Consumer Reports Declines to Recommend the 2021 Corvette

27
11813

Consumer Reports Declines to Recommend the 2021 Corvette


“It was with great anticipation that we finally bought and tested the completely redesigned Corvette Stingray, with its new rear/mid-engine layout—a configuration long favored by Ferrari, Lamborghini, and other exotic sports-car companies. We came away from the experience impressed by the C8 Corvette’s performance numbers and thrilled with its fun-to-drive nature.”

That’s the optimistic way Consumer Reports described its experience with the new Corvette Stingray that’s taken the world by storm since production began in Bowling Green about three years ago.

Unfortunately, the overall results of their experiences with Chevy’s new mid-engine sports car weren’t good enough for Consumer Reports, which does not recommend purchasing the car.

After waiting more than a year for delivery, Consumer Reports finally got its 2021 Z51 model in May and ended up giving it 97 points in the road test, five out of five points for owner satisfaction, and two out of five points for predicted reliability.

“We can’t recommend the new Corvette because of its inconsistent reliability history,” Consumer Reports concluded.

Anecdotal stories from happy owners about how “I haven’t had a problem with my car” aside, Auto Evolution reports they did a search on the 2021 Corvette on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator’s website and found 128 manufacturer communications and one recall over a malfunction with the airbag indicator light. The news was worse for the 2020 model, which has 285 manufacturer communications and four recalls.

Of course, Corvette owners have heard that kind of doomsday opinion for years, and yet we’ve still supported the car with the ultimate reviewers – our pocketbooks. We bet not many of the thousands of folks waiting patiently in line for a 2022 model – and beyond – will be all that influenced by the Consumer Reports’ snub. How about you?


Source:
consumerreports.org via AutoEvolution.com

Related:
[VIDEO] Consumer Reports Offers First Impressions of the 2021 Corvette
Consumer Reports is Impressed with the New 2020 Corvette Stingray
Consumer Reports Names Corvette as One of 10 Most Satisfying Cars

 



-

27 COMMENTS

  1. I am not surprised I stopped taking advise from consumers report 40 years ago when they became Imports are better Reports. Right around when Auto Week became Japan WeeK.

  2. It’s not a stupid Toyota so they won’t recommend it
    I’ve never paid attn to CR’s auto recommendations because it’s basically a firm run by Toyota fans

  3. If Consumer Reports told GM that they were an Instagram/YouTube “Influencer”, they would have received the car faster. Just saying…

  4. I have some questions myself about the ability of the aluminum frame components to
    hold up in real life road conditions of rain, snow, salt,temperature, humidity including
    adhesive frame joints. Juncter says its built for every day driving all year round but we shall see how it holds up long term.
    I left many questions on forums about corrosion resistance treatments and type of aluminum used but never got any answers on my 2021 C8.

  5. In spite of all those people that drive a Corvette every day, all day – these are not really a daily driver type of car. Yes, you can do it, but why not get an older Toyota or Honda as the DD and leave the Vette in the garage for the nicer days?

  6. Predicted reliability, AKA, wild ass guess removes any doubt that CR’s recommend actions are unscientific as to objectivity and valid participant sample size and demographic. I.E, they are not using valid testing.

  7. I’ve found Consumer Reports to be pretty accurate over the years.

    GM on the other hand… filed bankruptcy just to squirm out of paying for the deaths and damage from their faulty ignition switches on the Saturn Sky (and other models).

    Love my ‘Vettes and will end up with more eventually – but lets not act like Tesla-children.

    Not wanting to hear bad news doesn’t make it untrue. There are always improvements that can be made, this might be the first step to a better car for us.

  8. Consumer Reports is the place to go if you’re buying a Cuisinart or a futon. Automobiles… Not so much. Their testing methodology for cars is beyond archaic.

  9. Ya who cares what CR says, never have liked or trusted those people. I have had five Corvette’s they are very reliable as long as you take care of them just like any other car.

