Consumer Reports articles from July 2002

Consumer Reports archives from July 2002

Selling It.(Humor)(Column)
July 1, 2002... Ready, world? Here, three products you never knew you needed: * It's the "perfect date for a Jimmy Buffet concert!" says boatblender.com, "home of the drilled margarita." Yes, folks, you take your own cordless drill (at least 1,100...

Picking up the pace: new models are raising the bar for small sedans.(Small Sedans - Road Test)(Buyers Guide)(Cover Story)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Small cars make sense for many people. They're relatively inexpensive. Most use fuel sparingly. Some now offer the kind of roominess previously associated with midsized cars. Admittedly, small sedans are not the best choice for a large family...

Mitsubishi Lancer.(Small Sedans - Road Test)(Cover Story)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... The Lancer is a new design that doesn't measure up to its competitors. It is the slowest of the group in acceleration. Handling is clumsy and the ride is not well controlled. Spacious accommodations are undermined by uncomfortable seats and a...

Mazda Protege.(Small Sedans - Road Test)(Cover Story)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... The Protege offers a roomy interior that's well put together, but newer competitors have matched it in this area. Handling is good, but a stiff ride and noisy cabin detract from the driving experience. Reliability has been outstanding, however....

Subaru Impreza.(Small Sedans - Road Test)(Cover Story)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... The Impreza's well-engineered chassis provides a balance of ride and handling that's comparable to far costlier cars. With precise steering, a compliant ride, and agile handling, it's fun to drive. Although the Impreza carries a higher price...

Toyota Corolla.(Small Sedans - Road Test)(Cover Story)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... The redesigned 2003 Corolla now ranks with the best in the class. It grew roomier inside without getting larger outside, and it's impressively quiet. The Corolla achieved by far the best fuel economy of this group, while still posting the...

CR alert: caveat emptor hits home.(Memo To Members)(Column)(Editorial)
July 1, 2002... In a perfect world, the cobbler's children would have the most comfortable shoes, doctors would be the healthiest people around, and Consumers Union would never buy a product for its own use that turns out to be defective. Until lately, our...

Best travel web sites.(Information Service Review)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2002... Of the biggest travel web sites, Travelocity (www.travelocity.com) generally offers the lowest fares for the most-convenient routes. Expedia (www.expedia.com) often has the hands-down lowest fares--but you may encounter routes that don't work....

A new meat substitute.(Quorn)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... With the arrival of Quorn in the frozen-food section of natural-food stores and some supermarkets, consumers can sample a brand of meat substitute that claims to have more of the texture and look of meat than other meat alternatives. It has...

Buying and caring for Old Glory.(flags)
July 1, 2002... Some 75 million American flags were sold last year. That's triple the usual number, according the National Flag Foundation. Here's what you need to know to buy a new flag or refresh one that has seen heavy use since Sept. 11. Flags come in...

No-spill gas cans: home and garden.
July 1, 2002... No-spill gas containers can make filling lawn mowers and other gas-powered equipment a little less messy. California requires the no-spill containers to reduce pollution from spills and fumes. Some containers have automatic shutoff valves that...

Spam I am: personal computing.
July 1, 2002... If the spam you receive has smelled a little fishy lately, here's what's going on: Marketers, aware that consumers so hate junk e-mail that they delete it reflexively, have begun disguising it. How? Hey, you asked for it! "You are...

As seen on TV: a paint roller with problems.(Paint Runner)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... The Paint Runner, $20 plus shipping, claims to be nothing less than extraordinary--\cheaper, quicker, and more convenient than an ordinary paint roller. It works like this: Instead of using a paint tray, you pour paint (up to a quart) into...

Mop wars.(disposable mops)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Disposable mops are the latest housecleaning boon. It began with dry mops to chase the dust bunnies and moved on to damp mops for quick spot-cleaning. Players included SC Johnson's Pledge Grab-It and Procter & Gamble's Swiffer. Now, P&G and...

Where to buy.(megastores)(Buyers Guide)(Cover Story)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2002... The company with the highest revenue in the world isn't Exxon/Mobil or either of the major Generals--Motors or Electric. It's Wal-Mart, the Arkansas-based discount retailer that started out 40 years ago selling small-town America axes, zinnias,...

Ice dreams.(Ice Cream - Test)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2002... Ice cream may be the quintessential summertime treat, but Americans' appetite for it clearly knows no season. In 2000, we put away nearly 20 quarts each, or a pint every nine days. (Since some of us fell short on that score, others must have...

Ice cream - ratings.(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Overall Ratings Within flavors, in order of overall quality PER HALF-CUP SERVING CALO- PRODUCT ...

How to buy a bicycle.
July 1, 2002... Practically any new bike is likely to ride more smoothly and easily than the one you had as a kid. Most now have shift levers mounted accessibly on the handlebars, along with crisp detents that tell you when you're at the right shift point....

Helmet help ahead.(Bike Helmets - Test)
July 1, 2002... Two years ago, Spencer Wright didn't notice the car traveling behind him as he pedaled down a one-way street. Wright turned left into the car's path, suffering a broken neck and other injuries. But his head was unhurt, thanks to the helmet he...

Bike helmets - ratings.(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Overall Ratings Within types, in performance order BRAND & MODEL PRICE OVERALL SCORE P F G VG E ADULT MODELS These conventional bike helmets combine protection and...

Look ma, no cell phone: a roundup of other ways to stay in touch wirelessly.(Two-Way Radios)(Cover Story)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2002... When creative design director Karen Pettengill and her husband, Clark, took their son,Matthew, and daughter, Clare, on a family ski trip to Vermont, they needed a way to keep in touch while on the slopes. They learned that they would have to...

