Consumer Reports BuyingGuide 2010 - All Product Ratings

Ratings andReliability

CONTENTS

Product Ratings 19O 4-year CONSUMERREPORTS index 295

Buying Guideindex 299

QUICK GUIDE

Air conditioners 191Cell phones 193Computers, desktops 196Computers, laptops 199Computers, netbooks 203Cooktops 205Cordless drills & drivers 207Deck stains 2O9Digital cameras, point & shoot.. 210Digital cameras, SLR 216Digital picture frames 218Dishwashers Z20Dryers 224DVD players 230Flooring 234Gas grills 236

GPS navigators 238Lawn mowers 241Lawn tractors 245Monitors 247Paints, exterior 249Paints, interior 251Printers, all-in-one 253Ranges 255Refrigerators 261Smart phones 268TVs, L C D , . , J. . . .271TVs, Plasma 279Vacuum cleaners 283Wall ovens 287Washers 289

190 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U I D E 2 0 1 0

PRODUCT RATINGS ANDBRAND RELIABILITY

The product rating and brand reliability information thatfollows is designed to help you zero in on the model youwant to buy. Start by reading the general buying advicefor the product you're interested in. The page numbersfor these reports are noted on each Ratings page. Then

turn to the Ratings chart to get the big picture on performance.

For some products you'll find fullRatings charts that inciude every cur-rently available modei we tested. Forother products, you'll find Select Rat-ings charts that include the models Rec-ommended for mosi people pius modelsthat we designated as Best Buys. TbeSelect Katings Overview explains whythese models are your best choices. TheOverview is included with full Ratingscharts as well as Select Ratings charts.Products with equal scores are listedalphabetically.

CüNSUMiiR RhPORTS checked lo makesure most of the producís rated in thisBuying Guide were still availabie when thebook was published. However, depend-ing on how long after publication you usethis book, you may find a Ruling for aproduct that is no longer available. Or,you may not find a Rating for a modelthat is avaiiabie because it hadn't beentested as of publication.

Besides checking tor similar models, yi)Utan also refer to the brand repair historycharts for some products. Most productstoday are pretty reliable, but some brandshave been more reliable than others.

Every year we survey readers on repairsand other problems they encounter withhousehold products. From their respons-es, we derive the percentage ofa brand'sproducts that have been repaired or hada serious problem. The reliability graphsthat accompany the Ratings give brandrepair rates for 16 product categories.Our findings have been consistent overthe 30-plus years we've surveyed brandreliability, though Ihey are not infalliblepredictors.

A brands repair history includes dataon many models, some of which may havebeen more or less reliable than others. Andsurveys ofa brand's past models can't an-ticipate design or manufacturing changesin its new model-s. Still, you can improveyour chances of getting a trouble-free prod-uct by getting a brand that has been reli-able in the past.

Product categories inciude appliances,such as washers and ranges; electron-ics, such as computers, digital cameras,televisions, and DVD players; and powerequipment, such as lawn mowers and trac-tors. Note that repair histories for differentproducts are not directly comparable.

A I R C O N D I T I O N E R S 191

AIR CONDITIONERS!-ine cooling performance is a given. Top-scoring room air conditioners are alsoenergy efficienl and reialively quiet. An air conditioner's air direction matters moreil your window is not centered in your room. Check the Airflow left and Airflow right

in the Ratings for this information. Below are Select Ratings.

Brand & model Price Overall score Test results

•c— -eis ±i

g lu leaed model. = s <g 0 100 f Ä^ p I F I G IVCI E ~ -

5,000 TO 6.000 BTU/HR. (Cools 100 300 sq. ft,)FriedrichCP06EIO !Sharp AF-S60PX

FrigidaireFAÄ05BP7A

© © © © O © • 0,000 10,7 21 . 36 58

© © © O O © • 6,000 10.7 22 ' 3-1 -19

180 E ^ ^ ^ H © O O © © O O 5.200 11.0 2^. 36. 46

7,000 TO 8.200 BTU/HR. (Cools 50-400 sq. ft.)Frigidaire

© © © © O O © 8,000 10.8 23 36 S3

ia7 M 39 65

(Lowe's)Kenmore76081 1

9.800 TO 12,500 BTU/HR. {Cools 350-650 sq. ft.)Q Kenmore

7510! 1Q Kenmore

. 1 Has slideiHJt Chassis.

See report, page 55.

© © O © O © O 10.000 10,8 21 39 80

© © O © © © O 12,000 10.8 27 39 83

Ratings Key ©Excsilent ©Verysood OGood OFalr •Poor

D CR Best Buy These models olter ttie best combinador» of perfomiance and price. All are recommended.

p i Recomrnencled These are hisl>-pertormingmadets that stand out.

