Tire testing by the numbers…revisited

It’s been three years since we first posted “Tire testing by the numbers,” where we shared some of the details of our extensive tire testing program. And since we ran that blog post, our testers have gotten even busier.

Tires and tire buying advice continue to be an area of great interest to our readers, and one of the most searched categories on our website. That’s why our tire testing staff spends an entire year to complete the program.

It begins with selecting and purchasing tires in the fall, continues with our annual January trip to Vermont for testing in snow, and continues back at our track for months of acceleration, braking, and handling tests, and countless laps around the skid pad-- performed in dry and wet conditions.

By the time it’s all said and done, we’ll have racked up more than a million miles, and our tire testers will have spent more than a little time with a jack and a wrench.

It’s been three years since we first posted “Tire testing by the numbers,” where we shared some of the details of our extensive tire testing program. And since we ran that blog post, our testers have gotten even busier.

Tires and tire buying advice continue to be an area of great interest to our readers, and one of the most searched categories on our website. That’s why our tire testing staff spends an entire year to complete the program.

It begins with selecting and purchasing tires in the fall, continues with our annual January trip to Vermont for testing in snow, and continues back at our track for months of acceleration, braking, and handling tests, and countless laps around the skid pad-- performed in dry and wet conditions.

By the time it’s all said and done, we’ll have racked up more than a million miles, and our tire testers will have spent more than a little time with a jack and a wrench.

Behind the scenes: Consumer Reports snow-traction tire testing in Vermont

While the mid-Alantic area got hammered with snow this year, Connecticut saw little snow fall in January and early February. Keeping the tire test program on schedule meant a trip north to Jay Peak to do our annual snow-traction testing.  Jay always has great snow conditions, no matter what’s happening around the rest of the country. This year was no exception, with the snow on our test course and the surrounding ski area at near perfection.  Temperatures hovered around the mid-teens at night when we did our testing, providing a nicely textured snow condition just right for tire snow traction testing.
 
This year we are testing ultra-high performance all-season, summer tires, and suitable winter tire replacements.  The summer tires are not intended for snow and for that matter do not grip well in cold temperatures. We don’t even bother testing them for winter performance.  They have no snow traction claim and based on our experience, you should just leave your car parked whenever the snow falls if it has summer tires on it.

Best new car values: It’s more than dollars and cents

In last year’s April issue we introduced our owner-cost estimates, which tell you approximately how much a car will cost you to own during the first five years. The data, which took several years to develop, is based on: depreciation, fuel cost, insurance, interest on financing, maintenance and repairs, and sales tax.

This allows us to predict which models are the least expensive to own (subscribers to ConsumerReports.org can see owner-cost estimates based on three, five, and eight years of ownership). 

This is good information, but it is just a piece of the overall puzzle. After all, some of the cars that are the least expensive to own aren’t ones that we would recommend you buy. For instance, the five least expensive small cars in last year’s issue were the Toyota Yaris (manual), Chevrolet Aveo (manual), Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris (auto), and Chevrolet Aveo (auto). Of those, only the Honda Fit meets our requirements for being recommended. The Aveo, for instance, is one of the lowest rated cars in its class.

So, in this year’s Consumer Reports annual auto issue, we took the next logical step. We wanted to show which models are the best values; in other words, which give you the most bang for your buck. And for that, owner costs are only part of the picture. In fact, we found that some of the models that are least expensive to own are not good values.

To determine the best values, we looked at three factors:

• Our five-year owner cost estimates
• The overall road-test scores from our comprehensive test program
• Our predicted-reliability ratings.

Our road-test scores, which are based on more than 50 individual tests and evaluations, reflect whether a car is works well in daily life. And our reliability ratings are based on the problems reported to us on more than 1.4 million vehicles in our latest Annual Auto Survey.

Here’s the formula that we applied to more than 300 vehicles. First, we divided each car’s owner-cost estimate by its overall road-test score to get, what we call, its “bucks per bang” cost; or the cost of each point in its test score. Then, we filtered out any models that don’t have better than an average reliability rating.

Using this formula, the vehicles that rise to the top are good all-around packages that did well in our road tests, have relatively low owner costs, and have very good or excellent reliability records. In other words, they give you the most for your money.

