Lori Queen, a GM exec in charge of small car development, flew off the handle at the editorial staff of
Consumer Reports in an email exchange with Automotive News recently. She blasted the mag for its subjective
evaluations, bias towards Japanese automobiles and simplistic view of consumer preferences. The Detroit News surmises
that Queen may have been reacting to a harsh review the Chevy Cobalt received from CR.
The outburst
prompted a direct response from GM CEO Rick Wagoner who got on the horn with David Champion, CR head of auto testing,
to apologize. Today we’re expecting a similar apology signed by Wagoner to be published in print in Auto News.
Being an avid reader of car mags for a long time, this Autoblogger is interested to know whether or not you
all hold the opinions of Consumer Reports in the same esteem as other traditional car mags, or if you see CR as more of
a reference tool for non-automotive enthusiasts.