192 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U i D E 2 0 1 0

Guide to the RatingsOverall score is based mainly on comfort, noise, and energy eiticiency. Ttie displayed score isout ot a total of 100 points. Comfort is temperature and tiumidity controi on iow cool. Indoorrtolse low and Indoor noise hlqh combine an objective measurement of noise at the low-cooiand high-coof settings using a decibei meter with a sutijeclive assessment ol noise quality (howannoying or grating the psrticuiar sounds were). Brownout gauges the unit's abiiity to run andrestart during extreme heat and iow voltage. Ease of use refiects controt-panel layout, includ-ing the ciarity of its markings, as weil as how easy and intuitive the controls were to operate.Airflow left and Airflow rlqht show how weil the louvers can direct air to the left or rigiit of theunit when the user is lacing it, EER is the energy-efficiency ratio as supp(ied by the manufac-turer and as certified by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.

Select Ratings Overview

Best small air conditioners;Whiie ail will keep you cool, models with avery good or better noise score are quietenough that all you might hear is the fan.The Friedrich CP06E10, $260, and SharpAF-S60PX, S)90, are the guietest. ConsiderIhe Friedrich or Friqidafre FAA055P7A,$l80, if you iive m an area prone to brownouts.

Brand Repair History

Best midsized air conditioners:AH of the tested models excel in cooling.The Fritjidaire FAA087S7A, S200, and theKenmore 76081, $200, a CR Best Buy,also easily handle brownouts and operate

puletiy on low.

Best larqe air conditioners; both arcCR Best Buys:Brownouts aren't a problem for the Kenmore7S101, $240, or the Kenmore 75121, S300.Both are quiet when set on low..Choose theKenmore 75121 for its ease of use.

Centrai air conditionersFewerrepairs

10% 5% 20% 25%

The graph shows the percentage of unitswithout hpat pumps for each of the 11 brandsthat were ever repaired or had a seriousproblem, based on the experiences of 32,550readers who bought systems between 2002and 2008. Differences of less than 5 pointsaren't meaningful. Unils instailed by buildersbroke down more often than owner-installedones. Data were adjusted to elimínate differ-ences linked solely to age and usage. Modelswithin a bfand can vary, and design or manu-facture changes might affect future reliabili-ty. Stiii, choosing a brand with a good repairhistory can improve your odds of getting areliable model.

Source: Annual Product Reliability Survey, ConsumerReports National Research Center.

C E L L P H O N E S 193

CELL PHONESChoose a conventional model ifyou need only voice and text messages, or want tolimit cost and size (most models are compact andaré priced between $20 and SI 50 orcome frcL' with a two-year contract). Most phones work only with a specific carrier, soyou must decide whether to slay with your current provider or select a new one whenshopping for a phone. Below are Select Ratings.

Brand & model Price Overaii score Test resuits Features

g £

o IDOP I F t G I Vbl E

itÄTST CEU PHONES

B

LG XenonSamsungImpression

Samsung Eternity

llatoroia Tundra

Pantech Breeze

SPRINT NEXTEL CELL PHONES

O m

0©O O

l') HSDPA V.D.S

3.t HSDPA V.D.S

3.1 HSDPfi V.D.S

1.9 HSDPA V.D.S

0.3 EDGE U,D

Samsung instinct 100

Samsung Rant 50

T-MOBrLE CELL PHONES

oOo 1-9

EV-DO V.D,SEv-DO v.as

Samsung Behold

Samsung Ueiiioir

MotorDlaROKREa O

Nokia 6301 30

O ©

O OO 8

HSOPA V.D.S

HSDPA V.D,S

1.9 EDCE V.O.S

1-9 EDGE V,0¿

VERIZON CELL PHONES

LGenV Touch

LGDare

samsangAlias2 80

O © O 3.1 EV-DO V,D.S

O © © 3.1 EV-DO v.as

O # a 15 EV-DO v.as


Brand S model Price Overall score Test results Features

::3 2 Ê

it0 100

P I F ' l G I V C l E

VERIZON CELL PHONES continued

00o

©

0o

0oo

3.1 EV-DO

1.2 EV-DO

1.2 EV-DO

V,D,S

V,D,S

V,£LS

LCenV3

IGVX8360 50Verizon wirelessFzone Boulder

Jitterbug J o o o none


Rat infsKey ©Eêl ienl ©Very good OGood ©Fair •Poo f

Q CR Be5t Buy Tnese modeis offer the best combitiation of performance ana price. AN are recommended.

bd Recommended These are (wgn-periatnung models that slartd out.