Here are top models in several popular categories:

Best Overall: The Prius Touring came in with the best bucks-per-bang cost thanks to one of the lower owner-cost estimates in the list—$26,250 over five years—and a relatively high road-test score of 80 points out of 100. (The base Prius earned 68 points.) The Prius Touring doesn't have the least expensive sticker price in its class, but its excellent fuel economy of 42 mpg overall and solid resale value help give it a low owner cost that nearly matches the less expensive Honda Civic EX. With a higher overall test score than the Civic, the Prius stands out as the Best Value.

Best Value Small Cars: Honda Civic EX, Honda Fit (base), Hyundai Elantra SE, Toyota Corolla LE, and the Honda Civic Hybrid

Best Value Family Cars: Toyota Prius Touring, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Prius (base), Hyundai Sonata (4-cyl.), and the Honda Accord (4-cyl.)

Best Value Small SUVs: Toyota RAV4 (4-cyl.), Toyota RAV4 (V6), Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander (4-cyl.), and the Nissan Rogue

Best Value Midsized SUVs: Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Nissan Murano, and the Honda Pilot

See the complete list with costs in “Most bang for the buck.”

Not all values are valuable

We have seen Web sites present their own take on value, using different data and criteria. It is clear, that not all values are created equal.

For example, in a recent value-focused press release, Edmunds cites “industry leaders” with the “lowest five-year owner costs” that include several models that frankly are not good cars and do not meet our criteria for being Recommended. For instance, the Chevrolet Aveo. Like Edmunds, we find the Aveo5 to have much better than average owner costs. But it scored just 31 points out of 100 in our exhaustive testing. (See our Aveo sedan video road test.) We found the engine to be rough, the handling clumsy, and the ride jumpy. Further, it returns worse fuel economy than several, more capable cars. And, its predicted reliability is also below average. In total, we don’t think the Aveo5 is a good car, and therefore don’t recommend it as a good value, let alone a Best Value. (Learn how Consumer Reports tests cars.)

Edmunds also cites the Jeep Patriot in their release, a vehicle we likewise consider to have better than average owner costs. And again, cannot Recommend it because of its middling 55 out of 100 point score. The featured Chevrolet HHR also scores a 55, and it too has less than stellar fuel economy for its class and only average reliability. 

There are many ways to rank vehicles, including by owner costs. We believe our comprehensive approach with Best Values, which takes into account the merit of the car, provides an enlightening view of today’s standout models.

You can create your own list filtered and sorted by the factors that matter most to you by using the Consumer Reports New Car Selector. When you look at someone else’s lists, make sure you understand the criteria. And remember, we present our unbiased findings without fear or favor, as Consumer Reports does not accept advertising and works solely for the consumer.

—Jeff Bartlett and Rik Paul

Consumer Reports annual auto issue: How do we do it?

Behind our most anticipated automotive issue of the year lies a staff of engineers, statisticians, editors, and writers that give you the most comprehensive view of the automotive world available anywhere. The April issue is eagerly anticipated and read by millions of consumers and most everyone even remotely associated with the auto industry.

The annual auto issue contents are now available online, and the magazine is arriving at mailboxes and newsstands nationwide.

Some of the facts behind our testing:

We buy our test cars anonymously from dealers, just as you would. This past year, we spent $2.7 million on test cars. Other publishers write reviews based on free loaner cars that automakers hand pick.

Test vehicles are driven thousands of miles over several months. Most other auto reviews are based on a week or two of driving, some on only a couple of days.

Each vehicle undergoes more than 50 individual tests and evaluations. They include specialty tests such as antilock brake and accident-avoidance evaluations, real-world fuel-economy measurements, and ride-comfort evaluations.

Automotive engineers and their support staff evaluate each test car at our 327-acre Auto Test Center and while driving on a wide range of roads. (See how we do it in our video guide to testing.) Our staff and their families live with the vehicles everyday to get insights that aren’t possible from brief test drives.

Reliability Ratings are based on the problems of more than 1.4 million vehicles, as reported by Consumer Reports subscribers in our Annual Auto Survey.

Consumer Reports accepts no advertising. Our unbiased Ratings and reviews don’t pull punches to avoid upsetting advertisers such as carmakers. Our test center is in central Connecticut. All of our test cars are registered there, which is why they bear Connecticut license plates. But we have bought cars from as far away as California.

