Consumer Reports trash talks Toyota, Honda

Consumer Reports trash talks Toyota, Honda

The Honda Civic has been a perennial best-seller for Honda but has probably taken more fire from CR than any other model the maker has introduced in years.

By Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau

If the well-regarded Consumer Reports has taken some criticism, over the years, it’s for being too import friendly, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell from the non-profit publication’s latest issue – where it takes the Toyota Prius C and Honda Civic to task as two of “Five Popular Cars to Avoid.”
That could be bad news for the two makers as CR does, indeed carry significant weight among more affluent, import-oriented buyers. The Civic is a critical model in the Honda line-up but has already taken sharp criticism since its 2011 redesign, while the Prius C is the newest member of Toyota’s expanded hybrid family.

 

“Just because a car generates a lot of buzz or is a best seller doesn’t mean that it’s a good choice for you,” warns the magazine.
Chrysler to Offer “Hot Spot on Wheels”
The two Japanese makers aren’t the only ones coming under fire in the September 2012 issue of Consumer Reports, however. The magazine also targets three domestic models:

• The popular Ford Edge crossover;
• The Jeep Liberty sport-utility vehicle; and
• The Dodge Grand Caravan minivan.

The magazine notes that all five of the models “may be on a lot of buyers’ shopping lists, but we suggest you steer clear.” The reason? Either reliability problems or poor tests in CR testing – or both.