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American Morning

Road Thrill

Aired March 11, 2003 - 09:42   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Safety, comfort and reliability, the qualities, the leading qualities that auto-rating experts at "Consumer Reports" value above all others. That magazine out now with its 50th anniversary edition of its big auto rating issue. And which 2003 models are the experts touting? Good question. Let's talk about it with the editor for "Consumer Reports," Rik Paul. Nice to see you in person. Fifty years, congratulations on that.
RIK PAUL, "CONSUMER REPORTS": Thank you.

HEMMER: Now, the number one vehicle across the board is what, according to your magazine?

PAUL: The car that's tested highest of any vehicle we've tested is a BMW 530-I, which is a wonderful car. It's like a sports car and a luxury car rolled into one, but it's also about $46,000.

HEMMER: Forty-six grand -- second year in a row, you rated it the highest, right?

PAUL: Yes.

HEMMER: Pretty good handling?

PAUL: Excellent handling.

HEMMER: Looks great.

PAUL: It has great performance, good comfort and advanced safety features.

HEMMER: All right, let's cars much for affordable, under 25 grand you have a list. You found about 40 models, apparently, according to the magazine, that came understood this category. We've narrowed them to about five. Let's take a look at it right now, the Honda Accord, the Honda Civic, the Toyota Rav 4, the Pontiac Vibe and the Matrix from Toyota.

What puts these on this list, Rik?

PAUL: Well, the entire list is vehicles that we recommended. That means "Consumer Reports" have tested them. They've done well in our testing. Plus, they have at least average reliability, and under 25,000 with reasonable features, so they're not stripped. Now the five you just mentioned are also "Consumer Reports" top picks, which means they're the best in their categories.

HEMMER: Pretty good accolades.

What about pre-owned cars? This is something that continues to grow in popularity across the country. You picked a number of them. Best used vehicles according to your magazine, the Acura RL, the Honda CR-V, the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Lexus ES300, the Honda Civic and the Camry by Toyota. When you go out and shop for a used car -- pre-owned car -- sorry, get the terminology right, because that all changed about five years ago -- what's the number one thing consumer need to look for?

PAUL: Reliability. You really need to look for reliability. Because as a car ages, it becomes more trouble-prone. In fact a survey that we did recently shows three-year-old models are four times more trouble-prone than new models. Five-year-olds are even more, and so you really need to look at reliability lists. Now "Consumer Reports" has one of the most comprehensive reliability surveys available to consumers. The cars that you just read off are 3-year- old cars, and they are the ones that scored the highest among all vehicles in terms of reliability.

HEMMER: None is American, though.

PAUL: No, none of them. And the Japanese tend to do very well with reliability, and I think it's a case where we're automakers put their priorities. Japan know their reputation is built on reliability, so they really put a high emphasis on that.

HEMMER: All right, we're looking at videotape right now. That's the Honda Pilot, best SUV, it's on that list anyway, along with the Highlander by Toyota, the Rav-4 by Toyota, the Acura MDX and the Lexus RX300. How is the strength right now for the SUV market?

PAUL: SUVs are still very popular. In fact, the five that you just mentioned are all car-based SUVs, the fastest growing segment in the auto industry. That means that they are based on car platforms, not truck platforms like traditional SUVs, makes them handle better, ride better, and generally lighter, so they get a little better fuel efficiency.

HEMMER: It is a topical subject here, given the gas price and the increase we've seen across the country, a really good topic to talk about now.

Now, 1953, number one car in "Consumer Reports" was what? Do you know? Do you remember?

PAUL: I don't think I've done my homework well enough for that one, I admit.

HEMMER: OK, a bit of a pop quiz, though, I warned you it was coming. The 535, though, nonetheless, in 2003 by BMW is number one. Great to see you. Thanks for being a good sport.

PAUL: Thanks, Bill.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired March 11, 2003 - 09:42   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Safety, comfort and reliability, the qualities, the leading qualities that auto-rating experts at "Consumer Reports" value above all others. That magazine out now with its 50th anniversary edition of its big auto rating issue. And which 2003 models are the experts touting? Good question. Let's talk about it with the editor for "Consumer Reports," Rik Paul. Nice to see you in person. Fifty years, congratulations on that.
RIK PAUL, "CONSUMER REPORTS": Thank you.

HEMMER: Now, the number one vehicle across the board is what, according to your magazine?

PAUL: The car that's tested highest of any vehicle we've tested is a BMW 530-I, which is a wonderful car. It's like a sports car and a luxury car rolled into one, but it's also about $46,000.

HEMMER: Forty-six grand -- second year in a row, you rated it the highest, right?

PAUL: Yes.

HEMMER: Pretty good handling?

PAUL: Excellent handling.

HEMMER: Looks great.

PAUL: It has great performance, good comfort and advanced safety features.

HEMMER: All right, let's cars much for affordable, under 25 grand you have a list. You found about 40 models, apparently, according to the magazine, that came understood this category. We've narrowed them to about five. Let's take a look at it right now, the Honda Accord, the Honda Civic, the Toyota Rav 4, the Pontiac Vibe and the Matrix from Toyota.

What puts these on this list, Rik?

PAUL: Well, the entire list is vehicles that we recommended. That means "Consumer Reports" have tested them. They've done well in our testing. Plus, they have at least average reliability, and under 25,000 with reasonable features, so they're not stripped. Now the five you just mentioned are also "Consumer Reports" top picks, which means they're the best in their categories.

HEMMER: Pretty good accolades.

What about pre-owned cars? This is something that continues to grow in popularity across the country. You picked a number of them. Best used vehicles according to your magazine, the Acura RL, the Honda CR-V, the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Lexus ES300, the Honda Civic and the Camry by Toyota. When you go out and shop for a used car -- pre-owned car -- sorry, get the terminology right, because that all changed about five years ago -- what's the number one thing consumer need to look for?

PAUL: Reliability. You really need to look for reliability. Because as a car ages, it becomes more trouble-prone. In fact a survey that we did recently shows three-year-old models are four times more trouble-prone than new models. Five-year-olds are even more, and so you really need to look at reliability lists. Now "Consumer Reports" has one of the most comprehensive reliability surveys available to consumers. The cars that you just read off are 3-year- old cars, and they are the ones that scored the highest among all vehicles in terms of reliability.

HEMMER: None is American, though.

PAUL: No, none of them. And the Japanese tend to do very well with reliability, and I think it's a case where we're automakers put their priorities. Japan know their reputation is built on reliability, so they really put a high emphasis on that.

HEMMER: All right, we're looking at videotape right now. That's the Honda Pilot, best SUV, it's on that list anyway, along with the Highlander by Toyota, the Rav-4 by Toyota, the Acura MDX and the Lexus RX300. How is the strength right now for the SUV market?

PAUL: SUVs are still very popular. In fact, the five that you just mentioned are all car-based SUVs, the fastest growing segment in the auto industry. That means that they are based on car platforms, not truck platforms like traditional SUVs, makes them handle better, ride better, and generally lighter, so they get a little better fuel efficiency.

HEMMER: It is a topical subject here, given the gas price and the increase we've seen across the country, a really good topic to talk about now.

Now, 1953, number one car in "Consumer Reports" was what? Do you know? Do you remember?

PAUL: I don't think I've done my homework well enough for that one, I admit.

HEMMER: OK, a bit of a pop quiz, though, I warned you it was coming. The 535, though, nonetheless, in 2003 by BMW is number one. Great to see you. Thanks for being a good sport.

PAUL: Thanks, Bill.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com