Guide to the RatingsOverall score is baêd maiiilv on ease of use, voice quality, messaging, and battery lite. Thedisplayeij score is out of a total of 100 points. Phones are listed in performance order, wlttiincategories. Due to test upgracfes, results may vary from past Ratings. Ease of use mainlyconsiders how easy it is to access the phone's various features and modes, the iiumber ofstep-saving functions for making and receiving calls, and display and keypad readability underdifferent lighting conditions, We also factor in features and capabilities, such as camera,music, and GPS navigation. Web browsing and broadband connections, as well as the phone'ssize and weight. Voice quality considers iistening quaiity which refiects what you hear; talking,what's heard by other phones. Tests were conducted in noisy and quiet environments usinglive phone calls indicated by carrier used. We show the lower score between listening andtalking. Messaqinq mainly assesses keyboard and keypad ergonomics, text-messaging features,its support for Microsoft Outlook, and wtiether or not the ptione can open various e-mailattachments. Battery life represents mainly an average of talk time from tests with strong andweak network signais, and aiso considers standby, display times, and other factors. Taik timeis an average to the nearest quarter-hour from tests with strorig and weak network signals.Average price from carriers and independent online retailers is based on a two-year contract,including rebates. Most carriers also offer one-year contracts. Phones with SO for price areoffered free of charge by the carrier or an online retailer with a new two-year contract. Somephones can also be purchased without a service commitment. Under Bluetooth, V=Voice,D=Data. S=Stereo,

C E L L P H O N E S 195


Best choices for AT&T:Al $100, LG Xenon is an impressive phonewilh strong messaging capabilities.

Samsunq Impression, $150. is a veryqood phone that deftly integrates its impres-sive leiephony. texling, and entertainment(eatures, its document-handiinq capabiiitiesare a plus for busy professionals.

Samsunq Eternity, $50. is a very goodchoice for those iooking to step up lo a f uiitouch-screen phone with a fine camera andadvanced muitimedia features, its docuinent-handling capabiiities are another plus forbusy profess iorials,

Motorola Tundra, S200, is very goodcompanion lo bave on roiigti~and nolsy-lerrain. But pricey.

At $30. the Pantech Breeze Is a goodrhoice for people who want a simpie,no-frills phone with clearly labeled butions.

Best choices for Sprint Nextel:The STOO Samsung Instinct is a very

qood choice for multimedia addicts inthe market for a very capable phone withadvanced features.

The Samsung Rant, $50. is a good phonefor frequent texters. Its document-handlingcapabilities are a plus tor busy professionals.

Best choices for T-Mobile:The Samsung Behold, $130. is a sharp-

looking touch-screen model with a linecamera and robust multimedia capabilities.

The $200 Samsung Memoir has one ofthe besl cameras we've seen on a phone, withtin impressive array of other features thatwould make a smart phone jealous. A fine,though pricey, choice If you plan on printingwhat you shoot.

The Motorola ROKR ES is a smartlydesigned phone with a very capable mediaplayer. And you can't go wrong with theprice-free with a 2-year service contractand rebates.

The $30 Nokia 6301 phone's dual-network capabiiity is an intr-iguing idea(or improving coverage.

Best choices for Verizon:The LG enV Touch, $100, is an impres-

sive phone and multimedia device enhancedwith touch-screen navigation and a QWERTYkeyboard for easier e-mailing and texting. Itsdocument-handling capabilities are anotherplus for busy professionals.

The LG Dare, S80, is an impressive phoneand multimedia device enhanced with along talk time and simple touch-screen navi-gation. The virtual keyboard and handwriling-recognition feature make e-mailing andtexting a snap.

A clever approach to the cluttered keypadproblem make the $80 Samsunq Alias 2 avery good choice for heavy texters.

The LG enV 3, S80. is a solid, pocket-friendly cell pfione with a generouslyproportioned keypad and a well-spacedQWERTY keyboard.

The $50 LG VX8360 is an austere-lookingflipper that takes its phone duties seriously.

The soiid Verizon Wireiess G'zOne Boulder,at S150, is a good companion on rough terraifi.

If simplicity is paramount:The $147 Sanfisung Jttterbuq J is a goodchoice for people who want a simple phonewith a high level of service support.


COMPUTERS, DesktopsOur Recommended models are based on test results and features. We also considerbrand reliability, tech support, and overall value.

