Why $90,000 Doesn't Always Buy You a Comfortable Car

[Yellow32]

Why $90,000 Doesn't Always Buy You a Comfortable Car | Green Business | Reuters

I check out the Wall Street Journal’s autos coverage frequently online, but it wasn’t until yesterday when I was leafing through the good old print edition that I ran into a true head-spinner.

This story about Chrysler vehicle quality covered familiar ground. No one really thinks about the Pentastar as producing vehicles on a par with Toyota (TM) or even, say, Ford (F). Chrysler has its own thing going (even in bankruptcy, and probably after bankruptcy), and that’s bold design.

It was the photo that accompanied the story that got me. The car pictured is the Dodge Viper, a street-legal race car with a 600-horsepower V10 engine that costs more than $90,000. It will do zero to 60 in less than 4 seconds and top out at 200 mph. (And unfortunately, it’s being discontinued at the end of its current generation.) According the WSJ, however, Consumer Reports found the Viper to have a “harsh ride, noise, poor driving position, and lack of creature comforts,” all of which “take their toll on the driver.”

Well, yeah! It’s a rocket sled built around a humongous engine! Ideal customer is a Navy F-18 pilot who's used to being hurled from aircraft-carrier catapults! Toll me, Viper! Toll me! Not really the sort of thing a person shopping for “creature comforts” places high on his list. Better to use something like a Dodge Caliber to symbolize Chrysler’s quality problems. Because there's nothing wrong with the Viper. Unless you consider getting Lamborghini Murcielago acceleration at less than a third of the supercar's lofty price ($313,000) a problem.

[AZTVR]

Originally Posted by Yellow32

Consumer Reports found the Viper to have a “harsh ride, noise, poor driving position, and lack of creature comforts,” all of which “take their toll on the driver.

I would add that its off-road capability is woefully lacking due to poor ground clearance, and towing capacity is so poor that it is scary when trying to pull anything larger than a 24-foot ski-boat.

[red98RT10]

Don't forget the safety issue, too. It states clearly on the sun visor that the safest place for an infant is in the back seat. For $90,000 I expect to get a back seat to put my infant in!!

[Vreracing]

It's a street legal race car. One nice thing is unlike my real race car, it has a door that opens and closes. The race car, I must climb in through the window.

[C-Note]

And the front springs are to weak to accommodate a snow plow, for 90k I expect more!

[mikecronis]

Consumer Reports? You're reading that rag? That magazine is designed for the soccer mom. (No offense, soccer-moms). It's designed for a 40-something mom with kids who adores her tan minivan/SUV because her kids can cause mayhem and destroy the back with crayons and graham-cracker smoosh!

I discarded the magazine completely as junk when they compared the Lotus Elise with the Mazda Miata and they couldn't tell the difference in handling (.3 lateral g difference!) or acceleration (3 second 0-60 difference from the base Elise) and preferred the Miata because of the cup holders and cozy seats.

Honestly, Sports Car International was THE BEST car magazine because unlike Roger Ebert would not sell-out to some car company (as Car and Driver does with Ford.. check out last month's issue as they mention Ford in EVERY article, to include the VW Bug Fun Cup [where there's no Fords, just Bugs]).

Don't take it to heart, friend. Watch Top Gear and be pleased.

What's this about Gen-IV being the last iteration? I haven't even got one yet! Yikes! I better hurry!!!

[red98RT10]

Originally Posted by mikecronis

Honestly, Sports Car International was THE BEST car magazine because unlike Roger Ebert would not sell-out to some car company (as Car and Driver does with Ford..

It annoys the "hello" out of me sometimes! I recently watched a duel between the '09 SRT ACR vs. the '09 vette (VO6 or VR1...not sure). The ACR won in every category but the judges picked the vette because it felt more comfortable and easier to handle. If that isn't biased reporting, I don't know what is. Why even run the cars through the tests? Just start the article with the final decision instead!

[Black Mamba 47]

And forget about chaining the thing up in the middle of winter, since no one sells studded tires for it

[CCBrian]

Originally Posted by Vreracing

It's a street legal race car. One nice thing is unlike my real race car, it has a door that opens and closes. The race car, I must climb in through the window.

Buy a Comp Coupe-they have real doors and are real fast.

[Mopar Boy]

Some never get it do they?

[Y2KACR]

They forgot to mention that the convertibles have a manual top, small trunk and the cockpit gets windy at speeds in excess of 140mph.

