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Consumer Reports vs. Edmunds.com

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by usbseawolf2000, Mar 7, 2009.

  1. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Consumer Reports recently named the 2009 Toyota Prius as "the best new-car value" among the 300 vehicles evaluated by the magazine's staff.

    Edmunds.com, the online car shopping and data site, begs to differ.

    "The Prius is a lot of cool things, but 'value' is not something that pops into mind," Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl said in an interview. "If you're buying a Prius to save money, you're going to be in for a shock."

    Although there are differences in the two outfits' ownership-cost calculations -- for example, Edmunds.com's estimate of the annual cost to insure a Prius is almost double CR's -- that's not the main reason their rankings vary so much.

    In addition to ownership costs, Consumer Reports factors in the results of its customer surveys and its own vehicle road tests. This information is combined with the cost data to arrive at a final score -- which is then used to rank vehicles by "best value" as opposed to "cost of ownership."

    "There's more to good value than just low cost," says Jake Fisher, a Consumer Reports vehicle tester.

    The No. 2 car in Edmunds' "small sedan" rankings is the Chevy Aveo, "a car that did horribly in our testing," Fisher says. "It was slow, it wasn't very fuel efficient for its class, and its emergency handling was not very good.

    "To suggest that people should look at a Chevy Aveo just because it's cheaper to own doesn't really help consumers out much."

    Edmunds.com vs. Consumer Reports | Up to Speed | Los Angeles Times

    I have almost 90k miles on my Prius and I have not seen the cost shock that Edmunds suggesting. The most expensive maintenance item I had is changing tires.
     
    #1 usbseawolf2000, Mar 7, 2009
  2. filiberti

    filiberti Junior Member

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    I'm very happy with the cost to maintain a Prius that's why I'm on my 3rd Prius , 09 Touring. And as far as insurance yes I am 50 now but my insurance , state farm in NY is $600 /year - not bad for a new car . And I also agree with CR that the Touring is a much better handling car than the base, that's why I opted to go for a 09 Touring instead of waiting for a 2010, plus dealers had local stock available too .
     
    #2 filiberti, Mar 7, 2009
  3. tableround

    tableround New Member

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    My '05 Prius is cheaper to insure with State Farm than my Cavalier, and the Chevy Cavalier was liability only. The Prius has full coverage and costs $72/year less.
     
    #3 tableround, Mar 7, 2009
  4. bac

    bac Active Member

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    Consumer Reports + No Advertising = No Vested Interest

    Edmunds + MUCH Advertising = HUGE Vested interest

    Any way you do the math, you'll come up with the same answer. :)

    ... Brad
     
    #4 bac, Mar 9, 2009
  5. peterbright

    peterbright New Member

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    amen
     
    #5 peterbright, Mar 9, 2009
  6. calpal

    calpal New Member

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    Is it possible that the car companies has "got" to Edmunds? (You know,MONEY, or THREATS)? Why then all the nasty stuff on the excellent Prius?
     
    #6 calpal, Mar 10, 2009
  7. djasonw

    djasonw Active Member

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    Years ago Edmunds was much better than it is now. It's ALL about the advertising and as calpal put it, YES the advertisers may have some influence on the editorial content of Edmunds. I used to peruse that site on a weekly basis. I may take a peek once every few months. As for CR, I have a subscription and their reviews are spot on.
     
    #7 djasonw, Mar 13, 2009
  8. fredthepostman

    fredthepostman Member

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    Chevy Aveo- Are you kidding me? All creditability went out the window after that pick!
     
    #8 fredthepostman, Mar 13, 2009
  9. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Consumer Reports makes mistakes too, but I believe their mistakes are honest mistakes. They try to do a fair and honest evaluation. Once in a while they get their facts wrong, or screw up the analysis, but I don't sense an overriding agenda.

