Consumer Reports Declares Tundra and Sequoia Most Reliable for 2009
Jason Lancaster | Oct 28, 2009 | Comments 18
While it’s true that Consumer Reports uses an awkward and fundamentally flawed metric (vehicle owner surveys + historical data) to determine their reliability scores, it’s always nice to see some good press for the Tundra…especially when all the recent talk has been about Tundra frame rust concerns.
Consumer Reports has said that the Tundra and the Sequoia are the most reliable vehicles in their respective classes. Of course, Consumer Reports’ acknowledgment of the Tundra comes with a caveat – they’re only recommending the V6 Tundra as most reliable…the 4×4 V8 Tundra is actually cited as the “least reliable Toyota model.”
Doesn’t it seem a little impossible for one version of the Tundra to be the most reliable pickup in it’s class when another version of the Tundra is Toyota’s least reliable model?
Ya – we think so too. Here’s what Consumer Reports has to say under the heading “Asian Brands Still Dominate”:
“Toyota…had just one vehicle that was below average in reliability, the Lexus GS AWD”
Contrast this info against the Tundra’s status as “least reliable” vehicle and it sounds like Consumer Reports needs to put an asterisk on that designation. The Tundra V8 4wd models have average reliability… just not quite as far above average as the rest of the Toyota lineup.
This seems like an important distinction, doesn’t it?
We’ve been critical of Consumer Reports in the past – specifically for announcing that they weren’t going to automatically recommend the Tundra in 2007. Evidently, Consumer Reports automatically recommends new models sometimes without gathering any data…and they decided not to do that with the Tundra back in 2007. Then they made an announcement saying they “couldn’t recommend the Tundra.”
Seems like they shouldn’t ever automatically recommend a vehicle.
Frankly, Consumer Reports seems to be ran by a bunch of people who don’t understand pickups. For example, their recommended full-size pickup is anything but a “full-size,” yet Consumer Reports has the audacity to say this particular truck “rewrites the book on pickups” and compliments this vehicles’ sedan like ride.
Excuse me? Sedan like ride? Sedan like ride doesn’t usually haul the boat to the lake. By the way, we can’t name this vehicle to you because you have to subscribe to CR to find out what it is, but we’ll give you a hint: you’re not going to be hauling much with this “truck.” Try thousands of pounds less than all of it’s competitors.
In any case, thanks Consumer Reports for illustrating so clearly how screwed up your rankings can be. According to C.R.:
- The Tundra is both the most reliable pickup of 2009 and the least reliable Toyota model
- The top recommended “full-size truck” doesn’t offer a V8
- 2 years ago CR announced they couldn’t automatically recommend the Tundra
Put another way, recognition from Consumer Reports is dubious.
Related Posts:
Filed Under: Auto News
I’ll say it for you – Honda ridgeline with a v6 that is mediocre at best with very little payload and bed size to seriously haul anything over 3/4K lbs. I’m sure they ride nicer, but is not a truck suspension, more car like.
To start off with the Ridgeline isn’t a truck the same goes for the Avalanche. Youy remember the Avalanche was the best truck and the worst gas mileage all in one. Not to mention the water leaks created by opening the back end up to have room to make it like a truck. Watchout Hexmate won’t like this. Oohh well.
CR had to settle with Suzuki and now has to print a disclaimer whenever they mention the Samurai SUV. CR is a joke when it comes to Auto’s. They got caught red handed trying to make a CR-V flip on a road course by jerking the wheel back and forth so the chasis would get upset and the truck would roll. AMAZINGLY they gave the CR-V a clean bill of health once the film surfaced. I think they spent too much time testing ovens and baked their brains. Idiots.
CR has their own political and environmental agenda and they aren’t afraid to lie cheat or fake to get it. CR hates trucks, vans, and SUV’s
CR especially hates the domestic automakers. They almost always praise Honda and Toyota, but always downtalk the big 3 even if I think some, not all, of their vehicles are reliable overall. CR also like you said Jeremy, dislike big V8’s and almost always favor the fuel efficient 4 cylinders or v6’s namely Honda and Toyota. They may be right somewhat, but are too drastic sometimes.
I don’t think I even want a CR rating if they’re this controversial. I happen to have the most unreliable 4X4 5.7L V8 Toyota has ever made yet haven’t had one true problem besides making sure to disengage my 4Hi in more appropriate places. 37K miles in under 2 yrs and still going…..whatever, CR!