Cell-phone alternatives.(Two-way Radios - Ratings)(Cover Story)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Ratings Know the choices. There are two types of two-way radios: family radio service (FRS) models, which have a maximum range of two miles, and the more powerful general mobile radio service (GMRS) models, with a maximum range of five...

Recalls: special notice; household products; vehicles and equipment.(Product Information)(Column)
July 1, 2002... * Glove-compartment organizer used as premium for CONSUMER REPORTS Contains a flashlight that could overheat and cause minor burns, and a tire-pressure gauge that may give inaccurate readings. Products: Glove-compartment organizers,...

Deregulated: airlines, banking, cable TV, electricity, telephones.(special section - deregulation and consumers)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2002... Imagine Bank of America simply reneging on your "free checking for life"; Sprint signing you up for eight-times-higher phone rates; AT&T Broadband charging $44 a month for a poor-quality cable-TV signal, kiss-off customer service, and not even...

Airlines.(special section - deregulation and consumers)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2002... WHAT WAS DEREGULATED: Airfares, schedules, and routes in 1978. SAVINGS: ([up arrow]) A 20-year decline in fares has continued under deregulation. SERVICE: ([down arrow]) More connections, delays, cramped seats, and uncomfortable small...

Telephone.(special section - deregulation and consumers)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2002... WHAT WAS DEREGULATED: Phone equipment fully deregulated in 1984; long distance partially deregulated in 1984; local service partially deregulated in 1996. SAVINGS: ([up arrow]) Per-minute rates have plummeted, in large part because of...

Cable TV.(special section - deregulation and consumers)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2002... WHAT WAS DEREGULATED: Rates and service in 1984; reregulated in 1992; deregulated again in 1996. SAVINGS: ([down arrow]) Prices have risen much faster than overall inflation. SERVICE: ([down arrow]) Bottom-of-the-barrel consumer...

Banking.(special section - deregulation and consumers)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2002... WHAT WAS DEREGULATED: States liberalized usury laws and allowed intrastate branching beginning in the early 1980s; Congress deregulated savings rates and lending standards in 1980 and 1982, and allowed interstate banking in 1994. SAVINGS:...

Electricity: false freedom.(special section - deregulation and consumers)(includes related article on policy recommendations)(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2002... WHAT WAS DEREGULATED: Wholesale electricity prices in 1992; 16 states and the District of Columbia allowed competing electricity generators to use local transmission lines as early as 1997. SAVINGS: ([up arrow]) Rates have fallen because of...

Paints that perform.(Interior Paints)(includes related article on color-matching and contrasting hues)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2002... A new coat of paint is the easiest, cheapest way to transform the look of a room. Easy, that is, if the paint goes on smoothly, covers well, and lets you wipe away fingerprints and stains. The cost is a weekend of your time or a contractor's...

Interior paints - ratings.(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Overall Ratings Within types, in performance order BRAND PRICE OVERALL SCORE P F G VG E FLAT PAINTS Valspar American Tradition $17 ...

Washing machines: clean laundry need not cost a bundle.(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2002... Finding a washing machine that will turn out spanking-clean laundry is a snap. Finding one that can do the job with a minimum of energy, water, and noise is more of a challenge. Add to your wish list jumbo capacity, a gentle touch, and...

Washing machines - ratings.(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Overall Ratings Within types, in performance order KEY BRAND & MODEL PRICE OVERALL SCORE NO. SIMILAR MODELS IN SMALL TYPE P F G VG E ...

Dryers: insist on a sensor when you buy a dryer.(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2002... Clothes dryers on the whole do what they're supposed to: Dry your laundry. Virtually all of the 26 full-sized dryers we tested did a very good or excellent job and had ample capacity and convenient controls. Choosing the right one depends...

Dryers - ratings.(clothes dryers)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Seventeen of the 26 tested dryers are available, including all of the 11 highest-scoring In performance order KEY BRAND & MODEL PRICE OVERALL SCORE NO. ...

When space is tight.(washer-dryer combination 'laundry center' units)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Sometimes you just don't have room to fit a full-sized washer and dryer side by side. In such tight quarters, you have a few options. You can stack some stand-alone washers and dryers that have front controls. (We identify stackable models in...

The unraveling of health insurance.(Industry Overview)
July 1, 2002... "In the president's vision, all Americans should have access to high-quality and affordable health care," Mark McClellan, a member of the Council of Economic Advisors at the White House, said in an April 17 speech detailing Mr. Bush's...

Staying insured in an uncertain job market.
July 1, 2002... The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), passed in 1996, left many people with the impression that if they lose or leave their job, their right to get another policy is guaranteed. But keeping coverage is a two-step...

Graduated payments - transitions: diploma debt.
July 1, 2002... Most new college graduates brought home a lot more than a diploma and worn textbooks this spring. They were shouldering a big load of debt--on average about $17,000 in federally guaranteed education loans, according to a recent study by the...

Room air conditioners.(Product Updates)(Buyers Guide)
July 1, 2002... WHAT'S NEW Plenty of high-efficiency models. As of Oct. 1, 2000, air conditioners were required to meet higher U.S. Department of Energy efficiency standards. Models rated at less than 8,000 British thermal units per hour (Btu/hr.) must...

Air conditioners - ratings.(Product Updates)(Evaluation)
July 1, 2002... Overall Ratings Within types, in performance order BRAND & MODEL PRICE OVERALL SCORE SIMILAR MODELS IN SMALL TYPE P F G VG E 5,000 TO 5,600 BTU MODELS (Can...