Consumer Reports "Experts" ........seriously?

[TruckNut]

While browsing my mom's past issues of CR, my opinion was once again reaffirmed as for my not buying their mag rag. Their October 17 issue rates Nav/infotainment systems in vehicles. Despite our 8.4 rating in the top 3 (Over some very prestigious brands), they gave it a knock for "Must use touch screen for functions such as heated seats and steering wheel controls".

Well CR Experts, you might want to look BELOW the screen at the row of BIG buttons for seat heating/cooling and steering wheel heat. Oh, and the "steering wheel controls" are on the steering wheel. I tried to write them, but I have to subscribe first!! Ah, no.

Plus they said the Nav screen was "Highly reflective". Have they not sat in a Honda product? You could get a tan off those screens!

What a bunch of bozos. Rant over.

 

[01Ram2500]

When I bought my 2001 Ram 2500 4X4 new, CR at the time stated that it was the worst most unreliable truck that you could possibly buy. Well after 14 years of flawless service, I finally traded that truck on my 2014 1500. I miss that HD son of a gun and probably should have kept it.

 

[sandawilliams]

They have always hated anything made in the USA. I think the Japanese own the rag. Every vehicle I ever owned was junk by their ratings.

 

[RamInfo]

My son is a deep into Jeeps and has built up several Grand Cherokees, a vehicle and brand CR loves to bash.

He calls CR “The little magazine of hate”.

Best,
DG

 

[patchelect]

For decades C/R seems to have a rep for not being the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to vehicles. I don't subscribe, but whenever I'm looking for info on other things like washer, coffee makers, etc, I check out their tests. I use more than them, but I'll give them a look, but only if I don't have to pay. Otherwise, there's too many fish in the sea that offer free peeks.

 

[GsRAM]

Agreed. They are very biased towards the Japanese brands. Their opinion isn't worth the paper it's printed on to me. They are probably heavily compensated by those brands to given te opinions they do. My ram has been great, but to them it' garbage? Whatever, don't care what they think. I form my opinions from real world experience, not what some so called expert thinks.

 

[Murphy Slaw]

I didn't know that magazine was still in business.

 

[JPT]

I agree with the navi screen being reflective. Other than that, that sounds like crap, Ram probably didn't buy enough ads with them...

I put a screen protector on my screen (it has an antiglare finish).

 

[mohemipar]

Lol CR was fake news the last time I picked one up years ago. Their write ups don’t even contain accurate information like the OP stated. You want a screen that has glare, try sitting in a Subaru. But I wonder if they mentioned that on Subaru’s “reviews”. I was blinded by the last Subaru screen I sat near like it was the ark of the covenant. Uconnect has the least amount of glare of any modern system I have used. Have never had an issue with glare in any of my Uconnect Mopars.


As far as I am aware, the only Uconnect based systems that you MUST use the screen for certain functions is Maserati, but those cars might even have buttons too. Correct me if I’m wrong. It wouldn’t surprise me if some idiot actually had no idea that they had buttons below the screen for those functions and wrote it to them, and CR gladly publish inaccurate info as long as it is about an American product. And people are after all, forgetting to put their vehicles in park and then blaming it on the knob as if it is any different than a T shifter. Not too far off from not having a clue what the buttons below your screen do.

 

[JPT]

They may have gone too far, and not written it correctly, but there are certain features that can only be managed through the uconnect system, for example the blower vent selector.

 

[kevperro]

They suck... they are going to be obsolete here in a few years anyway. Don't they know that reviews are free on the web?

 

[damnimcooltom]

You do need to use the screen for heated seats and steering wheel on my 2015 Challenger, and my wife's 15 and 17 Cherokees. There are other settings that are only available through the screen, but I can't think of them right now. I'm glad the Ram has buttons, too. I find needing to browse through menus while I'm driving inconvenient and dangerous.

I do agree that CR is garbage. They can take a very minor inconvenience, and blow it so far out of proportion that they make certain cars seem like they aren't worth owning. They have always been anti-Chrysler.