I buy what I think is comfortable and what I need along with good looks/color for the best price vehicle out there. As of now, it so happens to be the 2010 tundra whether anyone (and I could care less) disagrees or agrees. See, I really could care less what others think of me or what others think I need. So, bite me CR and ??
I agree – I think the best way to explain some of C.R.’s rankings is to assert an agenda, but I’d like to believe that’s not true. Honestly, I think the problem is that C.R. has a lot of well-intentioned people who are overzealous. I think the best way to use C.R. is to compare their findings with Edmunds, KBB, JD Powers, and others. By that standard, most cars are pretty good quality…and that’s great news for consumers.
Was the sedan like ride comment for the Ridgeline? I can believe it if it was. The suspension on the ridgeline works pretty darn good though. We put a 2250lb pop-up camper on the tow hitch and the suspension only dropped about a half inch in the rear. The independent rear works really good on unlevel surfaces too (helps with off road). Doesn’t CR get their reliability, satisfaction, and owner cost from customer surveys? If that’s the case, then I trust those ratings. Some of the test information seems to be a little off though. Sometimes I think some cars are more reliable than others that are the same make and model. I know a guy who has 90,000 miles on his ridgeline and never had a problem. He has only had it for 4 or 5 years. I’ve had mine for two years and the glass was all scratched from the windshield wiper after about 6 months. That was my only real problem. If you ask most people with ridgeline’s how many problems they had with it, most probably would say they have had very little. Sometimes, you just lose your luck.
2250 pounds, look out!
MJB- My point is, the ridgeline’s suspension is stiff. You can load it up with 5000 and max it out with little suspension depression. I used to have an F-150 and the rear end was almost dragging the ground with the camper on it. Have you ever towed over 5000lbs?
Steve, what’s your actual tongue weight. You have been flip-flopping, rides like a car but has stiff suspension. I tow between 8k and 13k on average. 2500 pounds is nothing really, just the payload capacity of my truck. So put your trailer in the bed and I can still pull 10000 lbs. Also if you level your trailer with the correct hitch and balance the load to get the correct tongue weight you shouldn’t be able to notice any difference in a trucks height (I have never towed with anything but a truck so I don’t know how the ridgeline would handle that kind of weight). It should be all equal. So if its squatting 1/2 inch on he rear hows That front wheel drive handling? Your in the minivan class only towing 2500 lbs. Are you sure that thing can do it or do you need a Town and Country?
MJB- I’m not sure what my tongue weight is. My Ridgeline can fit 1500 lbs in the bed which is as much as an F-150. This thing is no minivan. It has a max towing capacity of 5000lbs which really isn’t that much but it’s a heck of a lot more than a town and country. Do you think the ridgeline is a truck? I don’t need to tow any more than a few thousand lbs and put a bed full of mulch in my truck. You go have fun towing your moving circus and I’ll tow my camper in the white mountains of New Hampshire. You obviously need a big truck and need to tow and haul a lot. I don’t think I’m some big rigger in my ridgeline though either. But you’re not going sit here and tell me that the Ridgeline isn’t a truck. It fully accomplishes what other compact trucks do.
Its not a truck! How are you gonna compare the squatting of a ridgeline to a F-150 without knowing if the tongue weight is the same? How do you know your not exceeding the tongue capacity of your vehicle? You could hurt that beloved car breaking my heart. How do you know your trailer only weighs 2500lbs? Is that empty or loaded. Have you ran it across a scale? If a toy hauler RV is the circus so be it. And lastly you said it, it preforms what other campacts do. Just like a Subaru Baja!
All I know is we used the same trailer hitch with the same RV on the end. I would challenge my TRUCK to trucks like the Tacoma, frontier, ranger, etc. The RV weighs ABOUT 2250. The Ridgeline will eat the baja. You can’t fit a bike in the baja’s bed and the thing can only tow 2500 lbs. My Ridgeline can double that. The Tacoma can tow 6500 lbs, the ridgeline 5000. But, the ridgeline can put 1500 lbs in the bed while the tacoma, about 1300. The Ridgeline’s bed is WAY wider than Tacoma’s although it is a tiny bit shorter (comparing double cab regular bed Tacoma). You can’t even fit a piece of ply board in a Tacoma and you can with a Ridgeline (I’ve tried it). Do you think the Tacoma is a truck?
I just looked at the Ridgeline’s manual a few days ago. The tongue weight on the Ridgeline with five people and a 2000 lb load is about 300 lbs. I’m still not sure on the F-150.
What?
I know it’s low, but who cares. I can still tow 5000 lbs and put 1500 in the bed. Fits my needs. It fits most peoples needs.