Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site watdcsu.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!watdcsu!haapanen From: haapanen@watdcsu.UUCP (Tom Haapanen [DCS]) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: Automobile Protection Association Ratings Message-ID: <558@watdcsu.UUCP> Date: Fri, 26-Oct-84 15:31:33 EDT Article-I.D.: watdcsu.558 Posted: Fri Oct 26 15:31:33 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 27-Oct-84 03:14:52 EDT Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 65 < Nami nami nami .... > On Wednesday, the Automobile Protection Association released its annual new car ratings. Cars in several categories (subcompact, compact, midsize, large and sports (!)) were ranked "Recommended", "Acceptable" or "Unacceptable". These rankings were published in most large daily newspapers. <<< FLAME ON >>> It is totally irresponsible for APA to release rankings of close to 100 vehicles, crudely ranked into three categories without elaborating *why* they belong in that category. Consider some of the selections (my picks, I thought these would provoke some flames: Recommended: Chevrolet Chevette Acceptable: Hyundai Pony, VW Scirocco Not Recommended: VW Golf, VW Jetta, Chrysler Omni/Horizon/Charger, Renault Fuego, Chrysler Laser/Daytona, lots more... [sorry, I ignored the rankings of the big boats like Firechickens] Recommending a chevette?!?! This sounds like a Consumer Reports/Ralph Nader plot (How's K-Mart's selection these days, Ralph?) to get rid of any even mildly exciting cars on the market. It's also interesting to note that two years ago the Lada (yes, the russkimobile) was Recommended, but it then dropped to Not Recommended... I've been told that the reason the Scirocco is ranked higher than Golf and Jetta is that the latter two are new models, and APA *never* recommends new models. Well, well, well! The Golf and Jetta, even if new models, are based on proven technology, and I can see no reason for ranking them lower than a Scirocco. Even more, NEW MODELS SHOULD NOT BE RANKED "NOT RECOMMENDED". You say, "We don't know if these are s__tboxes". Well, I say, DON'T RANK THEM! It is said that one should not judge a book by its cover (in Finland, one should also not judge a dog by its hairs...), and I don't think there's any excuse for saying that new models are not going to be any good. In any case, these rankings are based on the number of complaints APA has received from owners, and by Wednesday, I'm sure they had not received a single complaint from a Golf owner! Golfs only went on sale this month! <<< FLAME OFF >>> I hope newspapers would practice more responsible journalism and require (a) that APA indicate the problem areas in the non-recommended models, and (b) that they establish a new, fourth, category, "Unranked", for new models that have just come on the market. Whew! Finally got it out of my system... Tom Haapanen University of Waterloo (519) 744-2468 allegra \ clyde \ \ decvax ---- watmath --- watdcsu --- haapanen ihnp4 / / linus / The opinions herein are not those of my employers, of the University of Waterloo, and probably not of anybody else either.