Consumer Reports: Mythbuster: Can cars imported from Japan be radioactive?

As Japan struggles to emerge from the recent earthquake and subsequent tsunami, and faces further potential disaster from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power complex, the auto industry is wrestling with how to cope with the enormous logistic challenges these tragedies have created. Japanese automakers and their suppliers have suspended production, and it may be months before things are fully back up to speed. As the world waits to see what happens next, from when rebuilding the ravaged nation can begin to how its recovery could impact markets, some consumers have pondered, are there risks from cars imported from Japan being radioactive?

In a word, no.

The vast majority of factories are located well outside the evacuation range surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi complex. Automakers report they are taking precautions to ensure their factories, components, and staff are protected. Likewise, they will ensure that vehicles meet safe levels for radiation before distributing.

"Toyota will take any necessary steps to ensure the cars we deliver to customers are safe in every way," said Javier Moreno of Toyota Communications. He stated that the majority of Toyota Motor Corporation's operations in Japan are located about 240 miles southwest of the nuclear power plant and no unusual radiation activity has been detected.

We spoke with several companies, all of which have been working to protect their workers and consumers, while rebuilding their businesses. The sentiments expressed by the automakers were similar, though clearly some were harder hit than others.

"We are evaluating the situation very carefully, of course, safety is our number one concern," said Jeffrey Smith of Honda Corporate affairs. He added that the nearest port to the impacted area that Honda uses is about 125 miles away. Honda had 17 employees injured in the Tochigi area during the earthquake, plus an associate killed at an R&D facility.

Beyond the safety measures in place in Japan, consumers are further protected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency focused on preventing terrorists and weapons from entering the United States. Among its tools, the CBP uses sensitive, large-scale Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM) to scan all maritime cargo and mail arriving from Japan. In addition, agents use a wide range of technologies, including radiation isotope identifiers, to scan people, vehicles, and cargo containers. The radiation isotope identifiers are hand-held devices that can detect gamma and neutron emissions from radioactive sources, including nuclear, medical, and industrial isotopes. With hundreds of such devices in the field, any car or other product carrying an unsafe level of radioactivity would be discovered and halted at the more than 140 Border Patrol stations and more than 150 ports of entry.

As one would expect, the CBP tells us that they are monitoring developments in Japan carefully and specifically assessing the potential for radiological contamination associated with the ongoing impact of the earthquake and tsunami to Japan's nuclear facilities.

There are many valid concerns surrounding the crisis in Japan, including the human toll, cultural impact, and market forces, but radioactive consumer goods is not one of them.

Learn what you can do to aid Japan (via CNN), and donate to the American Red Cross.

—Jim Travers and Jeff Bartlett

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/03/mythbuster-can-cars-imported-from-japan-be-radioactive.html

Auto regulators drop rule for power window safety requirement

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) withdrew proposed rulemaking for an automatic reverse function that would prevent a child’s neck or hand from getting caught in a closing window, if they inadvertently pressed down the switch that raises the window.

There are few fatalities or serious injuries that additional safety requirements could prevent, NHTSA stated in a notice about the nixed rule. Any new regulation “would instead address primarily ‘finger-pinch’ type injuries.”

Vehicle redesigns have largely addressed the issue, and now have window switches that need to be pulled up. Window switches that are pressed down to close automatic windows have been replaced, virtually eliminating the hazard. This leaves only older vehicles with that specific safety hazard.

NHTSA also asked for a delay in requiring backup cameras in cars. Both measures are part of the 2007 Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, for which Consumers Union originally lobbied.

Consumers can check out which vehicles have auto-reverse safety features through safercar.gov
—Maggie Shader

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2011/03/auto-regulators-drop-rule-for-power-window-safety-requirement.html?EXTKEY=I91CONL&CMP=OTC-ConsumeristRSS

Honda CBR250R is first entry-level motorcycle with ABS

If you’re looking forward to celebrating warmer weather by getting into motorcycle riding, Honda may have the bike for you. The company just introduced a new entry-level sport bike, the CBR250R, to compete with Kawasaki’s popular Ninja 250, which we tested (and liked a lot) in 2008.

Previously, Honda’s only entry-level bike this small and affordable was the Rebel 250, a cruiser which we also tested then. All our riders preferred the Ninja for its precise handling; smooth, free-revving engine; and slick-shifting six-speed transmission. Some riders also found the Rebel 250 too small and cramped.

Now the CBR250R offers a sport-bike seating position in an affordable, entry-level package starting at $4,500. Better yet for new riders, the CBR250R is available with antilock brakes, which the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has shown reduces motorcycle crashes by as much as 37 percent.

Consumer Reports would like to see ABS offered on more motorcycles, especially affordable models aimed at newer riders. We welcome Honda’s introduction of the CBR250R as a first step in that direction and consider the $500 premium for the optional antilock brake system to be money well spent.

