Re: Re: Consumer Reports (long)

[Mike Williams <daserde@ucla.edu>]

I have the same opinion on the CU.  I read an article a while ago when 
they were testing sports cars.  They tested the RX7, the 300 ZX, the 
Corvette, and the Suburu SVX.  Well they had some interesting comments 
about the cars  (this was a 94 report so it was the new RX7).  They did 
not want the RS1 oprion on the RX7 because that would make it handle too 
much like a sports car, and they dont want something like that to happen. 
 They then went and complained about the fact that it did not have enough 
space to store a wheelchair.  I will give the fact thta some out there in 
a wheelchair may buy an RX7, but is that really something for them to 
gripe about? come on. They complained about all of the cars handling too 
stiffly.  They would not know a fine handling car if it drove right over 
them.  I give them the fact that they may have some sort of take on 
relieability of cars, but even then i am not convinced.  The info comes 
from the readers.  And which readers are likely to send something in? 
Probably the ones who feel that they are paying too much for european car 
parts and feel that they should let everyne else know that it is expensive.  

I also read of another time when CU panned a car because they did not 
like the way that it handled when they let go of the steering wheel in 
the middle of the slalom.  I dunno, but i would think that someone who is 
smart would keep their hands on the wheel and not complain that when they 
let go of it in a turn that they didnt like it going straight.  

Final thing, on the Trooper.  They still claim that their test is based 
on real life and that the Trooper turns over.  I also read a letter from 
someone saying that they had to make a maneuver somewhat like that and 
they felt that CU's test was realiztic and valid. I read a lengthy report 
in Car and Driver about the tendencies of the Trooper to roll over, and 
they feel that it is incorrect to say that they have a larger tendency 
toroll over.  

Well that is what i have to say right now...I dont like consumer union.  
I wont even get into the way that they test the computers other than to 
say that they tested a 200 wintel vs a 150 mac (603) and said that they 
thought that the wintel machines were much faster...they didnt seem to 
take into accoutn taht the mac is up to 250 mhz and quickly rising and 
that the PPC chip is already much faster than an intel chip.



Mike Williams
85 Coupe GT
http://members.aol.com/daserde2