Report: <i>Consumer Reports</i> calls out "Five Popular Cars To Avoid"

Filed under: Car Buying, Dodge, Ford, Honda, Jeep, Toyota

Those crusaders of shopping empowerment over at Consumer Reports have put together a list of five cars to avoid, even if their sales numbers suggest otherwise. CR points out that just because a vehicle is making a lot of buzz and ringing cash registers, that doesn't necessarily make it a wise choice for buyers. According to the report, these are vehicles that either tested poorly or have been experiencing poor reliability in their new car surveys.

Perhaps of little surprise is the presence of the Honda Civic on this list. The latest Civic has been getting dinged by auto critics left and right, and CR specifically points to a "Choppy ride, noisy cabin, vague steering, and mediocre interior quality" as reasons for its inclusion on the list. Its a good thing, then, that a short-term update is its way.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Consumer Reports once again voices its disapproval of the Toyota Prius C. We knew they weren't in love with it when they reviewed it back in May, and apparently the passage of time hasn't softened their opinions of Toyota's least-expensive hybrid.

Check out the gallery of all five cars that Consumer Reports is telling buyers to avoid and then weigh in with your thought in Comments.

Consumer Reports calls out "Five Popular Cars To Avoid" originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 09 Aug 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung Galaxy S III LTE to support VoLTE calls, starting with Korea in August

Aren't you glad you waited to buy an LTE version of the Galaxy S III? Samsung has confirmed that the versions with faster cellular data will support Voice over LTE on appropriately equipped networks, giving them that IP-based boost to call quality. The rollout will start with the Korean LTE model receiving support in August -- we suspect SK Telecom is an early partner here -- followed by a deployment in foreign LTE markets, which would mostly limit the upgrades to American and Canadian owners. About our only qualm is with Samsung's assertion that the update makes the Galaxy S III the "world's first Voice over LTE smartphone:" we're pretty sure the fine folks at LG and MetroPCS have a thing or two to say about keeping up with current events.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Samsung Galaxy S III LTE to support VoLTE calls, starting with Korea in August originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 22:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dropped calls, slow download speeds rank among top gripes of mobile users

Everyone has an opinion, and if they all stink, then Pew must have one hell of a tolerance for foul odors. The research group recently surveyed a number of mobile phone owners to determine their primary complaints, and while it's not much of a surprise, slow network performance stole the show. In all, 77 percent aired at least some dissatisfaction with download speeds, and nearly half of all respondents cited frequent frustration. The story is similar for dropped calls, as 72 percent of those surveyed claim to experience the annoyance at least occasionally. While less widespread, the distribution of those who receive unwanted marketing attempts via either telephone calls or text messages is roughly equal -- it seems reasonable to assume that many respondents are harassed by both means. For more surveys*, just text #eng-123 to 9999. *Outrageous fees will apply.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Dropped calls, slow download speeds rank among top gripes of mobile users originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Aug 2012 03:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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