 

[quietpeen]

You do need to use the screen for heated seats and steering wheel on my 2015 Challenger, and my wife's 15 and 17 Cherokees. There are other settings that are only available through the screen, but I can't think of them right now. I'm glad the Ram has buttons, too. I find needing to browse through menus while I'm driving inconvenient and dangerous.

I do agree that CR is garbage. They can take a very minor inconvenience, and blow it so far out of proportion that they make certain cars seem like they aren't worth owning. They have always been anti-Chrysler.

this, and O.P. are you sure they were talking specifically about the ram? On my charger and my previous Dart there are no physical buttons for the heated /ventilated seats, and heated steering wheel. On the ram and the two cars the only way to change where the air blows say just on the feet is through the radio...no physical knob for it. So C.R. isn't all that wrong in saying you HAVE to use the screen for these settings.

 

[RamRoy]

CR is biased to those that advertise with them. If you want a good write up, you better spend some advertising money with them

 

[KansasArt]

I haven't picked up a cr mag in many years, so I could be way off base...but I didn't think that they accepted advertising. So they could claim being neutral and unbiased.


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[Cmsharp]

I actually have an online subscription to cr. I like them for some some stuff, but cars, not so much. We are all biased in certain respects and I think they put way too many personal biases against car brands. They always bashed dodge, yet my dakota was awesome, no problems whatsoever. They practically have an ****** talking about honda, but my wifes accord was a p.o.s. I have noticed that now they love the ram and for good reason, it’s awesome!

 

[huntergreen]

They have been praying *** cars since the 80s.

 

[Jeepwalker]

I never felt that CR looked 'CLOSELY' enough at inherent build quality of items to make an assessment of how long they might last ...not just how they performed on the day they tested them. For example, on cars/trucks, have someone really knowledgeable like experience mechanics and autobody pros put each vehicle up on a hoist, take off the wheels and go over every square inch with a fine toothed comb and give their best sense of how they believe an item was put together and how long they believe it might last down the road. A vehicle that may score slightly lower on braking may be built like a tank (heavier), but that extra beef which could translate into longevity doesn't get a score (AFAIK).

I used to be in a position where I rented cars a lot due to work. I'd get a Toyota one week, maybe a Dodge another, a GM or Ford on other occasions. The Toyota cars they always raved about were ok and got decent fuel economy but they were flimsy and tinny compared to the domestics. No car is perfect, but I had a hard time understanding how they could rate certain cars like they did. Didn't jive with my real-world experience.

Similar thing with appliances and electronics too. I think they dumb down the articles and assume the readers are totally ignorant ...which of course many probably are. There are some good qualities to it though despite the shortcomings.

 

[kukufixer]

I subscribe to the online version of CR. Some posters are saying they take ads, but there are no ads in it. CR staff is heavy on engineers and I've never met an engineer who looks at the world, a product, or anything else the way a normal person does. CR is pretty good for appliances, yard equipment, paint, and the like. CR does not have ratings for 'coolness' or aesthetics cause engineers don't think that way. CR once highly recommended Checker (yeah, those taxi cabs) as a desirable vehicle. From an engineer's practical, utilitarian view, Checker was a great vehicle.

 

[tfeni52355]

What’s the big deal with having to use the screen. Can you operate your cell phone or iPad without one these days? The reliability is there so I don’t get it or do I care.

I am an engineer and do R&D testing for a Utility. The electronics coming into the business has more and more touch screens. We expect our equipment to last 30-50 (yup 50) years. Much longer than a car. If the vendors feel confident to put out a product with screens that will last even close to that I am OK with it.

I live in South Carolina and usually drive with sunglasses on, so the “glare” thing is a so-what.

Come out of the stone-age CR. Think about what is sitting in your pocket next to your pocket protector. An iPhone or Galaxy. Try operating that without a touchscreen. And oh yeah. They have quite a bit of glare on those screens to....

Love my Longhorn! Love the UConnect screen. It works.


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