  10. the fact that they don’t recommend purchasing just helps me make up my mind that I WILL purchase one……just sayin’, bless your hearts………

  11. I’ve relied on CR auto data for several years. I rely not on their sometimes subjective reviews but on owner feedback. I think, as others have already said, time will tell just how reliable the C8 will be. But ask the owners that have had transmission failures that have left them stranded for their opinion. I know gm was sorry they didn’t do the trans in house.

  12. You really didn’t expect CR to rate highly a car in the $80-90K range, that carries 2 people max and not much else, gets surprisingly respectable MPG for the HP/torque, but certainly not as compared to a Yaris or Prius, and is built in the US rather than Japan, Germany or Korea, do you? What they really can’t quantify is the pride of ownership and the euphoria from driving the car. And if they could somehow measure that and calibrate it across all cars, how could they compare those feelings with similar effects when driving a Chevy Spark? CR should stick with rating clothes dryers and vacuum cleaners.

  13. You cares about Consumer Reports. The same people that read CR love chrome wheels. No but seriously, my 82 y/o Dad reads it, that’s it.

  14. Consumer Reports gave some high marks in the areas that potential sports car buyers are interested in. They also reported objectively that problems were fewer in 2021, than in 2020. The car is therefore moving in the right direction. While losing some everyday drivers with clearly a less practical rear hatch, the Corvette is challenging seriously in the area where GM and Corvette fans want it to compete. I own a 2020 C8 purchased from the dealer at a bump above the retail sticker. And I had some problems with the battery and the frunk, as well as the infotainment system. Each of those were fixed. I had to put vertical doors on my C8 because of Senior citizen joint problems. All of this said, the problems have stopped and I’ve enjoyed everyone of my drives in the car. The central buttons became really easy for me to use and manipulate. The compliments per drive have slowed at about the rate that seeing a C8 on the road is becoming a bit more common place. I love the car and hope I will stay well enough in my senior years to keep on enjoying it for years to come. And yes, I have a Z51.

  15. I stopped consulting Consumer Reports when they recommended a later 60’s Firebird over a Camaro because the Firebird had four headlights instead of two.

  16. i love my c8 no problems only paid msrp conv z 51 with lift tourch red its like a piece of art

  17. dang! now i cant keep mine.. if CONSUMER REPORTS DONT LIKE IT, I DONT LIKE IT!!!!

    CR , stick to vacuum cleaner tests.

  18. Give Chevy a few years to perfect the C8. C7 had a couple hiccups along the way but had it right by 2019.

  19. Matt Kase………If you drive a DCT, you’ll never go back to three pedal. Manual transmissions were ordered on only about 15% of recent C7 Vettes. I understand the appeal of driver involvement with manual transmissions, but the DCT just blows a three pedal out of the water in performance. We’ll never see a traditional manual transmission in a Corvette again. I’m okay with that.

  20. @Jeff
    I have indeed driven DCTs and what you say is correct…
    …on a track.
    But on the street in normal driving they are no less boring and disconnected than any other “manumatic” auto. The reality is that a miniscule number of Corvette owners track their cars, and even those that do spend orders of magnitude more time in them on public roads. A significant percentage of Vette owners are more than happy to cede several tenths on the track a couple times a year for a far more fun and engaging drive to work each weekday morning. The overall take rate of manuals on the C7 model run, ~25% from 2014-2019, clearly demonstrates this. GM lost potential customers as a result of their failure to offer a manual–I can attest to that first hand.

  21. My 2020 C8 was built toward the end of production of the 2020s. Most problems were fixed and I have had no problems so far. It is the best fun for the buck around today. I live in Florida so I can have fun all year round with it. I will keep on having fun with it until it stops running or I do.

  22. If you really look at CR, you will realize that a lot of their recommendations are not correct (not just automotive).

  23. So I am a diehard CR fan for everything but cars ! I look to them for pretty much everything else. I’ve had Corvettes for better then 40 years both new and old – 6 or 7 and still have my NCRS Top-flight 67′ Coupe. I just took delivery of my Red Mist C8 HTC 3LT loaded and absolutely love every aspect of the car. I had very high expectations after waiting 14 months and truthfully very objectively I can say that the car has exceeded my expectations. Period ! this car is exceptional !!! CR should think about true American Car Buyers and what they are really interested in.

Comments are closed.