Consumer Reports articles from April 2002

Consumer Reports archives from April 2002

Selling it.(Annual Auto Issue)(advertising anecdotes)(Humor)(Column)
April 1, 2002... In the Gallup Organization's 2001 Honesty and Ethics poll, Americans were asked to rate the honesty and ethical standards of 23 professions. In the Gallup Organization's 2001 Honesty and Ethics poll, Americans were asked to rate the...

The best new cars and trucks: top picks for 2002; finds for under $25,000.(Annual Auto Issue)(Industry Overview)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... BEST CAR TESTED BMW 530i The BMW 530i combines excellent handling and exceptional comfort, advanced safety, responsive performance, and exquisite fit and finish. It's priced at about $46,000. FUN TO DRIVE SUBARU IMPREZA WRX As a...

Carcare: save $$$ on maintenance; reader survey: does your dealer measure up.(Annual Auto Issue)
April 1, 2002... Following the manufacturer's recommended service schedule is one of the best ways to make your vehicle last to a ripe old age. A less-well-known tip is that you can save hundreds of dollars on scheduled maintenance by comparing prices at...

What's new in autos: trends and models that are shaping the market.(Annual Auto Issue)(Industry Overview)(Product Announcement)
April 1, 2002... Five years ago, the new-car market seemed a simpler place. The April 1997 issue of CONSUMER REPORTS listed 186 models, neatly divided into familiar categories such as sedans, coupes, pickup trucks, sport-utility vehicles, minivans, and a few...

Crash course.(Annual Auto Issue)(crash tests inadequate)(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2002... Each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) buys approximately 100 new cars and trucks, then crashes them head-on into a wall or bashes them broadside to see how well they're likely to protect occupants in real-world...

When crash tests collide.(Annual Auto Issue)(crash tests inadequate)(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2002... Sometimes a vehicle scores well in the government's annual New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and not so well in the frontal-offset-crash test conducted by the insurance industry. Those in the chart at right are among the 90 or so 2002 models...

Which cars are safer?(Annual Auto Issue)(Industry Overview)(Buyers Guide)
April 1, 2002... To compare models in terms of overall safety, a buyer must consider different types of information. These include various tests for crash protection, along with tests and evaluations that reflect a vehicle's accident-avoidance capabilities. The...

Deals on wheels: you can drive a hard bargain in a soft economy.(Annual Auto Issue)(Industry Overview)(Buyers Guide)
April 1, 2002... If you're hunting for a new vehicle, you have any number of ways to get the job done: You can walk into a showroom and bargain like a rug merchant. You can phone a bunch of dealers and play one off against another. Or you can conduct the...

Information shopping: models by category vehicle finder.(Annual Auto Issue 2002)(Directory)(Industry Overview)
April 1, 2002... The best way to make sure that you get the right vehicle at the right price is to have good information. In the Internet age, there's no shortage of auto information. Reviews, test data, specifications, factory pricing, and even dealer-invoice...

Ratings: sizing up the 2002's.(Annual Auto Issue 2002)(Directory)(Buyers Guide)
April 1, 2002... What are the best and worst vehicles we've tested? These charts show how well each vehicle we've tested recently compares with others in its category, and they represent the most comprehensive ranking of vehicles you'll find. A vehicle's...

Reliability forecast: how will the 2002s fare?(Annual Auto Issue 2002)(Directory)(Buyers Guide)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... Reliability is a key consideration for any car buyer, but real-world reliability information can be hard to find. That's why CONSUMER REPORTS conducts an annual survey; our latest one gave us feedback on readers' experiences with more than...

Load capacity: how much can you safety carry?(Annual Auto Issue 2002)(Directory)(Buyers Guide)(Statistical Data Included)
April 1, 2002... It's natural to assume that if a vehicle has a large cargo area, you can fill it without any worries about overloading. But some vehicles with a large cargo area have a relatively low load capacity--the maximum combined weight of cargo and...

Profiles: how to read the vehicle profiles - key facts and unbiased critiques for 205 cars, wagons, SUVs, minivans, and pickups.(Annual Auto Issue 2002)(Directory)(Buyers Guide)(Cover Story)
April 1, 2002... The vehicle profiles that begin on the next page contain a variety of information to help you make an informed car-buying decision. They cover all major 2002 and early 2003 models that are currently or soon to be available. In each profile,...

Buying used: high value, lower risk.(Annual Auto Issue 2002)(Buyers Guide)(Directory)
April 1, 2002... Used cars and trucks consistently outsell new ones. It's easy to see why. A used car often represents an excellent value. You can buy a two- or three-year-old model for about 30 percent less than you would pay for one fresh from the factory....

The best and worst used cars - the most reliable - and the most troublesome.(Annual Auto Issue 2002)(Buyers Guide)(Directory)
April 1, 2002... Although cars tend to be much more reliable than they used to be, buying any used vehicle involves some degree of risk. You can limit that risk by buying a car with a proven track record of reliability. The exclusive reliability data in...

Reliability history: which vehicles hold up best.(Annual Auto Issue 2002)(Buyers Guide)(Directory)
April 1, 2002... The CONSUMER REPORTS annual auto-reliability survey provides a detailed view of how individual cars and trucks are holding up. Our most recent survey recorded our readers' experiences with 512,000 vehicles, spanning model years 1994 through...