Brands model Price Overall score Test results

Similar mocieK, in imali

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0 100p I F I G I V t l t

FULL-SIZE

HP Pavilion Elitem96S0fHP Pavilion Elfiee9120f Pavilion Eliiee9l2llï

Gateway LX6810-01

Gateway DX43OO-O3

Dell InspironIS4S006BAsus Essentio

Compaq PresarioC05U0F

HP Pavilion a6700v i

HP Pavilion p6!40l

Gateway DX420O-O9

Compaq PresarioSR571OV 1;HP Pavilion p6tiOfPavilion p61iay

eMachliMH ET 1161-05eMactiinesETI810-01COMPACT

300

NA NA Core i7 920

PfienümllX4

core2Quad

PhenomX4

core 2 Quad08200

Core20ua[i

51Z

1024

512

MA NA Athlon X275SO NA

111 u> PheilomX4 ...NA NA g^5j)^ NA

Q82O0PhenomX4

Athlon 64X2 ,..^^5Qp, NA

Pentium Dual- . , ,CûreE530O ^^

NA O Athlon If-1620 NANA NA Celeron 420 NA

[71

[7]

HP Pavilion Slimlines5160tGateway SX280O 01

Acer AspireAX17OO-U37OOA su

C O M P U T E R S . D E S K T O P S t97


? It"ilHl IIItldBi.

COMPACT continued

s»0 m

P i F I G IVGI E

HP Pavilion Slimline

Dell insptron 537s

Apple Mac miniMB463LL/A.aeMachinesELUOOG-OlwCompaq PresarioCQ20O9F 1

ALL-IN-ONE

O © O O NA NA Athlon X2 7750 NA

r\ e, A c fit r\ Pentium Oual- ^.

O O O © NA • ^^"nír^ NA

© © O Ô NA O *']2°5f

• a O • NA NA AiamN230

NA

• ^ MB418LL/A ' ''^'^^

0 HP TouchSmari 10804 1,600

p l lenovo ideaCentreA600sany VAioVGC-LV240J/S

Q Dell studio One 19

Apple lUac 20-mchMB417U/ASony VAIOVGC-JS23OJ/TAveratec DlOOEAlE-leMachfnes EZ1601 01Asustt'e Top

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® 2Ouo_ Core 2 Dúo^ T5850^ Core 2 Dúo'-' T64O0

^ £7400_ Pentium Dual-•-J CoreBÍOO

-^ Pentium Dual-•^ CoreE52000 Alom N270• Atom N27O

O Atüm N^70

NA

256 •

51Í •

NA •

256

NA

NA •

NA

NA

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1 Pnce include speakers purchased separately. 12 Buiil-ín mono speaker. Price indudes keyboard and mouse. I3i Has&. the fastest tonnection toi external hard drives.


Ratings Key @£xcehent ©Verygood OGood OPaír #Poor

D CR Best Buy These models offer the besl combination oí performance arrct price. All are recommended.

(Zl Recommended neî- are hlgi)-perfDimlng models that stand out.

198 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y i N G G U I D E 2 0 1 0

Guide to the RatingsOveraii score reflects all the Ratinqs factors. Displayed scores are rounBed; models arelisted in oröer of precise score. Performance reflects speed whiite running productivity andmuitimedia software, plus power consumption. Ergonomics is how easily you can accessfeatures, plus the absence of noise. Versatility includes hardware features such as memory-card slots. AV connections, and speakers, software features such as security programs,and tech support and warranty provisions. 3D gaming covers performance whiie running3D qames. For all-in-ones, dispiay is our judgment ot clarity, color, brightness, and viewingangle. Speakers covers fidelity, bass response, and loudness.

Seiect Ratinqs Overview

Fastest:HP Pavfiton Elite m9650l, $1,150: Thissystem uses the latest processor, has a largehard drive, and includes an extra 5!Í !GB ofvideo memory, making it a very good systemfor powerTjsers and gamers alike. There are¿liso lots of extras included.

ruli'featured and affordable:HP Pavtiion Elite e9120f. S740: This com-puter is loaded with features, including alarqe 1TB hard drive, 8GB ot RAM, a Biu-rayorive, and extra video memory. It's qoodenough for productivity, entertainment, andqaminq, without breaking the bank. Butyou'll have to add speakers.

Barqain for gamers;Gateway tX6810-01, S650: Gamers willappreciate the quad-core processor, 1GBof video memory, and 8GB of memory.This system includes lots of extra teatures.And it all comes at a reasonable price.

No-frilis budget:Compag Presario C05110F, S370: This bud-get-priced computer is a CR Best Buy.Despite its low price, you qet 3GB of memory.But don't expect many extras beyond that.

Fast and compact:HP Pavfiion Slimilne s5160t S820: It costsmore than other compact computers we test-ed, but it's got a large hard drive and tots ofRAM. The Biu-ray player makes it appealingas an entertainment system. Extra videomemory makes it a good platform for gaming.

Affordable compacts:Gateway SX2800-01, S490; A space-saveras well as a money-saver, this compactGateway will meet demand for most com-putinq tasks. But gamers should ipok fora system with extra video memory.

