My understanding is that everything the JD Powers person said (quoted in the CR article) is probably true but irrelevant. I believe you can get them to make a

My understanding is that everything the JD Powers person said (quoted in the CR article) is probably true but irrelevant. I believe you can get them to make a study using criteria you choose. They then do a somewhat legit, or actually legit evaluation using those criteria and miracle dictu you are the best. It could be “cars with the paint that stays bright the longest” or “small, manual transmission cars with a defect rate in the top 10 of such manufacturers”. If you look closely at a couple of car ad that displays a top JD powers rating youll usually see that the two cars are top in slightly different standards. So yes, consulting could be independent from ratings, and their evaluators really could be judging without considering the manufacturers, all just like CR…except the criteria themselves tip the scales. I like CR even though I often don’t buy their top choices. Their top criteria aren’t always mine, but they explain why they rank, and also measure and report other criteria that are more important to me. So their reports still help me a lot. The JD Powerses of the world: not so much.