泡网俱乐部

我个人觉得这个统计不够科学. 什么是一个PROBLEM? 是一个COMPLAIN还是一个SERVICE? 如果一个车是发动机故障, 另一个是收音机故障, 两者可以比较吗?

另外美国每年销售近1700万辆新车, 仅仅CONSUMER REPORT的读者来评价, 够全面吗? 仅仅226,000的回复, 不能说明样本的代表性, 因为首先样本是CONSUMER REPORT的订户, 其次, 未回复的读者没有被包括在内, 样本的BIA实在太大了.

个人觉得J.D.POWER的评价更值得注意, 因为样本就要大好多.

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U.S. autos more reliable than European models

But Asian vehicles are still No. 1, survey finds
March 9, 2004

BY JOHN PORRETTO
ASSOCIATED PRESS

For the first time in a quarter-century, U.S. automakers can say they make more reliable cars than their competitors in Europe. Asian manufacturers still hold top bragging rights, however.

The consumer survey in Consumer Reports' 2004 auto issue, which hits newsstands today, showed imports still outscoring domestically built cars in owner satisfaction.

But on the issue of reliability, cars and trucks from General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group topped those made in Europe -- something that hasn't happened in 25 years, the publication said.

"To our subscribers and to many people, reliability is what they're looking for," David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' auto test staff, said Monday in a conference call. "The domestics are making tremendous progress in putting to bed a lot of the problems they were stuck with."

Consumer Reports, known for its product scrutiny, sent questionnaires to 4.1 million subscribers of its magazine and Web site, seeking insight on vehicles they own. Reliability trends are based on 675,000 responses.

To establish reliability, Consumer Reports asked subscribers to report problems in any of 14 areas, such as with the engine or electrical system, for vehicles up to 8 years old.

For the 2003 model year, the industry average was 17 problems per 100 vehicles, down from 18 in the 2002 survey.

The survey revealed that among cars and trucks less than a year old, the average problem rate for European brands was 20 per 100 vehicles -- two more than for domestic brands. Last year, U.S. and European automakers were tied at 21 problems per 100 vehicles.

The problem rate for the newest models from Japanese and Korean automakers held steady year over year at 12 per 100 vehicles. The magazine said vehicles from Acura, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda and Toyota have been the most reliable during the past five years.

Among European brands, all models from Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Jaguar and Land Rover rated below average in the survey.

In owner satisfaction, Asian and European brands filled all but three of 33 slots in Consumer Reports' list of most satisfying vehicles. The list was based on responses from 226,000 subscribers.

Consumer Reports also said it gave an overall safety rating of excellent in the new issue to 21 sedans, up from nine three years ago. The number of SUVs that received an excellent rating rose from two to 11 during the same period.

The magazine said the higher ratings are the result of general improvements in crash-protection and accident-avoidance scores. Consumers Reports buys all vehicles it tests and accepts no advertising.

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VEHICLES THAT ARE SATISFYING
The most satisfying vehicles, based on 226,000 responses:

Small cars: Toyota Prius, Mini Cooper, Honda Civic Hybrid

Midsize/large cars: Honda Accord, Toyota Avalon

Upscale/luxury cars: Lexus LS430, BMW 3-Series

Coupes/convertibles: Infiniti G35 coupe, Lexus SC430

Sports/sporty cars: Chevrolet Corvette, Honda S2000, BMW Z4, Nissan 350Z, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Subaru Impreza WRX, BMW M3, Porsche Boxster

Minivans: Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey

Car-based SUVs: Lexus RX330, Honda Element, Nissan Murano, Honda Pilot, Volvo XC90, Toyota Highlander, Acura MDX, Infiniti FX, Subaru Forester

Conventional SUVs: Toyota 4Runner (V8), Lexus GX470, Hummer H2

Pickups: Toyota Tundra, Chevrolet Avalanche
By the Associated Press

Source: Consumer Reports

HOW MANUFACTURERS FARE
Here's a look at how some manufacturers stacked up in Consumer Reports' most recent auto reliability survey, which was based on responses from 675,000 subscribers:

Chrysler has made significant strides in the past several years. The Jeep Liberty was the most reliable 2003 Chrysler vehicle. The Chrysler PT Cruiser also had above-average reliability. The Dodge Ram and Dodge Neon improved to average overall.

Ford continued to suffer from teething pains -- problems with new or redesigned models in the first few years. For example, the new-for-2003 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator fared poorly in the survey. But Ford was able to improve the reliability of some models that have been in production for several years, such as the Ford Focus, Lincoln LS, Ford Escape and Ford Explorer.

In the three-year weighted average Consumer Reports uses to predict reliability, General Motors' Buick Regal was the most reliable family sedan in the survey, outperforming perennial winners such as the Toyota Camry and Nissan Maxima. The best GM car for the 2003 model year in terms of reliability was the Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Honda, Nissan, Mazda and Toyota were well represented in the top ranks of reliability.
Source: Consumer Reports

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