And perhaps the question we get asked most: What happens to vehicles after we test them? They’re usually sold to Consumers Union staff through a lottery, but some are used as trade-ins for new test cars. That helps us stretch our test budget.

Tested: Scooters and motorcycles

That’s right, Consumer Reports has tested two groups of scooters (50cc and 125-150cc) and a pair of 250cc motorcycles. Last summer, there was tremendous reader interest in two-wheel commuting alternatives, inspiring our auto team to develop a test program for evaluating affordable and entry-level choices.

The tested scooters include the Honda Ruckus, Motorino Allegro from China, and Vespa LX 50 from Italy. The larger engine class included the Kymco People 150 from Taiwan, Yamaha Vino 125, and Vespa LX 150. For motorcycles, we tested two popular, entry-level choices, the Honda Rebel and Kawasaki Ninja.

Scooters and motorcycles require different skills to operate than cars and provide nowhere near the safety of even the smallest car. (See our video scooter buyer's guide.) Best proceed with caution and carefully consider if the compromises and costs are worth the potential fuel savings, parking convenience, and admittedly, the fun.

We have prepared a full road test section, with insights into these models and ratings, along with advice on safe operation and protective gear.

In addition, join some of our staff riders and fellow enthusiasts in the "motorcycles and scooters" forum.

—Jeff Bartlett

The color of (our car buying) money

We’ve been buying a lot of cars the past few weeks, building up inventory for the 2009 program.

When I take delivery of a car, I often get asked several questions from the dealer: What do you do with the cars when you’re done? (We offer for sale first to the employees, otherwise we trade them in.) Do you crash test the cars? (Not intentionally.) Does it really matter what color you buy?

Well, yes and no. Obviously the color doesn’t matter when it comes to evaluating the performance of the car. But cars “pop” more in photographs and videos when they’re bright colors. That’s why, when we get the chance, we try and buy cars in unique bright colors. It’s why five of the nine cars in our October sporty car group were bright blue, two were shocking yellow, one was red, and one was orange.

There are limits to this. Getting a car with proper equipment – we want cars to line up with their test group – is more important. Some car classes, like luxury sedans, offer only somber colors. (When shopping, we’ve seen more silver than at Tiffany’s.) There has been more than one test group with almost all gray, silver, or dark blue cars. 

Timeliness also plays a role. We might ask for a dealer to “locate” a properly-equipped car from another dealer in a more photogenic color. But for some cars, especially those with low availability that were recently introduced, we’re lucky to get whatever we can find. As a rule of thumb, if we buy a black car, you can assume that it was hard to get.

Nothing better illustrates this than the two recent black cars in our stable: a base Honda Fit automatic and a VW Jetta TDI. It’s no surprise that we had to take what we could get of these high-fuel-economy models. (Luckily, we found an orange Fit Sport.)

See how the Honda Fit and Volkswagen Jetta TDI performed in their group tests.

—Tom Mutchler

To clarify, all cars are purchased anonymously, but the dealership discovers who we are upon delivery due to the name on the big check.

The Detroit 3 - What happened and where they stand

Consumer Reports has been testing cars since its inception in 1936, giving buyers an unbiased assessment of the best cars for their hard earned money. Over the years, we have seen the Big 3 domestic auto manufacturers rise and fall, but I don’t believe we have ever seen all of them in such perilous state.

In the 1950s and ‘60s the Michigan-based manufacturers had the automotive landscape to themselves, but as the ‘70s arrived, they failed to keep pace with technology and the market. As we moved into the ‘80s and ‘90s it was almost like an alcoholic who remains in denial until they acknowledge they have a problem. In some ways this is understandable. They were the biggest manufacturers in the world and living in the Detroit area in those days, the executives’ and employees only saw their own products driving around. Clearly, everyone loves them!

However, in other parts of the country where the work force is not so closely tied to the auto industry, other consumers were getting fed up with poor gas mileage and appalling reliability. At one time not so long ago during the check-in procedure of new cars that Consumer Reports had purchased anonymously from local dealers, we would count up the number a delivery faults (sample defects) each car had. These ranged from misaligned panels and malfunctioning parts, to major issues such as transmissions that would not shift correctly. We also heard from cars owners who had bought a Chevrolet or a Dodge or a Ford who had nothing but problems with their cars. Such owners would write, "I would never buy another XYZ again." This was not just the model they were talking about, it was the manufacturer – Chrysler, Ford, or General Motors—they were never going to buy a car from again.

