Consumer Reports articles from January 2002

Consumer Reports archives from January 2002

Selling It.(ads, labels - humor)(Humor)(Column)
January 1, 2002... Black hole award. Behold big and baby bottles, bought in Canada. Wouldn't you think the big one held more pills? You would. But you'd be wrong. Both labels say there are 100 pills, with the same amount of vitamin D in each pill. To show...

Take two aspirins and e-mail me in the morning.(Your Health)
January 1, 2002... When Chris Olney learned that he had a thyroid disorder, he was already back home when he thought of the question he most wanted to ask his doctor. "So I e-mailed him," says Olney, who lives in Wenham, Mass., and arranges financing for housing...

Nissan Altima.(Family Sedans)
January 1, 2002... With its first major redesign, the Altima has been transformed from a reliable but bland and uninteresting also-ran into a car that competes with the best in this class. It now boasts generous accommodations, a punchy and refined powertrain,...

Honda Accord.(Family Sedans)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... While still a fine, competent car, the Accord is losing ground to newer competitors. Braking, ergonomics, and fit and finish remain impressive. But engine performance, ride quality, accommodations, and interior quietness aren't outstanding. A...

Toyota Camry.(Family Sedans)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... The redesigned Camry remains a comfortable, refined, and quiet sedan that offers a pleasant driving experience. Although different in character, it ranks with the Passat as the top-scoring model in this category. Access is easy, and the...

Volkswagen Passat.(Family Sedans)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... The Passat continues to be defined by a solid, luxurious feel; comfortable, quiet ride; capable handling; and an interior that exudes quality. At more than $25,000, the GLS we tested costs the most of this group, though it has advanced standard...

Family-car feud.(Family Sedans - 4-cyl. - Road Test)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... The four family sedans in this month's auto test are among the best on the market, and three of the them have been updated in the past year. The Volkswagen Passat, which has been our top-rated family sedan since 1999, received a mild freshening...

Beating the dead-battery blues.(portable battery boosters)(Auto Parts)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... A car battery can go dead at any time, often without warning. Batteries can become discharged because of lack of use, a defective charging system, or something as simple as a light being left on in the car. In recent years, a number of portable...

Short-order cooks: very good microwwave ovens are cheaper than ever.(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2002... The notion that bigger is better is clearly driving the microwave market, as evidenced by the arrival of high-powered ovens that promise ever-faster cooking. You'll find more models rated at 1,100, 1,200, even 1,300 watts in midsized and large...

Speed cookers earn mixed reviews.(Microwave Ovens - Test)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... Microwave ovens won't turn out nicely roasted meat or crispy fries, but there are speed-cooking appliances that claim to do just that. They combine microwave technology with other heating methods (such as convection fans and halogen light...

Microwave ovens.(Microwave Ovens - Ratings)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... Microwave ovens Size wise. Although over-the-range ovens are big outside, they hold less than most large ovens when their turntable is on. Most allow you to turn off the turntable to fit large dishes. Sight seeing. If you like to...

For the chill of it.(Refrigerators)(Buyers Guide)
January 1, 2002... Speed cooking has had a place in the American kitchen for a quarter of a century, but only in the last few years has speed chilling been available. Refrigerator makers are betting that the same time-pressed households that embraced microwave...

Frozen pizzas on the rise.
January 1, 2002... When we last tested frozen pizzas in 1997, only a few exhibited the kind of quality that would make them acceptable substitutes for the real thing. Since then, manufacturers have introduced more products with innovations such as crusts that...

For openers.(Garage-Door Openers - Test)
January 1, 2002... Whether you're replacing a garage-door opener or buying one for the first time, technology is on your side. The latest models we tested require less force to automatically stop and reverse the door if it touches a person or an object. New ones...

Wrecks in disguise.(Special Report - rebuilt autos)(Cover Story)(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2002... When a car or truck has been so badly damaged in an accident that an insurance company declares it a total loss, it usually means the labor and parts required for proper repair would cost too much, given the vehicle's worth. You might think...

What we don't know.(Special Report - rebuilt autos)(insurance data)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2002... The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) and its affiliate, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), describe their mission as "finding out what works and what doesn't work to prevent motor-vehicle crashes in the first place." Their aim...

Book marks.(Booksellers - Survey)(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2002... Most book buyers want a choice of titles ranging from "Anna Karenina" to "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." Many appreciate sales clerks who know that Homer's last name isn't Simpson. Some ask for all that and a good mocha latte, too....

Recalls: vehicles and equipment; household products.(Column)
January 1, 2002... Vehicles and equipment. * '01 Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln vehicles Front safety belts may not provide adequate protection in crash. Models: 1.4 million vehicles made 9/99 to 6/01, including the following: Ford Crown Victoria and...

Joint remedies.(glucosamine and chondroitin supplements)(Buyers Guide)(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2002... Conventional treatments for osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis, leave a lot to be desired. Chronic use of oral drugs--both over-the-counter and prescription--that relieve pain and inflammation can have serious side effects (see...

Buyer beware: all that tiny type you can't see? It can bite back.
January 1, 2002... Fine print cost Jeffrey Vigneault $500. Vigneault, a casting director for commercials from Redding, Conn., shelled out $3,500 in December 2000 for a Power Mac computer, attracted by its prowess for video and promise of a $500 rebate from Apple....

Jumping on the bond-wagon.(Finance - Report)
January 1, 2002... Until recently, no single word caused investors' eyes to glaze over more quickly than "bonds" (except maybe "annuities"). Unlike stocks, which gushed a 16.7 percent average annual return from 1994 to 2000, bonds managed to crank out only 6.7...

Gear to get for on-the-road emergencies.(Home Front)
January 1, 2002... A roadside emergency can happen anywhere, any time. That's why it pays to keep a reasonable amount of gear in the car to cope with broken belts, flats, and other breakdowns. You don't have to carry everything listed here all the time-just the...

Coping in Britain: at home abroad.(daily threat of terrorism)
January 1, 2002... We asked our colleagues who publish Which?, the British counterpart of CONSUMER REPORTS, to describe what life is like when uncertainty takes the place of normalcy. The following are the thoughts of Alan Stevens, head of digital services at...

Sizing up risks in a more dangerous world.(Home Front)
January 1, 2002... Calamity was not unknown in the U.S. before Sept. 11. Many communities have battled hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and chemical and nuclear accidents, even disease: The Hong Kong flu killed 34,000 people in 1968 and 1969. No one can...

Speed cooking on a shoestring.(Toastmaster Ultravection Oven)(Evaluation)
January 1, 2002... Fast cooking for anything bigger than a bag of popcorn usually means using a big appliance that can cost more than $1,000. The report on page 48 covers several alternatives. By contrast, the Toastmaster Ultravection Oven TUV48S sells for only...

More products to get child-resistant packages.
January 1, 2002... The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted unanimously in October to require child-resistant packaging for cosmetics and household products that contain at least 10 percent hydrocarbons and have a thin, oily consistency. Those are...

Sweaters and suds; tech tip: how to hand-wash wool in a machine.
January 1, 2002... A new generation of wool promises to save you money in dry-cleaning bills because it's machine washable. We tested three machine-washable sweaters--ordered online from Lands' End, L.L. Bean, and TravelSmith--and found that they generally took...

Just sign here.('fine print' in advertising and contracts)(Memo To Members)
January 1, 2002... When I was Vermont's banking and insurance commissioner in the mid-1970s, I was appalled by the confusing language of insurance policies and spearheaded an effort to put them in plain English. I believe Vermont was the first state in the nation...