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Tag: Consumer Report

  • Toyota Prius Chosen As Best Overall Value

    Toyota Prius Chosen As Best Overall Value

    Consumer Reports magazine has just selected Toyota Prius as the best overall value. The hybrid car has the best economic value for mileage with the average cost registering at 47 cents per mile. Considering the price is $29,230, this vehicle option is hard to beat. According to Consumer Reports Automotive Editor Rik Paul, “Prius’ 44 (m.p.g.) overall is the best fuel economy of any non-plug-in car that Consumer Reports has tested. Though it’s not particularly cheap to buy, the Prius’ depreciation is so low that it costs less to own over the first five years than its initial (price). We call that a bargain.”

    According to the Toyota website, the Prius offers multiple unique safety features including: Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Pre-Collision System, Lane Keep Assist, and a Vehicle Proximity Notification System.

    In the unfortunate event of a collision, the vehicle is equipped with additional capabilities to protect passengers. According to the Toyota website: “Working in concert with the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) 26, the available Pre-Collision System (PCS) 25 employs the vehicle’s radar system to determine if a frontal collision is imminent. If so, the system automatically applies the brakes and retracts the front seatbelts to prepare for such a scenario.”

    The “Lane Keep Assist” function serves an important use. “If an inadvertent lane departure is detected, the available Lane Keep Assist (LKA) issues an audible warning and displays a warning on the instrument panel. And when Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC) 26 is engaged, LKA 27 is designed to help keep Prius in its lane by providing gentle corrective steering when necessary.”

    In addition to protecting those within the car, the “Vehicle Proximity Notification System” alerts individuals outside (such as pedestrians and bicyclists) through a mechanical sound regarding the approaching motor vehicle.

    Image Via NDN

  • Best, Worst Airlines of 2013 Ranked by Consumer Reports

    Flying can be one of the most unpleasant experiences in life. Even if passengers’ eardrums aren’t bombarded by crying babies or some woman singing Whitney Houston songs, the prices, accommodations, and service can often leave a lot to be desired.

    This week, Consumer Reports has shed some light on the variations of the flying experience that can be found on different airlines. The publication has ranked U.S. airlines from best to worst in its latest issue of Consumer Reports magazine. The rankings are based on a survey of 16,000 people conducted in February. The survey included questions about comfort, baggage handling, check-in service, fees, and in-flight entertainment.

    The top-ranked airlines will come as no surprise for frequent flyers. Virgin America topped the list due to its leather seat cushions and free bag checking. Jet Blue and SouthWest also placed highly for their baggage handling and service, though Jet Blue scored higher than SouthWest for cleanliness and comfort.

    On the other side of the list, Spirit Airlines scored what Consumer Reports says is one of the lowest overall scores it has ever given. Though Spirit charges much lower airfare than almost any other airline, the company makes up for its low ticket prices by charging flyers for nearly everything they can. This includes fees for flight booking, carry-on bags, checked bags, in-flight snacks, and having a ticket agent print a boarding pass,

  • Energy Drinks May Contain More Caffeine Than You Think

    Consumer Reports today published a report on the level of caffeine in popular energy drinks. Their findings suggest that many of the energy drinks Americans consume on a daily basis have wildly varying levels of caffeine, and in some cases have more than anyone might suspect.

    Consumer Reports purchased 27 popular energy drinks from stores in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. It tested three lots of each beverage for the caffeine, sugars, and calories found in one serving of the beverage. An average 8-ounce cup of coffee has around 100mg. of caffeine.

    Topping the list is 5-hour Energy Extra Strength, which has an incredible 242mg. of caffeine in just 1.9fl. oz. of liquid. Following that is Rosckstar Energy Shot with 229mg. of caffeine and NOS High Performance with 224mg, though that is a 16fl. oz. beverage.

    Monster Beverage’s Monster X-presso placed fourth highest on the list with 221mg. of caffeine in 6.8fl. oz. of liquid. Regular Monster Energy drinks showed up near the middle of the chart, with 92mg. of caffeine in 8fl. oz. of liquid. This may seem surprising, since Monster Beverage has recently come under fire for the high caffeine content of its drinks.

    Just this week, the family of a 14-year-old girl who died of caffeine toxicity sued Monster Beverage over the death. The lawsuit alleges that the girl consumed two 24fl. oz. cans of Monster Energy drinks in under 24 hours shortly before dying. Going by Consumer Reports’ measurements, that works out to 552mg. of caffeine the girl consumed. Consumer Reports states that “data suggests” healthy adults can consume up to 400mg. of caffeine per day, while children can handle up to 45mg. or 85mg., depending on their weight.

    Oddly enough, a 5-hour Energy drink, the company’s “decaf” shot, also placed as having the least caffeine content of the drinks tested with only 6mg. of caffeine. Red Bull, perhaps the most well-known energy drink in U.S. markets, placed near the middle of the pack with 83mg. of caffeine.

  • Apple To Address iPhone 4 Problems Friday

    Apple is holding a press conference tomorrow at 10 a.m. Pacific Time to address the issues surrounding the iPhone 4 and it antenna problem.

    Many users of the iPhone 4 have reported weak reception when it’s held a certain way, leading to it being called the "iPhone 4 death grip."

    iPhone-4 Earlier this week Consumer Reports said it could not recommend the iPhone 4, but did mention attaching duct tape to the antenna gap to remedy the reception issues.

    "Apple needs to come up with a permanent-and free-fix for the antenna problem before we can recommend the iPhone 4," Consumer Reports said.

    The controversy surrounding the iPhone has even attracted the attention of Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) who said in a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs that the solutions offered to fix the problem have been "insufficient."

    "The burden for consumers caused by this glitch, combined with the confusion over its cause and how it will be fixed, has the potential to undermine the many benefits of this innovative device," Schumer wrote.

    "To address this concern, I ask that Apple provide iPhone 4 customers with a clearly written explanation of the cause of the reception problem and make a public commitment to remedy it free-of-charge. The solutions offered to date by Apple for dealing with the so-called "death grip" malfunction-such as holding the device differently, or buying a cover for it-seem to be insufficient."