Is Nissan good?

[SteveG1988]

Wtf is wrong with Consumer Reports?

I find their testing to be comprehensive. And they also provide helpful reviews of cars that people actually buy. The only complaint I have about their auto issue is that they got rid of the profiles section. That was my favorite!

Lots of car people don't like Consumer Reports, for a variety of reasons:

*  Their testing of performance characteristics is rather limited (no reporting of sideways skid coefficients, for example).

*  Consumers Union (the organization that publishes Consumer Reports) often lobbies in favor of regulations that are seen as overbearing, such as stricter emissions controls, more stringent CAFE, the vehicle rollover standard, etc.  (My own position is somewhere in the middle.  I acknowledge the problems tighter CAFE and new emissions controls can cause for the consumer because I used to own a 1978 Chevrolet Impala that was barely driveable as a result of the automakers' attempts to deal with the Carter-era phase-in of tighter emissions controls while still clinging to obsolete carburetor technology.  On the other hand, some entity with enough heft to stop the automakers in their tracks had to intervene, otherwise we would still be driving carburetor-equipped cars.  Because of the way industry interacts with government in this country, smooth phase-in of new regulatory requirements is too much to expect, so I have learned just to sidestep the "mountains" that new CAFE and emissions requirements create.  My 1978 Impala did not allow me to do this with the Carter-era emissions mountain, but we now have a new Obama-era CAFE mountain which I plan to wait out with my 1994 Saturn.)

*  They have occasionally assigned high reliability scores (which are calculated on the basis of reader reports) to models in which major design defects have later surfaced, e.g. the 2001 Toyota RX300 with an engine that sludges up prematurely and a transmission that gives out after 70,000 miles.

*  Consumer Reports, reflecting its parent organization's focus on environmental issues, often takes unpopular stands on issues that are deeply contentious within the car enthusiast community, such as abandonment of the 3,000-mile oil change interval.  (Consumers Union dislikes the 3,000-mile interval because of the environmental burden of used oil disposal.  Many enthusiasts stick firm to it, in spite of car manufacturer recommendations in favor of longer 5,000- or even 7,500-mile intervals, because they perceive that modern engines will rapidly sludge up conventional oils--even the ones with top-notch detergent additives--and they don't want cars they paid top dollar to buy new to become oil burners at 100,000 miles.  One popular conspiracy theory has it that the "real" oil change interval is still 3,000 miles but the car manufacturers are now pushing longer intervals in order to shave the perceived cost of ownership of vehicles that now often cost upwards of $30,000 to buy new.  For what it is worth, I don't agree with Consumers Union on this issue since I consider the 1 gallon that goes into the crankcase quite insignificant compared to the 100+ gallons that are burned over a 3,000-mile oil change interval, and preventing the engine from burning large quantities of oil--which sooner or later poisons the catalytic converter and results in tailpipe emissions going through the roof--has to take priority.)

While these criticisms have merit, Consumers Reports still has no real competitor as a source of independent auto testing reports, since the motoring magazines (Motor Trend and so on) are far too beholden to the car manufacturers for advertising revenue, test vehicles, access to engineers and senior management for interviews, etc. to offer truly unbiased reporting.

I don't think the culture clash between car people and Consumer Reports will ever go away.  The former want arousal (whether that comes from engineering, styling, performance, or whatever) while the latter is focused on practicality and caters to people who are not necessarily enthusiastic about cars but recognize that they need one to meet lifestyle demands and want the lowest cost of ownership that is consistent with a reasonable level of satisfaction.

I actually do a 5k oil change on all my cars....because cars burn cleaner now, there is less gunk getting into the Oily bits. Also with modern oils, most are partially synthetic, even the cheap conventionals.

http://www.pqiamerica.com/ some info on oils there. Pennzoil was known to be a sludge maker btw, but nowadays it is regarded as an oil that will keep your engine clean and even clean it out over time in a gentle process.

[Duke87]

3,000 miles is garbage pushed by the folks like Valvoline who make money selling oil changes. Of course they recommend you do it more frequently than you need to so you pay them to do it more frequently than you need to, and get away with it since the vast majority of American motorists don't know better.

On the other hand, there is also the factor of the great American pastime of procrastination. Some people need to be nagged to do it every 3,000 miles so they hopefully get around to doing it every 5,000. Some people you're lucky if they change it before 10,000 either because they're too busy or because that's how long it takes them to be able to spare the $40 for it.

[Pete from Boston]

I do it every 5,000, and it's mostly based on how dirty/low the oil tends to be.* This seems to be a good interval for both.  Of course I could baby my truck more by doing it every 3,000, but the practical benefit probably doesn't outweigh my quality of life in doing it 40% less.

* This kind of observation is one of the non-time/money x-factors that tilt me to the side of changing my own oil.

[SteveG1988]

I do it every 5,000, and it's mostly based on how dirty/low the oil tends to be.* This seems to be a good interval for both.  Of course I could baby my truck more by doing it every 3,000, but the practical benefit probably doesn't outweigh my quality of life in doing it 40% less.

* This kind of observation is one of the non-time/money x-factors that tilt me to the side of changing my own oil.

The only time i do less than 5k is when i first get a used car, i do 2500 miles, change it, then go another 2500, that way i potentially get a lot of gunk out.