Acer Aspire AX17O0-U3700A, $390: Thir,compact system is a space-saver that doesn'tskimp on features. It's got a large hard drive.extra video memory, and plenty of outputs forhome theater. The mouse has an odd shape.

Best ait-in-ones:Apple iMac MB418LL/A, $1,460: ApplesiMacs are fast and competitively pricedfor an all-in-one. The 24-inch iMac has anexcellent display. Apple was the mostreliable desktop brand, and had the besttech support.

HP TouchSmart, 10804, $1.600: Thevery good touclvscreen display makes thisail-in-one system a qood choice, especially(or families. The display is also the largestwe've tested a\ 25.5 inches.

Lenovo IdeaCentre A600, $1.100: Witha stylish desiqn, this all-in-one packs a lotof features, including a larqe 1TB hard driveand extra video memory. It does so whileremaining in the middle of the pack in price.

Value all-in'one:Dell Studio One 19, $870: This very goodail-in-one system is a great deal withgood performance. The 18.5-inch screenis smaller than many other all-in-onedisplays, but could be a benefit to thosewith little space.

C O M P U T E R S . L A P T O P S 199

COMPUTERS, LaptopsI,aptop reliability has been mostly undistinguished. Apple has been best for laptoptccii support. DfU and Lcnovo were among the better lech-support providers forWindows-based laptops. Dell was an above-average problem-solver for laptops. Beloware Select Ratings.

Branii & model Price Overall score Test results

'is, in small

I I g " I- f100

I VGt E

12- TO 13-INCH MODELS[71 Apple MdcBook Pro

13-inch HB990LL/A[71 sonyVAio

VGN-SR42OD/H[7 ] Apple MacBook

UB466LUA[71 Apple MacQook Ail

MC233Lt/A[71 HP Pavilion

Dell Inspiron 1318

e e O e e 6.5 4 ¿f^ïoe © e © • 425 4.1 ^"i ^^^^^" 512

e e o o o 5 4j

o e ô © • 4.25 3

O e e O « 6.75 s '^' 'S"' ' NA

e o e Q g 3J 4.9 ^";^"° NA

14- TO 16-IWCH MODEISApple MacBook Prol5-inül MB47OLL/ALenovo IdeaPadY65O-8343UT

© 525 5.5

© © © © O 2.75 5.6

© e © O O 3 w

2.4GHZCore 2 DUO

Core 2 OuoP8600

O O O 6.5 7

P8600Core 2 Duo

[7 ] AC« AspireTiniöineAS58IO-4657

Q 06« Inspiron• • I545-012B

© O © O © is a

ô © © o © 8 5.3

Core 2 DuoTt600

Pentium

MA

NA

NA

NASU270OPentium

O O O © Ô 3J 5.9 Dual-Cnre NAT4200

Ratings Key ©Ejcellenl ©Varygood Üüood ttf^'air •Poo f

Q CR Best Buy These models offer the best combination ot pertormaiwe and price. Ail aro rocommanded.

[^ Recommended These are ineh-pertorming models that stand out.


Brand & model Price Overall score Test resuits

Similsí iraxíels. m sirulllYPCirecomlesiwJ model.

17-TO 18INCH MODELS

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P I F I G IVril [

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Apple MacBook Pro .-.,,.,,]7-inchMB604LL/A * " " "

0 HP Paviliondv7-21ßOtiS

[71 IIPG7D-460U567tM68NR

171 Toshiba Satellite^ L355-S79O2

Core 2 Duo • "Core 2

© e e o o 3.5 7.5 Ouact 1024Q9000

e e e e O 3^ 7.3 X^¿' NA

o e © o o 3.25 7.2 DuaKore NA


Guide to the RatingsOverall score is based on a number of factors, such as performance, ergonomics, portability,and versatility. The displayed score is out of a total of 100 points. Performance is basecf onrunning productivity applications, multimedia applications, and 3D qames. Ergonomics represents^the quality of the keyboard and touchpad and accessibility of features, Versatlllty includeshardware such as memory-card slots and AV connections, software such as security programsand productiyity applications, and tech support and warranty provisions. Display coversdisplay size, clarity, color, contrast, brightness, and glare. Speakers covers speaker fidelity, bassresponse, and loudness.


Best 13-Inch:Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch MB990LLyA,$1,200: The top performer In the 13-inch cate-gory, this laptop is very well-rounded witfian above-average display and set of speakers.

Sony VAIO, VGN-SR420D/H, $1.200:A well-rounded 13.3-inch laptop, this Sony isa top Windows performer in this class. Theextra video merWory makes it appealing toqamers who want a small, portable system.

