Consumer Reports released their updated reliability ratings today in a presentation to the Detroit-based Automotive Press Association (APA). Their presentation highlighted infotainment systems and new transmission designs as key sources of problems in recently redesigned cars. Problems with both are often resolved with software updates. But in the case of new transmissions, all too often hardware and even the entire… More →
Author: Michael
Tesla Model S reliability finally below average in CR
Consumer Reports released their updated reliability ratings today in a presentation to the Detroit-based Automotive Press Association (APA). Their rating for the Tesla Model S finally (almost) agrees with what TrueDelta has been reporting for the past six quarters, and they will no longer recommend the car. Specifically, the predicted reliability for the Model S based on the 2013-2015 model… More →
What a difference a redesign can make
It’s common knowledge that the first year of a new car design can be glitchy. But sometimes a redesign greatly improves a model’s reliability. Two cases I’ve noticed: the 2009 Murano and the 2010 Legacy / Outback each dramatically improved on the repair frequency of the previous generation. (Yes, additional participation by Murano owners would be especially helpful.) Unfortunately, the… More →
Chevrolet Volt: twice as much as the Cruze, or not?
Chevrolet has redesigned the Volt, so car reviewers are once again writing about the Volt. Some will note that the Volt’s base price ($33,995) is twice as much as that of the Cruze ($16,995), though they share a platform and are about the same size. This seems like far too much to pay for the Volt’s raison d’être: the ability… More →
Updated Reliability Stats: How Are the 2015s Faring?
For the 36th consecutive time we have updated car reliability stats before the end of the quarter’s second month, covering through the end of the previous quarter (June 30, 2015, in this case). Reliability scores elsewhere are based on data about 14 months older. Three months ago I thought I’d be reporting now that Tesla’s quality had turned a corner.… More →
Which high-tech features do you want in your next car?
A challenge I did not foresee when I first created TrueDelta’s apples-to-apples car comparison tool in 2004: the flood of high-tech, software-centric features that would emerge in the following decade. It turns out auto makers are also bewildered. Which new high-tech features will buyers demand in their next car? Which can they afford to delay or never being work on?… More →
What TrueDelta offers, a recap
I fear that somewhere along the way, as we tried to streamline the site even as we added features, we lost a clear statement of what TrueDelta offers that no one else does. Here I’ll attempt a list. Car Reliability 1. Promptly updated four times a year, to closely track cars as they age 2. A preview of the next… More →
Updated Car Reliability Stats, Now With Reliability Trends
Every time we add a new feature, I wish we could have added it earlier (unfortunately, it’s just not possible to do everything immediately). This is especially the case with the latest addition: car reliability trends We updated our car reliability stats–for the 34th time–at the end of February. Each of the previous 33 times, our stats have only reflected… More →
A different sort of truck; should Hyundai build it?
For some time Hyundai has been trying to decide whether to product a pickup truck. Pickups are a large percentage of the North American market, and are highly profitable for the companies with large shares of the full-size segment. But large pickups from Toyota and Nissan have barely dented the market share of the dominant Detroit companies. Could Hyundai hope… More →
A redesigned Tacoma not a moment too soon
For the past decade virtually everyone has let their compact pickups whither on the vine. Ford discontinued its once best-selling Ranger altogether. The problem: it was hard to make money on them. But GM somehow got the business case to work for a new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. If they were counting on having the market to themselves, though,… More →