Date: Sat, 08 Dec 2001 12:27:20 GMT From: "Mack Worrell" <cro_delete_wellmnopsamatlantic.net> Subject: Re: Was 1996 A Bad Year For Saabs?
"Just Bob" <uctraingnopsamanet.com> wrote in message news:e6001ucopguuvhuk5hnib31r9glthllpr5nopsamcom... > On Thu, 06 Dec 2001 11:02:56 GMT, "Mack Worrell" > <cro_delete_wellmnopsamatlantic.net> wrote: > Let me ask: You did study statistics before posting that, right ? > I just have one thing to say concerning that: > > "Dewey wins election by a landslide" > OK, I guess you've demonstrated by your example that the whole field of statistics is invalid. : ) > The problem is that the categories are too wide. "Engine problems" can > be anything from a minor problem like leaking valve cover gaskets to > a serious problem like Mitsubishi "crank walk", where the main > bearings give out due to lack of lubrication. Or, look at the Saab > V6 - which gets low marks because owners ignore the factory spec'ed > belt change intervals and hose the motors. Other categories cut > the same broad swath and are equally useless. Without the backup > data as to what specific problems they have, the generalization is > not useful. > CR bases reliability on 14 categories. The categories are weighted as to the overall importance in terms of overall reliability. It would probably be unwieldy for CR to increase the number of categories. I cannot agree with your generalization that their information is useless. > Additionally, the 'surveys' are not objective and do nothing to > account for the fact that a BMW owner may have higher expectations > than a Chevy owner, and report accordingly. > There surveys are based on quantitative data, so whether you like it or not the surveys are objective. As to there bias, that's another question. However, I know that when I bought my 1993 Mazda protege I compared it with other similarly sized and priced vehicles. When I purchased my 1996 Mercury Villager, I compared it with other minivans. When I bought my SAAB 9-5 Wagon (which, by the way, has a very good reliability record according to CR) I compared it to the Mercedes 320 Wagon, the BMW 500 series Wagons, and the Audi A-6 Wagon (much worse than average reliabilty). I didn't compare it to the Hyundai Elantra, for example. I would bet that as a class, the owners of the Mercedes, SAABs, BMWs, and Audis would all have nearly similar expectations. > Bob
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