that’s probably better left to other publications.

Numerous YouTube videos out there on how the BS performs quite well on some of the most revered trails. It's quite capable.

 

[sajohnson]

CR is not the last word on anything (who is) but they are about as objective as any source out there.

Their primary weak points are:

* They cannot possibly test *every* tire/TV/fridge/car on the market. There are too many products and mfrs change model numbers frequently.

* They cannot do real-time durability testing, for obvious reasons. By the time the testing was finished the product would likely no longer be available. For tire wear, they extrapolate from ~10,000 miles of actual use.

* They are geared toward the average consumer, not experts or serious amateurs. A cyclist who competes in the Tour de France is not going to look to CR for advice on which sprockets to use.

That said, they generally do a good job of testing/reviewing products. They often think of issues that most people would not consider.

Their employees in the auto division are 'car guys'; mechanical engineers; and professional racers.

One great feature of CR is all of the data they collect in one place, and the side-by-side comparisons.

Scratch a CR critic and you will often find someone who is upset because CR gave their favorite toy a poor rating. Conversely, many people think CR is wonderful if they rated their car (etc.) highly -- which of course is equally wrong.

The car 'magazines' have better prose, but they are clearly biased. The new model is always better than that POS they said was great just a few months ago. They rarely trash a car. You have to read between the lines. In comparisons they are usually all very close -- "They're all beautiful, but only one can win..."

CR is definitely not the only source of information, but they are a good place to start.

For example, if you're looking at cameras or smartphones, you might go to CR first to compare features and narrow down your choices, and then go to an 'enthusiast' site like DPReview.

 

[tRex]

Numerous YouTube videos out there on how the BS performs quite well on some of the most revered trails. It's quite capable.

Some of the BS strengths are its shorter wheelbase and approach/departure angles, and overall smaller size. Some of its weaknesses are, the approach/departure/breakover angles and ground clearance could be better, and maybe it could have been a slightly bigger vehicle overall. The drive system and the right tires, and the way it's all "packaged" for its smaller size make it work though. But its ground clearance is the one most difficult thing to get past and make it really competitive off-road. The lifts practical for this little 4W independent suspension unibody are not enough. BUT...but...what's "competitive?" I'm not looking to beat mine up on the rocks -- rocky, dirty, muddy, sandy, snowy trails sure -- but I'm not looking to blaze my own. Any why, when 99% of the time you can just *go around*. But rock crawling, rallying etc. -- enjoy it if it's your thing, I'm more for just getting "out there," not broken down/high-centered on a rock out in the middle of nowhere! ;-) And, ***as my daily driver*** it's also perfect as a single all-around little SUV.

 

[thekingprawn]

But rock crawling, rallying etc. -- enjoy it if it's your thing, I'm more for just getting "out there," not broken down/high-centered on a rock out in the middle of nowhere! ;-) And, ***as my daily driver*** it's also perfect as a single all-around little SUV.

Well said. This thing will get you to any adventure you're likely to go on (within reason) and not beat you to death every day going to work so you can afford some adventuring.

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