Apple MacBook MB466LL/A, $1,000: Thislower-priced MacBook option is very competi-tive with other laptops in the 13-inch cateqory.-

HP Pavilion dv3-2150us, $800: Althoughit's a bit heavy for a 13.3-inch laptop, this sys-tem has long battery life and is well-priced (orits size. There's also a large SOOGB hard disk.

Dell Inspiron 1318, $625: Great price for .i13-inch laptop, but there's no webcam.

Best llqhtwelght:Apple Macbook Air MC233LL/A, $1.500: Thislaptop IS suitable lor those who are willingto pay a premium for netbook-like portabilityand notebook-like performance. It ie^.tures avery good display but lacks basic features likean optical drive and memory-card reader.

Best 14-liKh:Dell Inspiron 14, $725: If you're lookingfor a lightweight 14-inch laptop, this Defl wasa very good performer. Features are a bitlimited, however.

C O M P U T E R S . L A P T O P S 201


Best 15-Inch:Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch MB470LL/A,51,500; Scored tops amonq its category, witht>xcellent performance, long battery life, verygood display and speakers, and relativelyfight weight.

Acer Aspire Timeline AS5810-46S7.5550: Thin, tight, and inexpensive, it alsohas some of the best battery life In its class.But performance is worse than most laptops

'on the market and only marginally betterthan a netbooh.

Dell Inspiron I545-0I2B. S400: Goodperformanue and a budget price maKe ita CR Best Buy. The I60GB hard drive issmaller than others in its class, but shouldhe sufficient for most uses.

Best 16-lneh:Lenovo ideaPad Y650-B343UT, S900: Withexcellent ergonomics and very good perfor-mance, versatility, display, and speakers, thiswell-rouncted laptop offers plenty of function-ality. Although battery fife was comparatively5hort, the laptop is lightweight for its size.

Deil Studio XPS SX16-2313, Sl,125: Excel-leni performance distinguishes this 16-inch

laptop. Video memory and a Blu-ray playergive it appeal for gaming and movie viewing.

Toshiba Satellit« AS05-S6960, S650:This CR Best Buy l6-inch laptop has alarge display and a full spectrum o( features.Performance was only qood and it's heavyin its class, but battery life was long.

Best17Hneh:Appie MacBook Pro 17-inch MB604LL/A,$2.200: Consistently performs at the topof our Ratings, with excellent performance,long battery life, a very good display, andexcellent sound.

HP Paviiion dv7-21B0us, S1,35O: Costsmore than olher Windows laptops in its sizethat we tested, but this HP system offersIGB of video memory for gamers, a large.500GB hard drive, and 6GB of memory. Theresult was excellent performance.

HP G70-460US, $650: This well-priced17-inch laptop had very good performance,

Toshiba Sateilfte L355-S79O2, $600:Inexpensive for a Windows laptop this size,its ergonomics and versatility make it a verygood desktop replacement.



Desktops

h'W! More

Apple

CompâQ

cMachínes

Gatevfav

Q% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Apple has been among the more reliable

brands of desktop computers. That's what

we found out when we ask^d more than

47,000 readers who bought a desktop com-

puter between 2004 and 2 0 0 8 about their

experiences. This graph shows the percent-

age of brands that have ever been repaired

or had a serious problem, Differences of

less than 4 points aren't meaningful. Models

wi th in a brand may varv, and changes in

design or manufacture might affect relia-

biiity. Stil l, choosing a brand wi th a good

repair history can improve your odds of

get t ing a reliable model.

Source: Annual Product HeliabiHtv Survey, ConsumerReports National Researcti Center.

LaptopsFewerreoairs

More

HcwlMI-Pückaíí

5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

No one brand stood ou t as t t ie most reli-

able among laptop brands. That's what

we found out when we asked more than

63 ,000 readers who bought a laptop

between 2 0 0 4 and 2 0 0 8 about their expe-

riences. This graph shows the percentage

of brands that have ever been repaired or

had a serious problem. Differences o l less

than 3 points aren't meaningful . Models

wi th in a t irand may vary, and changes in

design or manufacture might affect reli-

ability. Still, choosing a brand wi th a good

repair history can improve your odds of

get t ing a reliable model.

Source: Annual Product Reliabililv Survev, ConsumerReports National Research Center

C O M P U T E R S , N E T B O O K S 203

COMPUTERS, Netbookskecommended netbooks are suitable as secondary systems for performing routineiasks. The hesl otFer lighter weight, larger keyboards and trackpads, and longer batterylift'. All inoliidf il memorv-Ccirii render .ind webcam.