    Tom
     
    #9 qbee42, Mar 13, 2009
  10. strieby

    strieby Priusman

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    You just have to read the lopsided review Edmunds comparing the 2010 Insight vers 2009 Prius do see how stupid they are. They could have waited about a month and gotten an apples to apples comparison done .. 2010 Insight vers 2010 Prius. Sometimes you have to wonder where they are coming from. They must have an agenda of some sort but for the life of me I don't know what it is. Maybe just $$$?
     
    #10 strieby, Mar 13, 2009
  11. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Yea, I remember CR calculating the "pay back" of the Prius and made the fundamental accounting error. They corrected in the next issue and now they are recommending the Prius!

    Edmunds has been negative toward the Prius from the very beginning. We'll see what they'll have to say about the 2010 Prius.
     
    #11 usbseawolf2000, Mar 13, 2009
  12. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    My 2008 Best / Worst SUV'S, trucks, wagons Consumer Reports ...

    The Prius

    "The Prius has excellent fuel economy, acceleration, and interior room...."

    Excuse me? Since when is a 0 to 60 mph in 10.5 seconds 'excellent acceleration'?

    I think 'adequate' would be appropriate wording.

    CR says nothing about Pri being 'comfortable to drive'. The say excellent interior room. O.K.
    Their road test score is a 68 out of a highest rated 99. What's so great about that?
    Is the Pruis reliable ... yes! Great fuel economy? Yes!
    Is it a 'blast to drive'? Maybe, if trying to maximize fuel economy.

    ---------------------------------------
    The current Prius (2009-) is a great* car.

    Why the asterisk? Speaking from my experience ...

    I purchased August 27th of 2008, the peak of gas prices and still very high demand / short supply of Prius's. 'My bad'.

    After putting $17k down and since shoveling out another $8,670 to boot, I still owe $6,000 on the car and its 3 year pre-paid maintenance.

    Folks, hello, this $31,372 (before finance charges) is one mighty Expensive small-mid size hatchback car.

    Yes, it gets great fuel economy, yes, it produces 70% fewer emissions than the average new car. That's good, yippie and ATS.

    Yes, it is reliable and different and sometimes fun to drive.

    Consumer Reports does not say the Prius is 'fun to drive, with a snappy motor, blah, blah'.

    I've said it before and I'll say it again, unless you happen to fit the rather (no, quite) small driver's seat in the Prius, it is otherwise just flat out, not a very good seat. A seat bottom is supposed to tilt back some and cradle a behind so one feels good in it, not be mostly flat and small.

    The power and acceleration is nothing to get excited about in a Prius. yes, it is adequate if you stuff your foot quite a bit into the gas pedal getting onto the freeway.

    I'm not going to totally bash my Prius as I enjoy not burning gas as other's are wasting it away at stop lights.

    But, for me, the 2009- Prius is a type of car with great potential that is not fully realized.

    The 2010 Prius will blow the 2nd generation Prius away. When that car, the 2010 comes out, the current Prius is definitely going to fade and its shortcomings will be highlighted.

    Imagine, sitting in a Prius that has a much more comfortable seat, and OMG, it's fully adjustable. And geez, the acceleration is so much better than that old one. More headroom in the rear seats.

    I doubt any reviewer will be whining and complaining about the center console on the 2010. Everything else will very likely be better in so many ways.

    Also, I find it awkward to look at the current MFD to see the energy diagram. That too will be put in the forward display on the 2010 car. Another example of a number of things that could be better in the current Prius.
     
    #12 cycledrum, Mar 14, 2009
  13. REDWIND88

    REDWIND88 New Member

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    Test drove the 2010 Prius in San Francisco last weekend and sorry I did. I wanted to buy an 09 but now all I want is the 2010-with no looking back. Yes it will cost me more but once you drive it you will never look at Gen 2 again.:)
     
    #13 REDWIND88, Mar 14, 2009
  14. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Oh sh** I am going to have a pre-release drive of the Gen III Prius and I'll have to drive home in my Gen II, bugger. How will I get to my car without looking at it?
     
    #14 patsparks, Mar 14, 2009
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