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/01/honda-cbr250r-is-first-entry-level-motorcycle-with-abs.html

Consumer Reports Test complete: 2011 Honda Odyssey EX-L

“Mocked as Uncool, the Minivan Rises Again,” proclaims the headline in the recent New York Times’ business section. Long maligned for their dowdy image and shunted to the sidelines as buyers were attracted to SUVs, minivans are experiencing something of a sales resurgence.

Maybe buyers are rediscovering the appeal of minivans: no other vehicle offers their combination of passenger and cargo space, drivability, refinement, and fuel economy. It’s also entirely likely that sales are up because there is fresh product. Every player in the market has been redesigned or updated in the last 18 months.

That includes the Honda Odyssey, currently the top-selling minivan. Trying to appeal to a new generation of buyers who previously wouldn’t be caught dead in a minivan, the redesigned Odyssey has much more swoopy styling and some new interior features. But as our test shows, a minivan that is now more interesting to look at isn’t necessarily more entertaining to drive.

Watch the video for highlights from our testing, and visit the Honda Odyssey model overview page for complete pricing, reliability, road test, and more.

—Tom Mutchler

Source;
Consumer Reports

Ford passes Toyota in Consumer Reports quality ranking (Honda 1st!)

Honda and Ford have pushed past Toyota in consumer views of quality, according to Consumer Reports’ 2011 Car Brand Perception Survey.

A series of massive recalls over the last 18 months tarnished Toyota’s reputation as a leader in quality, the magazine said Tuesday. Toyota also paid nearly $50 million in fines last year to federal safety regulators for failing to promptly inform regulators of defects in its vehicles and delaying recalls.

Honda ranked first, with 25% of the car owners participating in the survey naming it as the manufacturer with the best quality in the study. Ford was second, at 23%, and Toyota finished third at 19%, a drop of 11 percentage points for the former leader. Chevrolet, at 16%, and Mercedes-Benz, at 15%, rounded out the top five.

Despite Toyota’s dive in the quality rankings, the Japanese automaker still scored the highest in overall brand perception -– an amalgamation of separate rankings of safety, quality, value, performance, environmentally friendliness, design/style and technology/innovation.

Toyota, with an overall score of 147, narrowly edged out Ford, which scored 144 points on the Consumer Reports scale, because of its big lead as an automaker that is considered environmentally friendly, said C. Matt Fields, a magazine spokesman.

“Statistically, it really is a dead heat,” he said.

Consumers in the study ranked safety, 65%; quality, 57%; and value, 51%, as the most important factors in their car-buying decisions. When it comes to safety, Volvo was named by 70% as the leader. It had a giant 50-point advantage over second-place Ford at 20%. Honda and Subaru were both at 17% and Mercedes-Benz was fifth, with 14%.

In terms of value, Ford, at 25%, squeaked by Honda, 24%, and Toyota, 23%, as the brand most mentioned by consumers. Hyundai, with 17%, and Chevrolet, at 15%, rounded out the value rankings. The full report can be found here.

Consumer Reports saying that Ford has moved up in perception and that Toyota has declined matches other auto-market trends.

The Ford brand outsold Toyota’s line of vehicles last year for the first time since 2006.
Toyota saw its share of the U.S. auto market fall to 15.2% in 2010 from 17% in the previous year.

Meanwhile, Ford’s market share rose to 16.7% last year, up more than a full percentage point. This was the second consecutive year of rising market share for Ford and its first back-to-back increase since 1993.

Also last year, Toyota was the subject of more than a quarter of the complaints drivers filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to a study by auto information company Edmunds.com. Its ratio of complaints to 100,000 vehicles sold jumped to nearly 87 so far in 2010 from 37 a year earlier.

Among large automakers, Ford and Honda had the lowest complaint ratios.

Source;
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/01/honda-and-ford-have-pushed-past-toyota-in-consumer-views-of-quality-according-to-consumer-reports-2011-car-brand-percepti.html

Video: 2011 Mazda2 - Good, but not quite (Honda) Fit

You know that the Honda FIT is a good car when it's used as a benchmark when comparing other good cars....

The subcompact Mazda2 isn't a bad car, but "not bad" isn't enough to take the world by storm. In today's competitive car market, there are plenty of really good cars to pick from.

Good fuel mileage is a big reason buyers go for small cars. The Mazda2 returned an average of 30 mpg overall with an automatic transmission and 33 with the manual in our testing. While that's not too shabby, it isn't outstanding these days. The larger and more comfortable Toyota Corolla compact returned 32 mpg overall in our tests with an automatic, and the midsize Hyundai Sonata GLS clocked in at 27 mpg overall.

Both of those cars are newer designs than the wee Mazda, and that's one of the 2's problems: Engine, transmission, and other technologies are advancing so fast that an older design just can't deliver the fuel economy of newer models. And the Mazda2 is an older design, having been on sale in Japan, Europe, and other markets for several years before being introduced to U.S. buyers earlier this year.