Brand S model Price Overall score Test results

1 i

D ionP I F I G IVGl F

-s r g ^

[•il SamsungNI2O-I2GBK ÎAOÙ\7\ Toshiba Wim

Samsung KÍ10-12PBK 400

pj AsusFeePClOOSHA 415

Samsung NC10-t4GB 390[71 Acer Aspire One „„

AOOlM-1165 " "Acer Aspire One ,_nD250-1990 ^^Âsus tee PC lOOOHE VÚ

HP Mini 1I0-1O30NF) 350

Samsung NQO-aiGBK 500

MSI Wind U120-024US 320

Dell Inspiron Mini lOv 300

Dell Inspiron Mini 10 3S0Acer Aspire One ,_.AOA15O-1635 ^^"Acer Aspire One -...AO751h-1259 " ^MSIMrndU100-641U5 . •*""

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o o

ooooo oooo oooooooooô oQ oooo_ oó oÖ eo o

O d

o •o Qo 9© •O •o oo oo •o <A

o •o •o eo •o •e •

6

7.75

725

5.5

7

9

6.?5

6.5

525

4,5

4.5

2.5

3

2,5

2

2.8

2.9

2.8

2A

M

2.9

2.7

3.2

2.9

3.3

2.S

2.6

2.5

12

2.7

¿5

AtomN270 160

AtomN28Q 160

AtomN27D 160

AtomN28ü 160

AtomN27O 160

AtomN27O tÖO

AtomW7O 16Ü

A:omN28O 160

AlomN270 160

160

AtomN27O 160

Nano

AtomZ530 160

AlomN27O 160

AlomZ52O 250

AtomN27O 160


Brand 8 model Price Overall score Test results

^ s ^ "^ 'S.

l l l î - iIDO

F I & 1 V C I E

Averatec BuddyN1030EA1E-1ienovo ideaPad510-12ÜUW

HPMinÍlU6NF<

HPMÍnílO3ONR

(350

350

350

O Ô O O © • 2 ^ 2-5 AtOtnN27O 160

O © O O © • ^5 ¿7 AtomN270 160

O O © © O © 3 2.3 AlomN270 16

-O O © © O Ô 2.75 2A AtomNZ70 16


Ratings Key ©Excelienl ©Ve;v EPOd OGood ©Fair •Poor

D CR Best Buy These models offer the best combinalicin ol performance arid price. All are recommended.

Q Recommended These are hign.-performing models that stand out.

Guide to the RatingsOverall score is based on a number of factors, such as ergonotnics, performance, portability,and versatility. Ttie displayed score is out ot a total of lOO points. Portabltlty is based on batterylife and weight. Erqonomlcs represents the quality of the keyboard and touctipad and accessibil-ity of features. Performance is based on running productivity applications. Versatility includeshardware features such as memory-card slots and AV connections, software features such assecurity programs, and tech support and warranty provisions. Display covers display size, clarity,color, contrast, brightness, and glare. Speakers covers fidelity, bass response, and loudness.


Samsunq N120-12GBK, $400: II portabilityand ergonomics are your priorities, thisnetbook, with its long battery life and rela-tively large keyboard, is a good choice. Butthose features come at a premium price.

ToshilM Mini NB20S-N210, $3S0: VeryQood portability, long battery, and inexpensiveprice tag make this a great ctioice. especiallyfor those on a budget.

Asus E M PC lOOeHA, S41S: This thinand lightweight netbook has good ergonomics(or its class.

Acer Aspire One A001S0-1165, 5330:With the longest battery life in the group,this netbook will keep you going on the road.But Che keyboard and touchpad were ^mailerthan average.

C O O K T O P S 205

COOKTOPSAll electric cooktops performed well overaii. Tliere are many competent gas cooktopsto choose from, too. Like gas cotiktops. electric smoothtop models can'l malch ihcquick heating and instant response of inducUon models. But as the price columnshows, induction cooktops typically arc more expensive. Below are Select Ratings.

Brands model Price Overall score Test results Features

•5 .

O)

o- J

a li OJ G "ai

. 0

a1"ai

0

5

P I F I G I V G l E

30-INCH ELECTRIC SMOOTHTOP MODELS

0

Electrolux IconEÎ0EC65EÎSSI

Kenmore (Sears) 4273IZI 500

« PiOfile PP945BMIBBÍ 1.050

INDUaiON COOKTOPS

1

2

3

i'

0

0

[

¿

2

2

Q

n

Kenmore (SearsI Line1.745

GEP!Of¡lePHP900DU|BB| 1.700

KeumoreíSeari) Elite

4Í80I0I1.575

Brands model Price Overall score Test results^ features

î ^ * § sS- 5 9- ä o,

0 100p I F I G I VGl t

ä è

i

36-INCH GAS COOKTOPS

GE ProfileJGP'J/'.WEKIWWIGE Protile

Ratings Key ©Exceilani ©Very good OGood Ofsir • ? < } «

D CR Best Buy These models ofler Ihe besl combination ol perfoimance and ptice. Ail are racontmenijed.S Recommended These am high-performing models that stand oui.

