Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 911 best performance car
A while back, we had heard that there are a few dedicated car guys within the hallowed halls of Consumer Reports. At the time, we were a bit surprised, but now that they've rated the Porsche 911 as the "Top Ultra-Performance Car," their gear-head cred may have just been confirmed.
The vehicles tested in the performance arena included the Corvette Z06, Dodge Viper and the aforementioned 911. Those coupes, along with a BMW 650i, Cadillac XLR, Jaguar XK, Lexus SC430 and an M-B SL550, made up the magazine's first foray into the world of luxury sports cars.
This inaugural exam of high-end motoring proved to be the most expensive yet for the magazine. As we're sure you're aware, C.R. doesn't accept any press vehicles for evaluation, so they purchase their test subjects on the open market, just as any other car buyer would. The total for all vehicles came in at over $650,000.
The 911 was rated by C.R.'s wonks as "excellent" overall, just barely nudging out the Z06, which also received an "excellent" score. The Viper, brought up the rear with a "very good" rating, although it had the distinction of being the fastest vehicle to sprint to 60 MPH in Consumer Reports' history (4.2 seconds, if you didn't already have it firmly implanted in your cortex).
Interestingly, of all the vehicles rated in the test, only the Lexus SC430 received the 'recommended" designation, due to a lack of reliability information on the rest of the models.
Follow the 'read' link for a synopsis or wait until September 5th, when Consumer Reports hits newsstands everywhere.
[Source: The Auto Channel]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Michael Karesh 10:26AM (9/01/2006)
If there's one thing I've learned from the cars people compare on the price comparison part of my site, it's that sports car buyers don't thoroughly evaluate every aspect of the car before deciding which one to buy. Most sports cars today are quite distinctive, and people know from their gut which one they want.
In addition, they knew even before conducting the test that they could only recommend one of the cars, because they either had insufficient data or poor reliability ratings. Ridiculous.
Is even one additional person going to buy a 911 because it won this comparison test? If anyone going to now not buy the Viper because it placed near the bottom?
Even CR's head car guy admits how much he personally enjoyed the thoroughly flawed Viper, red hot rockers and all. It's kind of like that.
I've posted my overall take on comparison tests here:
http://www.truedelta.com/pieces/comparison_tests.com
My thesis applies ten times over to sports cars.
In the end, I must ask, "What was the point?" Why spend a ton of money to buy a bunch of cars they know they can't recommend, and that few people care to see objective ratings on?
Well, they've been trying especially hard lately to convince the rest of us that they're really car guys. (Perhaps because they know that reliability differences often aren't large--time to find something else to base the business on.) Consider this a PR exercise more than anything else. Hopefully the cash came out of the PR budget; to take it out of the regular testing budget would be an irresponsible use of members' dues.
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rwdmtparkingonly 10:26AM (9/01/2006)
The CR testers should have waited long enough to have to pay for some of the maintenance also; the shock from Porsche dealer bills would have probably put the Vette in the top spot.
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patrick 10:32AM (9/01/2006)
Gee, CR only recommending the Toyota....and picking a car that is slower, has lower handling limits, lower fuel economy AND is $10K higher than the GM product...bias? nah....
oh, Car & Driver ranked the ZO6 ($65k MSRP) 3rd behind the 911 Turbo ($130K MSRP) and the ferarri F430 ($175K MSRP), but they weren't factoring cost in there....
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Sue Esponte 10:36AM (9/01/2006)
Now I'm a huge Porsche fan so I'm glad to see the 911 up at the top of sports car heap, but the people over at Consumer Reports don't know their arses from their elbows when it comes to cars.
And to all of the Vette proponents, there's more to a car than brute speed. No one ever said that the 911 is the fastest car or the least expensive. I'd have to agree that the current Vette (especially the Z06) is the best bang for the buck on the market in the speed department. Unfortunately, while GM has made vast improvements to the Vette's interior over the past few years, its still a low rent place to sit for $50K+. Too many parts are carried over from lesser GM cars and the overall feel (while much improved) still misses the mark. I'm not knocking the Vette but in terms of an overall package (price aside) the 911 is much more complete. It has the performance part down and it couples that triumph with comfort and luxury where the Vette pails in comparison.
Anyway, as far as the folks at CR go, they tend to spend too much time following public opinion rather than leading it. When they get a clue, their rankings will hold water. Until then...whatever.
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Michael Karesh 10:34AM (9/01/2006)
Oops, wrong extension. Correct link to the editorial here:
http://www.truedelta.com/pieces/comparison_tests.php
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Michael Karesh 10:37AM (9/01/2006)
Even before they bought the cars they knew that the Lexus was the only car they could recommend. Think of it as a third world election, where everyone is forced to vote even though the outcome is preordained.
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Franky 10:50AM (9/01/2006)
CR got this one right. The Z06 is a decent car..but it's still a corvette with the same suspension as my Silverado.
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rwdmtparkingonly 11:01AM (9/01/2006)
Wow, your Silverado has aluminum double wishbone suspension at every corner with transverse composite leaf springs? That's some pretty impressive fabrication. Did you put on the magnaride shocks that Ferrari is licensing?
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Tom 11:02AM (9/01/2006)
I'm sure after the tests they resell the cars, so they get some of the money back...
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porker 11:17AM (9/01/2006)
Well, I read the synopsis, and I can't find anything of substance that causes the toaster testers to choose the porsche over the 'Vette. So, what did they base their choice upon? Their typical anti-American, anti-GM bias, of course. The toaster testers should stick to toasters and shirts, they can test these items fairly and report on them in an unbiased manner.