That leads to the other problem. There's good reason why carmakers bring certain models to certain markets and don't bring others. Roads, driving habits, and lifestyles vary tremendously around the world. The Mazda2 does not drive like it was designed for U.S. roads. That's because it wasn't.

The 2 is a kick to drive around town, zipping in and out of tight spaces and easy to park. On back roads, it's also entertaining to toss around. But the 2 isn't a fun cruiser. It's noisy on those highways we Americans rely on to get around so much, with a choppy ride, and it can feel a bit darty, requiring a lot of steering correction to stay on course.

Honda brought the subcompact Fit to our shores a few years ago, and it, too, was a design not intended for the U.S market. But with much more interior room and a clever folding rear seat that turns it into a mini cargo truck, the Fit has been a hit with American buyers. It's one of our top-Rated subcompacts.

The Mazda2 entered the increasingly crowded subcompact category as a contender and outscored some others in our testing. But it isn't as Fit as some others.

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/12/video-2011-mazda2-good-but-not-quite-fit.html

Consumer Reports: Honda, Toyota vehicles most trouble-free

Sorry about the small pic, it's as big as I could find....
DETROIT — The most problem-free cars and trucks are made by Honda and Toyota, but U.S. automakers Ford and General Motors are closing the gap in quality, according to an annual survey by Consumer Reports magazine.

Ford and GM continue to narrow the disparity that once separated Asia-based automakers from their Detroit rivals. Large overhauls of American car companies in the last few years have resulted in fewer brands and better vehicles from Detroit.

For the third year in a row, Toyota's Scion had the fewest problems of any brand in the survey.

It was followed by Porsche, Acura, Honda, and Nissan's Infiniti luxury brand. The Toyota brand ranked sixth, down from third last year. It was followed by Subaru and Volvo. Lexus, which had been a top finisher in past years, fell to ninth. Ford was 10th, but rose from 16th the previous year.

Consumer Reports rankings, released Tuesday, are widely used by buyers shopping for cars and trucks. The magazine ranks No. 3 on the list of information sources used by Americans to pick vehicles, topped only by brand loyalty and recommendations from friends and family.

Scion, Toyota's youth brand, was tops because it sells just three models, the xD hatchback, xB wagon and tC coupe. Those models haven't been revamped recently. As a result, they have fewer reliability problems, said David Champion, senior director of auto testing for Consumer Reports.

Toyota generally fared well in the survey despite recalling more than 10 million vehicles worldwide for safety problems including sticky gas pedals, floor mats that can trap accelerators and brake fluid leaks.

"Toyota's taken a slight knock from the issues with their recalls," Champion said.

He said the magazine's survey asks owners to ignore recalls unless they have experienced a problem, easing the impact. Toyota's luxury brand, Lexus, has expanded its model lineup and the quality has slipped, he said.

The survey of about 960,000 of the magazine's subscribers also restored recommended ratings for eight recalled Toyota brand models.

Toyota in January recalled 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. due to sticky gas pedals, including the 2009-10 RAV4 crossover, 2009-10 Corolla, the 2009-10 Matrix hatchback, the 2005-10 Avalon, the 2007-10 Camry, the 2010 Highlander crossover, the 2007-10 Tundra pickup and the 2008-10 Sequoia SUV models.

It stopped selling the models until the vehicles on dealer lots were fixed. When sales were halted, Consumer Reports yanked the recommended ratings.

Champion said Honda is the top manufacturer for reliability, with the Honda and Acura brands consistently at the top of the survey due to a continued emphasis on quality.

Champion said the Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford has several individual models that have better quality than Toyotas. Ford's quality resurgence was led by the Fusion midsize sedan, which outranked Honda's Accord and Toyota's Camry, two of the most reliable cars on the road.

Ford's improvements began five years ago and have continued, Champion said.

General Motors showed the most improvement. GM had 69 models with average or better reliability, up from only 21 last year. GM's top-ranked brand was Chevrolet at 17, up from 25 last year.

GM shed some poor-quality models when it got rid of Saturn, Hummer and Pontiac, Champion said, and its new models like the Chevrolet Equinox crossover and Buick LaCrosse sedan are performing well.

The Chrysler brand was ranked last of 27 brands shown in the survey, the magazine said, while Jeep ranked 20th and Dodge was 24th. No Chrysler vehicles scored above average in reliability.

Champion said the company under its previous owners cut costs, and it is showing in the quality rankings. The company's in the process of updating its entire model lineup. New models like the Jeep Grand Cherokee are showing promise.

The most reliable vehicle in the survey was the Porsche Boxster sports car, while the least reliable was the Jaguar XF luxury car.

Complete rankings and recommendations will be revealed in the magazine's December issue.

Source;
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g99bly-plBKdOzx9dmhnZMP3rGZQ?docId=4947998

Consumer Reports: Why you should buy a 2010 Honda Odyssey now!