Around this time the European and, more importantly, the Japanese car manufacturers started to get a foothold in the American market. In the early days Japanese cars were not very good, however they got customers to buy their cars by selling them fully equipped with A/C, radios, and other optional equipment the Big 3 charged extra for. Once the customers had these new small Japanese cars, they found out they were good on gas and they would go forever without breaking down. We still hear from subscribers who say that all they have done to a car in 200,000 miles is routine service.

I have always considered that the most important period for a car to be reliable is in its fourth and fifth year of ownership; this is the time when many owners are considering buying a new car. Many manufacturers have concentrated on initial quality and a three-year warranty period, thereby missing out on when the customer is considering their new car.

Over the years the Japanese vehicles have improved and are now make some of the best performing cars on the market. In fact most of the Top Picks in Consumer Reports Annual Autos issue have traditionally been from Japanese manufacturers. This is probably why about three quarters of the people who buy a Honda or Toyota buy another one, but less than half of Ford and GM buyers and only a third of Chrysler buyer buy another one.

Lately, we have also seen the rise of the Hyundai from Korea, who in the early ‘90s made awful cars with terrible reliability, which almost put them out of business. However, since the late ‘90s, we have seen tremendous improvements in Hyundai cars in both how they perform and in their reliability. The latest Hyundai products are now competitive with Honda and Toyota.

The Detroit 3 now
Today, I believe the Big 3, or as they should now be known as, the Detroit 3, have been in "rehab" for several years and are on the road to recovery, but like many recovering alcoholics, they are overweight and broke.

They are making progress, Ford over the last five years or so has been making incremental improvements year over year in the reliability of their cars, to the point that the newly introduced cars are on par with Honda and Toyota. Many consumers would not think that the Ford Fusion is one of the most reliable family sedans on the market and more reliable than poster child for reliability the Toyota Camry. Unfortunately their current line up of cars is not very exciting and bland; this does not bring customers into the showroom.

GM has introduced some very good cars that are competitive with the best cars in the world. The Cadillac CTS is competitive with BMW and Mercedes-Benz; the new Malibu is competitive with Honda Accord and Toyota Camry; and the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Arcadia, and Saturn Outlook are competitive with the best SUVs on the market. GM’s pickup trucks are some of the best available, but unfortunately their reliability has not been able to match the cars’ performance.      

Chrysler seems to have concentrated innovative features at the detriment of the vehicle as a whole. They have introduced "Stow and Go" and "Swivel and Go" seating in their minivans, but unfortunately the powertrains, handling, and interior quality in all Chrysler products has been lacking and nearly all their vehicles have below average reliability. Their one bright light is the new Ram pickup truck. Thus far in our testing, it marks a big improvement over its predecessor, but given that pickup trucks are not the most vibrant market segment today, Chrysler still has much work ahead. However, its recently announced alliance with Fiat may be able to accelerate the automaker’s turnaround.

A shorter version of this piece appears on NYTimes.com in a collaborative piece titled "How to Get Detroit Selling Again."

—David Champion

For more Consumer Reports’ insights on the domestic automakers, read “Report card for Detroit.” And see how car owners feel in the “Car Brand Perceptions Survey.”

How to save gas with the right tires

The tires you choose can affect your vehicle’s fuel economy. That’s because different models have varying degrees of rolling resistance, which is a measurement of how much energy it takes to roll a tire down a road. According to government estimates, a tire’s rolling resistance accounts for about 5 percent of the fuel a vehicle consumes.

Consumer Reports includes rolling resistance in our tire Ratings charts (for subscribers). This year’s tires ranged from very good to poor. All-season tires generally have lower rolling resistance than all-terrain tires.

To show how rolling resistance affects gas mileage, we used our Chevrolet Silverado test truck to measure the highway fuel economy of the tires with the best and worst rolling resistance.

The Silverado got 2.4 mpg better highway mileage with the Goodyear Wrangler SR-A all-season tire than with the General Grabber AT 2 all-terrain tire. That is a difference of about $300 per year, assuming gas cost $4 a gallon and the car is driven 12,000 miles a year.