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Franky 11:20AM (9/01/2006)
LOL
Leaf springs on a sports car. How state of the art.
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DPC 11:31AM (9/01/2006)
And I agree with Consumer Reports, just let me have the turbo version.
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Lou 11:35AM (9/01/2006)
CR recommending a Japanese car? WOW! There's a surprise....can't remember a Japanese auto that they don't recommend. Perfection, thy name is Japan. (At least, to the CR folks.)
I have a '99 911 (0K, a 996 for those of you who want to be technical about it) that has been pampered and babied through only 43,000 miles and while it IS a huge kick to drive....it is also a huge pain in the a** to keep maintained...not necessarily mechanical stuff like the engine....but smaller nitpicky stuff that you'd think a $100k+ car would not have go wrong....oh well. live and learn..but it's the last one I'll ever own...
As to some other comments, I agree that it's difficult, if not impossible, to really compare these cars adequately. Each one is so unique and fits such a specialized set of tastes that trying to put them on some sort of equal basis is probably impossible. This sort of "test" isn't likely to sway or convince a die-hard 'Vette junkie to go with the Dodge Viper or the avowed BMW lover to tumble to a Lexus.
Just chalk it up to an organization that at the end of the day needs to sell some mags and this is a sexy topic....I mean who wants to see the results of the head-to-head competition among the Yaris-Fit-etc crowd?
So, have some fun with it...keep the friendly debate going and try to save up enough to get the super car of your dreams....just remember that they're still cars and they WILL (every single one of them) need maintenance.
Cheers!
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rwdmtparkingonly 11:35AM (9/01/2006)
Frank, go read a book; these aren't the steel longitudinal leaf springs on your Silverado.
Advantages of Transverse Leaf Springs:
Less unsprung weight. Coil springs contribute to unsprung weight; the less there is, the more quickly the wheel can respond at a given spring rate.
Less weight. The C4 Corvette's composite front leaf weighed 1/3 as much as the pair of conventional coil springs it would replace.
Weight is positioned lower. Coil springs and the associated chassis hard mounts raise the center of gravity of the car.
Superior wear characteristics. The Corvette's composite leaf springs last longer than coils, though in a car as light as the Corvette, the difference is not especially significant. No Corvette leaf has ever been replaced due to fatigue failure.
As used on the Corvette, ride height can be adjusted by changing the length of the end links connecting the leaf to the suspension arms. This allows small changes in ride height with minimal effects on the spring rate.
Also as used on the Corvette, the leaf spring acts as an anti-roll bar, allowing for smaller and lighter bars than if the car were equipped with coil springs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette_leaf_springs#Composite_Transverse_Mono-leaf_Spring
The biggest disadvantages are cost (composite leafs cost more than steel coils) and the shallow perceptions of people like Frank.
The Porsche Corvette debate can go on without end, but the true error of Consumer Reports, as a consumer value oriented magazine, was to miss the CAYMAN.
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G. Snyder 11:39AM (9/01/2006)
Franky - your statements are pretty moronic. It is not a traditional leaf spring. You must not know too much about A) the Corvette B) your own truck, or C) cars in general.
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G. Snyder 11:58AM (9/01/2006)
I love reading reports from CR - just for the humor. You will see them review sports sedans and complain about the stiff ride and confining seats. They will deduct points because the performance tires make more road noise. Then they will go on and on about cup holders and storage space.
They are idiots for the most part. They do not review cars in the proper context. Someone shopping for an S2000 does not care that you cannot pick up lumber from Home Depot or that it only has one cup holder.
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Michael Karesh 11:41AM (9/01/2006)
Porches possess better steering feel and feel more agile than Corvettes. GM tunes everything to feel larger than it is, including the Corvette. Somewhat a matter of personal taste, and CR prefers the Porsche feel. I do as well, but not everyone does.
CR's evaluations are also swayed by interior quality, which pretty much everyone agrees is much better in the Porsche.
On the other hand, given how they score cars the regular Corvette might have scored higher than the Z06. It's ride is smoother and quieter, and its acceleration is quick enough to peg the meter in their scoring system. So buying and testing the Z06 seems pointless.
The Corvette doesn't use your typical leaf spring. They are fiberglass and run across the car, from side to side. Benefits of this approach are space efficiency and weight. The big disadvantage of a conventional leaf is that they are often used to locate the axle. The Corvette's leaf springs simply serve as springs, they don't locate the wheels.
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Michael Karesh 11:42AM (9/01/2006)
Um, that's "Porsches." Most porches don't handle very well.
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Franky 11:42AM (9/01/2006)
You can't find anything of substance that causes the toaster testers to choose the porsche over the 'Vette??
How about these statements:
1)"At the track, it holds its own against the Porsche 911 and Dodge Viper, though handling is less precise than the 911."
2)"But the car’s width and 42-foot turning circle make parking awkward."
3)"The ride is firm and less comfortable than the 911’s"
4)"The interior uses some nice materials, but some panels fit loosely. The flimsy seat-recline lever and hard plastics seem cheap for a $74,000 vehicle."
5)"Our Z06 had an optional power telescoping function for the steering wheel, but the manual tilt adjustments were still too coarse for all of our drivers to find a comfortable position. The low-mounted electric door release buttons are awkwardly placed."
Seems pretty obvious!
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J 11:46AM (9/01/2006)
:offtopic:
Do you know if they carry the "Transverse Leaf Springs" over on the ALMs corvette's? They would give the a lot of credability in my mind.
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