Consumer Reports loses a Champion

By Bill Griffith

September 10, 2012

4 minutes to read

One of the more intriguing stories in automotive media circles in recent weeks was Nissan’s hiring of David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports automotive testing center for the past 15 years.

Champion, 57, previously served as a quality assurance engineer at Nissan from 1994 to 1997. He returns to Nissan on Sept. 10 in a newly created post as executive adviser of competitive assessment and quality.

As the leader and spokesman of Consumer Reports’ testing program, he arguably was the country’s most influential figure in influencing car buyers’ decision-making.

His appointment comes as Nissan is introducing five new models in a 15-month period, including the Altima and Pathfinder. Nissan’s newAltima earned CR’s rating as the best midsized sedan.

It’s an interesting reversal of roles in which he’ll be helping shape the vehicles that his former employees will be critiquing at CR’s 327-acre test facility in East Haddam, CT, the largest independent proving ground in the world.

The independence of CR testing is unique. The company buys (and later resells) its test vehicles, accepts no advertising, and long has had its integrity as its strongest suit.

This story actually is as much about how the magazine will go about replacing Champion, who over the years continued to develop the CR testing program and facility and his own position as a voice of the consumer. It’s an independent legacy that will be hard to match in the corporate world.

CR told Automotive News that it was promoting two engineers to replace Champion. Jake Fisher will oversee vehicle testing and Jennifer Stockburger will manage the test track facility and extensive child car-seat and tire-testing programs.

For years, the automotive world would make an annual trek to CR’s test facility for the release of its annual automotive issues and most-recommended cars.

The story grew to the point that, in recent years, the event has been held in Washington, D.C.

Holding on to Your Car Longer

It’s pretty obvious that the three-year automobile purchase cycle has met with unplanned obsolescence.

A survey of some 4,000 car owners by AutoMD. com shows that three in four respondents agreed that buying a car every two or three years is a thing of the past. From the survey:

1. The primary vehicle of 60 percent of respondents had more than 100,000 miles on the odometer.

2. Two of every three planned to drive their vehicle for more than 150,000 miles (or until it dies).

3. Reasons for these plans: the economy (47 percent); vigilant maintenance of their vehicle (44 percent).

4. Nearly 80 percent of respondents feel that 10-plus years is an appropriate vehicle lifespan.

Pushing OnStar’s Buttons

When OnStar subscribers buy a new vehicle, particularly a General Motors product, chances are they’ll notice a change in the three OnStar buttons, reflecting the service’s updates over the past 16 years.

•Voice command button:This used to be the hands-free calling button,a white phone in a circle. Now it’s an obvious voice control button that not only connects your calls but can access a saved route, an OnStar virtual advisor, and traffic, weather, and stock updates.

• SOS button:The SOS symbol, now internationally recognized, replaces the white cross in a red circle and is part of OnStar’s global expansion plans. It allows a car’s occupants to connect to trained emergency advisors; request police, fire, or medical help; report an accident; or request help for another motorist.

• Blue OnStar button: Shows the company’s new logo and is the path to reach a live OnStar advisor, request turn-by-turn directions, perform an on-demand diagnostics check, or make account updates.

Car Theft: Advanced Level

The 1994 Honda Accord topped the list of most-stolen vehicles in 2011, according to data compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau. No. 2 was the 1998 Honda Civic.

One reason these older cars are more vulnerable to theft than their newer counterparts is their lack of the sophisticated key code technology found in recent models. “Theoretically, that makes them harder to steal,’’says NICB CEO JoeWehrle.

However, while overall thefts are on the decline (3.3 percent from 2010 to 2011) and at their lowest level since 1967, thieves are catching up to the technology, which enables them to target a vehicle for theft, get itsVIN number, and then obtain a key code either by creating phony paperwork or via an accomplice in a locksmith shop or dealership.

The NCIB recommends four simple ways, each on a different tier, to make vehicles less attractive to thieves:

• Common Sense: Lock your car and take your keys. It’s simple enough, but many thefts occur because owners make it easy for thieves to steal their cars.

•Warning Device: Having and using a visible or audible warning device can ensure that your car remains where you left it.

• Immobilizing Device: Generally speaking, if your vehicle can’t be started, it can’t be stolen.“Kill’’switches, fuel cut-offs, and smart keys are among the most effective devices.

• Tracking Device: A tracking device emits a signal to the police or a monitoring station if a vehicle is stolen.Tracking devices are effective in helping authorities recover stolen vehicles. Some systems employ “telematics,’’ which combine GPS and wireless technologies to monitor a vehicle remotely. If the vehicle is moved, the system will alert the owner and the vehicle can be tracked via computer.