Consumer Reports ranks hiking GPSrs

[bmirak]

Pretty terrible. Next time, CR should consult with some of the experts on this board before conducting the tests. Even if we don't all agree on how to rank the units, the testers would at least have had a better idea of what to evaluate. I don't have the one-page article in front of me, but here is what I recall. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

The Garmin Oregon topped the list, followed by the Colorado, then a Magellan Triton, then the 60csx, and then the Venture HC.

 

"Screen Visibility" was evaluated, and both the Colorado and 60csx received the same "Good" rating. Did Garmin fix the Colorado's dimness problem?

 

"Geocaching" was evaluated, though I'm not sure how that is more important for hiking than "Precision," which was not evaluated.

 

"Ergonomics" was not evaluated.

 

"None of the units we tested have turn-by-turn directions." What? I guess they're referring to spoken directions.

 

"The Oregon and Colorado even come with topo maps, which can be helpful." Does CR realize that topo can be installed on any of the Garmin, and probably Magellan, units?

 

Bottom line, this was a review written by GPS laymen for GPS laymen and was basically crap.

[+JSWilson64]

Pretty much par for the CR course. I'm really not fond of their reviewing process for anything outside everyday appliances. When they review cars, if it's a "sporty" car, they'll gripe about the rough ride; if it's a "luxury" car, they'll complain about how mushy it feels. They're very good at some things, like testing washing machines and dryers, stoves, and the like. Stuff that everyone uses and have very little to tweak when using. But when testing computers, HDTVs, PDAs, cell phones, etc, they don't seem to bother to gather any more information than the average grandma has. Think how much better that review would have been if they had spent even 2 hours reading this forum. Or even the FAQ on the GPS makers' sites.

[+Maingray]

 

"None of the units we tested have turn-by-turn directions." What? I guess they're referring to spoken directions.

 

 

None of them do out the box..unless they reviewed with CN installed. So that was a fair comment.

 

CR IS for the layman, and i think that for a layman just starting to use a GPS this was a fair review. Seems like a fair ranking in termsmof learning curve and general usability. From a geoaching point of view, the order might seem a little whack, but equally a fisherman might also scoff at the order.

[MtnHermit]

Totally agree. Consumer Reports is very good at a few basics like refrigerators, but when they get out of their niche . . . worthless. Digital cameras is another example where they're clueless. Well at least the `frig I bought 10-years ago based on their advice is still running.

[yogazoo]

Agreed, this review is such garbage. Why would anyone write a review about something they know nothing about, which was obviously the case here.

 

It would be like my Grandma (god love her) writing a bad review about a DVD player because she didn't know how to turn the darn thing on.

 

I'll never read another consumer reports review the same way again.

Edited December 30, 2008 by yogazoo

[+Renegade Knight]

...Bottom line, this was a review written by GPS laymen for GPS laymen and was basically crap.

 

I found this to be true with vehicles. The more I learned about what makes a good 4x4 for trail use the more my opinion diverged from Consumer Reports. But they weren't rating them for trail use. They were rating for general use. Even now though I find their vehicle Quality Ratings to be handy as heck.

 

I think it pays to keep in mind that for anything for which we are laymen CR is good. When we move to being experts we have to find other sources to supliment the holes that CR will have as generalists and not experts.

[+twolpert]

I took a look at this online, not in the paper magazine -- so I may be looking at somewhat different text. Considering the source, this is not a bad review. I tend to agree with JSWilson64 -- they don't go into a lot of detail because it's not what their audience is looking for. If you want or need more information than that, you know where to go to get it. Here in the forums, or at any number of other online sites which carry GPSr reviews by experts.

 

Things like visibility are subjective. In fairness, they do say that the "display" category includes screen size as well as contrast, brightness, and visibility in sunlight. Unfortunately, they measure screen size on the diagonal like a TV set. Unlike TVs, which have only two popular aspect ratios, (OK, maybe only one today) GPSrs vary a lot. I suspect the 60csx may have suffered as a result since it is square-ish.

 

Although we can quibble with the order, it is hard to discount the individual rating items -- at least for the units with which I am personally familiar. Bottom line is I don't think it's as horrible as some of us make it out to be -- at least for the intended audience.

[+JSWilson64]

Even now though I find their vehicle Quality Ratings to be handy as heck.

 

That's where CR excels - those Quality Ratings are based on the results of surveys of Consumer Union members. That's all I look at in the "New Car" issue - the repair histories of car models I own and might decide to own.

[+twolpert]

I have now seen both the online and print versions of the reviews. The online version has more and better text. It gives better commentary on the various units and is more useful than the print version. "Subscribers only" online, though (I think). The ratings order is the same.

[+Rockin Roddy]

 

"None of the units we tested have turn-by-turn directions." What? I guess they're referring to spoken directions.

 

 

None of them do out the box..unless they reviewed with CN installed. So that was a fair comment.

 

CR IS for the layman, and i think that for a layman just starting to use a GPS this was a fair review. Seems like a fair ranking in termsmof learning curve and general usability. From a geoaching point of view, the order might seem a little whack, but equally a fisherman might also scoff at the order.

 

I think this is a mis-statement, the DeLorme PN-40 will route with what it has in the box (note, I didn't say out of the box as I think you have to load the maps first, but maps are included).

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

The PN-40 wasn't reviewed, at least not in the magazine article.

[AT Peaks]

Like others, I was really disappointed by the Consumer Reports. I didn't really see any signficant difference, other than price between the units "tested." I'd certainly like to know how well different units maintained signal under canopies, and the accuracy of each.

[+twolpert]

I think this is a mis-statement, the DeLorme PN-40 will route with what it has in the box (note, I didn't say out of the box as I think you have to load the maps first, but maps are included).

OK, but CU did not review any Delorme product.

[+Klemmer]

I think these reviews are written quite far ahead of the publishing date, and the PN-40 hasn't been out very long. The Delorme PN-20 has been out quite a while, and there are some other manufacturers as well...

[+JohnnyVegas]

Pretty terrible. Next time, CR should consult with some of the experts on this board before conducting the tests. Even if we don't all agree on how to rank the units, the testers would at least have had a better idea of what to evaluate. I don't have the one-page article in front of me, but here is what I recall. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

The Garmin Oregon topped the list, followed by the Colorado, then a Magellan Triton, then the 60csx, and then the Venture HC.

 

"Screen Visibility" was evaluated, and both the Colorado and 60csx received the same "Good" rating. Did Garmin fix the Colorado's dimness problem?

 

"Geocaching" was evaluated, though I'm not sure how that is more important for hiking than "Precision," which was not evaluated.

 

"Ergonomics" was not evaluated.

 

"None of the units we tested have turn-by-turn directions." What? I guess they're referring to spoken directions.

 

"The Oregon and Colorado even come with topo maps, which can be helpful." Does CR realize that topo can be installed on any of the Garmin, and probably Magellan, units?

 

Bottom line, this was a review written by GPS laymen for GPS laymen and was basically crap.

 

I stoped payiong attention to any CR has to say about 30 years ago when they did a report on sleeping bags.

I was working in an upscale backpacking store at the time. The only sleeping bag that CR recomended was a cheap dacron filled bag that was sold by JC Penny. The only reason they selected that bag as a good choice was because it had a fire retardent coating.

 

I have feeling that the people that test products for CR really do not know what they are talking about. BUt then again maybe the people that make purchases based on what CR writes are not able to make there choices by doing there own research.