Jayhawk, you said you aren't joining because the S has had no problems. Well there's a reason to join!! Gotta balance out the unreliable to reliable ratio in the surveys. The ML hasn't had problems either, so that's why I'm joining.
I only collect data going forward anyway. The past doesn't necessarily predict the future. One of the things I hope to determine is the strength of the link between the two.
The main point of the research is a focus on absolute repair rates. I think many people will be surprised that even models with relatively poor reliability aren't in the shop all that often. Putting everything in terms of red and black dots can (and does) obscure this fact.
The fact of the matter is, with CR if more than 1/4 of owners of a 2006 or newer car report a problem, the model gets a big black dot. How many readers then assume that they're guaranteed to have many problems if they buy a car with a big black dot?
__________________ truedelta.com
Vehicle reliability, fuel economy, and price comparison information
As I'm sure your recognize, every car is equally important, since the goal is to have a representative sample.
There are certainly challenges to survey research. But I've designed this research to overcome these challenges as much as possible. My sample sizes are currently small, yet the results have a great deal of face validity (i.e. they make sense).
I doubt it'll make much money. Hoping it'll eventually make enough to get my wife off my back. She's not crazy about the current income/time spent ratio. I believe that if I focus on providing the best possible information, the rest will take care of itself.
you don't actually think your way of evaluating vehicle reliability is reliable???!!!
Jayhawk, you said you aren't joining because the S has had no problems. Well there's a reason to join!! Gotta balance out the unreliable to reliable ratio in the surveys. The ML hasn't had problems either, so that's why I'm joining.
Sorry, but I have no interest in doing all the work to provide data for anyone when I have no complaints. The only time I ever get involved in something like that is when I have a major problem. I think that is the way most people operate, which is one reason I worry about the reliability and validity of data collected on a Website like that. I have neither the time nor the energy to get involved. You will have to be the lone voice for those of us who have nothing to report--now or in the future. (I base my prediction about the future on my past experience, as do most other people.) But I wish you and our sociologist the best of luck!
__________________ Don't believe everything you think www.kcmbca.org Kansas City Mercedes-Benz car club
There's hardly any work involved if your car never requires a repair. Just four approximate odometer readings a year, takes about two minutes.
I think most people will have a repair trip or two a year, so about ten minutes.
In response to the other guy, the method I'm using won't yield perfect information, but it will yield much better information than car buyers have access to today.
Mercedes owners are clearly must less interested in the research than most. So it looks like people who want reliability information on Mercedes will have to continue to rely on CR for the time being.
Mercedes owners are clearly must less interested in the research than most. So it looks like people who want reliability information on Mercedes will have to continue to rely on CR for the time being.
buddy, it's not that mercedes owners are not interested in your so called research, they just don't believe in it.
My apologies. I forgot to consider that Mercedes owners are far more intelligent than people who buy other cars.
Actually, I suspect that the problem is that people who care about reliability information read CR, and as a result don't buy Mercedes. So there aren't many Mercedes owners who care about reliability information.
Just do me a favor and don't slur the research unless you've looked into the details of what I'm doing. Which I strongly suspect you have not.
For everyone else, it's a simple decision. If you feel no need for reliability information or feel that CR does a good enough job, then don't help out. If, on the other hand, you want to help provide a superior alternative to CR, this is the way to do it.
you don't actually think your way of evaluating vehicle reliability is reliable???!!! 
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