To help consumers compare rolling resistance, California is adopting a tire-efficiency standard for tires sold in the state. The federal government is scheduled to follow suit in 2009.

But don’t use rolling resistance as your primary consideration in choosing tires. Some compromise wet grip for low rolling resistance, which can affect safety. In our tests, the top tire in rolling resistance, the Wrangler SR-A, rated only fair in wet braking.

We suggest you first look for tire models that provide good overall performance and then use rolling resistance as a tiebreaker.

For more information, check out our tire hub, which includes buying advice, tips on tire maintenance and detailed Ratings for car, truck, and winter tires (for subscribers).

Video: Handheld GPS hiking devices

GPS navigation can be a valued aid for in-car guidance, though the technology has other useful consumer applications, including handheld units for outdoor enthusiasts. Handheld hiking GPS devices have features such as a map, a compass, and sometimes an altimeter, and they add the ability to program routes, plot a trail, and share information. They can also inspire adventures, including geocaching—GPS-based treasure hunting.

This is all true, but what is it really like to use a handheld hiking GPS device?

I had long read about handheld hiking devices and heard about them from friends with great interest, though wasn’t clear on how they truly worked and what they would add to my hikes. I now know, and my enthusiasm has only increased.

Through the course of testing seven devices over several months (including the Garmin eTrex, Colorado, Oregon, and Magellan Tritons), the GPS team came to truly understand the benefits and compromises of hiking GPS devices in general and also between popular models. While we were developing full Ratings and buying advice for these products, we also thought it would be helpful to produce a video buying guide.

Project Leader Frank Spinelli and I recently headed to the local woods with CRTV to demonstrate how the units work, show some key factors to consider, and reveal the entertaining pastime of geocaching. The video will give you a good overview and prepare you for reading through our Ratings to choose the right hiking GPS device for your adventures, or aid in selecting a gift.

See our handheld hiking GPS buying advice and Ratings.

—Jeff Bartlett

Also, see our portable automotive GPS navigation systems Ratings and buying advice, watch our video guide, and browse our GPS First Looks. Discuss GPS devices in the forums. 

New GPS navigation devices and ratings

The countdown to Black Friday and the holidays is on. The GPS team has watched the calendar closely, as we have felt the pressure to test and rate the latest automotive GPS units that went on sale late summer and early fall. There are a lot of new products now on store shelves, and we have updated our comprehensive Ratings and recommendations to help you make an informed purchase decision.

The latest Rated navigators include:

Alpine PND-K3 – This new unit is a pleasant surprise, marking a significant improvement over past-tested Alpine units and boasting attractive graphics.

Garmin Nuvi 265WT and 500 – Part of the latest 2x5 generation, the widescreen Nuvi 265WT features free real-time traffic. A dual-purpose, the Nuvi 500 unit combines traditional Nuvi car navigation with the ability to serve hiking and geocaching duties, as well.

Mio Knight Rider – We couldn’t resist testing this nostalgic homage to the 1980s television show. And yes, it does use the original K.I.T.T. voice.

Navigon 2000S, 2200T, and 7200T – An all-new Navigon line sees notable improvements, including easier address entry and quicker calculation times. "T" models include free real-time traffic.

Sony Nav-U NV-U44, NV-U74T, and NV94T – Ranging from basic to 4.8-inch premium, the new Sony navigators are quicker than previous models for route calculation and moving through menus.

In addition to car navigators, we have also recently posted handheld hiking GPS buying advice and ratings.

The road ahead
The GPS team has been busy, but we’re not done yet. The handheld hiking GPS buying advice and ratings will go live in a couple days. (View our hiking GPS video.) Plus, we are already at work on the next update, targeting early December for providing ratings on more recently introduced automotive navigators.

Check out our redesigned GPS special section. It has pages of buying advice, including information on in-car navigation and cell-phone navigation. Be sure to use the slick, new product selector (available to online subscribers). This dynamic tool lets you sort and filter ratings by the features that matter most to you, and it even includes information on units in testing.

—Jeff Bartlett

For more information on portable automotive GPS navigation systems, see our Ratings and buying advice and watch our video guide. Discuss GPS devices in the forums.