[ViperGal]

And the driver will be left with a grin that will be difficult to remove....

[TCurtner]

Viper is the antithesis of wusy car - precisely why it's the best 90k one could spend on a race car for the street. Forget comparos, they - the silly editors - almost always fail to understand a Viper. Good. I see Z06s and C5/C6 vettes all over Knox and that's fine with me.

[ViperTony]

The last time I read CR was last summer when I needed to replace our dishwasher. CR is good for appliances and paint but not Vipers. Sorry.

[AviP]

Originally Posted by Yellow32

Consumer Reports found the Viper to have a “harsh ride, noise, poor driving position, and lack of creature comforts,” all of which “take their toll on the driver.”

That part of the article was silly because no one buying a supercar looks at Consumer Reports for reviews. But what sucked about Chrysler was that all of it's vehicles faired in the worst ranking on Consumer Reports. It can only hurt sales if there is poor quality control. And what's odd is that the PT Cruiser which had a better rating and is being discontinued, perhaps on sales numbers.

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

LOL Consumer Reports evaluating a Viper. I suppose it's good they said what they said. In fact, I think everyone should be warned and discouraged from buying a Viper. That way the only people that would buy Vipers are folks that knew they had to have a Viper and not a bunch of wishy-washy cool wannabees who don't have a clue of what the Viper is all about.

[tennis tom]

Consumer Reports sucks. Whenever I go to Walgreens and comparison shop for magazines it doesn't even come close to Playboy or Hustler. CR has no center-folds or any t&a. Their photos of toasters and microwave ovens are no where near as artisticly done as Playboy's or Hustler's photography and choice of subject matter. I have comparison shopped magazines long and hard and CR has never pricked my interest as much as Playboy and Hustler has.

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Originally Posted by tennis tom

Consumer Reports sucks. Whenever I go to Walgreens and comparison shop for magazines it doesn't even come close to Playboy or Hustler. CR has no center-folds or any t&a. Their photos of toasters and microwave ovens are no where near as artisticly done as Playboy's or Hustler's photography and choice of subject matter. I have comparison shopped magazines long and hard and CR has never pricked my interest as much as Playboy and Hustler has.

Give CR another shot. This month they have a great pic of a waffle iron spread eagle.

[tennis tom]

Originally Posted by Chuck 98 RT/10

Give CR another shot. This month they have a great pic of a waffle iron spread eagle.

I'm coming, I've got the butter and syrup in the boot.

[ViperTony]

Originally Posted by Chuck 98 RT/10

Give CR another shot. This month they have a great pic of a waffle iron spread eagle.

LMAO!! I spit coffee on my laptop laughing so hard when I read this.

[BolsOut]

Originally Posted by Chuck 98 RT/10

LOL Consumer Reports evaluating a Viper. I suppose it's good they said what they said. In fact, I think everyone should be warned and discouraged from buying a Viper. That way the only people that would buy Vipers are folks that knew they had to have a Viper and not a bunch of wishy-washy cool wannabees who don't have a clue of what the Viper is all about.

Agreed.

[tennis tom]

Originally Posted by BolsOut

Agreed.

Yes, your average person should not ever be allowed to drive a Viper for their own safety and the safety of others. It's the Cobra for modern times. Windows and a great working convertible top. I missed the boat on on a Yellow 427 Cobra for $6,000 sitting right under my nose when I was in college in the early 70's. $6000 might as well have been $600,000--I should have robbed a bank! That Cobra is probably worth a half million or more today.

I'm glad I didn't miss the boat this time, buying my 2008 SSG 'vert before these monsters are made illegal by the government--which appears to be coming soon.

It's a good thing Vipers are a bit difficult to get in and out of eliminating the cry-babys. If you don't pay attention it'll put you in a ditch (probably looking for it's Jeep realtives to play with). And if you get sutpid, it can kill you.

Safety Fast

[TCurtner]

Originally Posted by red98RT10

Don't forget the safety issue, too. It states clearly on the sun visor that the safest place for an infant is in the back seat. For $90,000 I expect to get a back seat to put my infant in!!

For 90k, I'll figure out a way to put a backseat in yours (after you sign and we notarize multiple disclaimers which I require).
For 130ish K you can get a ZR1 which CR probably admires. Or for 270k a Ferrari which cannot keep up with our 90k misfits ...hmmm.