206 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U I O E 2 0 1 0

Guide to the RatingsOveraii score reflects cooktop performance at high and low heat. The displayed score is outot a total of 100 points. Hiqh h«at reflects how quickly the highest-povuered element heatedwater to near-boiling. Low heat reriects how well the lowest-powered element melted and heldchocolate without scorching and how the most powerful eiement, set to tow, held tomato saucebelow a boil.


30-inch electric cooktops:All are top performers. Paying more for theEJectrolux Icon E30EC65E[SS], $1,200, buysyou five elements instead of four; the GEProflie PP945BM[BB]. $1,050. adds smoothtouch controls. The Kenmore 427312], S500,offers the most performance for the price.

30-inch Induction coohtops:All three offer ultrafast healing at a relativelylow price for induction. At Si.575. the Kenmore

Eittt 42e0[0] costs the least but has lessconvenient controls.

36-lnch qss coolttops:Between the Kenmore Eitte 324919], $1,150,and the GE Profiie JGP975WEK[WW],Sl,100, choose the Kenmore for its tasterheating. The GE JGP637WEJIWW] tradessome convenience features and somesimmering performance for a much lowerprice; at S800, it's the best value.

Brand Repair iHistory

Electr ic Cooktops

repairs

Kenmote (Sears)

Mwe

Whirlpool

KitcIienAiil

Gas Cooittops

repairs

WtlillpODi ^ m d

Kiicñefi&td ^ • ^ • g

l[K?r[i)3dor ^ I ^ H BKefimnre ISe rs) | m m i | ^ ¡

)enn-Air | H | H | H E IDacor I ^ ^ H ^ ^ BViking ^ l ^ l ^ ^ ^ l

Morefep.iiii

IB

0% s% 10% 20%

Dacor and Viking have been ttie mostrepair-prone gas brands; Jenn-Air has beenamong the more repair-prone electricbrands. That's what we found when weasked almost 19,000 readers who bought acooktop between 2004 and 2008 abouttheir experiences. The graph shows thepercentage of brands that needed a repairor had a serious problem. Differences ofless than 4 points aren't meaningful, andwe've adjusted the data to eliminate differ-ences linked solely to the age of the cook-top. Note Ihat we have no data on inductioncooktops. Models within a brand miqht vary,and design or manufacture changes mighlaffect future reliability. Still, choosing a brandwith a good repair history can Improve yourodds of getting a reliable model.

Source: Annual Product Reliability Survey, ConsumerReports Nationa! Research Center.

C O R D L E S S D R I L L S & D R I V E R S 207

CORDLESS DRILLS & DRIVERSDecide whether the projects you handle warrant the higher power and price of thelatest technology. Note that drills that deliver added speed, power, and run time areheavier as well. Also decide whether you're willing to wear earplugs; models thatscored a fair in our noise tests were at or above the 85-decibel level at which we recom-mend hearing,protection. Below are Select Ratings.

Brand & model Price Volts Cell Weight Overallscore TestresultsUivn (Ib.)

* .E .s ~ so — ^ -o ¿Íû_ c: 1 c

0 lOQP I F I G I V 6 I E

DRILLS FOR GENERAL USE_ 5Z00

Q Ptirter-CablerciSODK? 100

0 llyoWP815 160

Q Craftstttanll'jaa 120

0 Hitachi DS12DVF3 80

DRILLS FOR TOUGHER JOBS

15.6 NiMH 4.8

18 NiCll 5.1

18 U-lon 55

19.2 NiCrt 'O

12 NiCd 'iA

0

•••

Hitachi DS18DMR

MakHa LXT BDF451

Bosch J.)618-?G

Uahitaó347DWDE

DeWalt DCD WOKX

Craftsman 11543^,^;^,

200280200200200130

18 NiCd 6.1

18 NiMK fi.H

18 li- lon 4.9

18 NiCd Vi

18 MiMH 5.4

14.4 "NlCil 0.7

19.2 NiCd 5.5

Ratings Key ©Excellent ©VerygooQ OGood ÔFair #PoorD CR Best 8uy These models offer t.lie best combination of performance ar>d price. All are recommencled.[ ^ Recommended These are hlgh-peifarming models that stand out.


Brand S model Price Volts Cell weight Overallscore Testresultstype' (ib.)

P I

CORDLESS IMPACT DRIVERS

RyohlP230C

$220UO

12 NiMH i.b

18 NiCit 4.6© e e

o e e• Li-loo=iiltilum-ion. NiCd • niEkel-cadmium, NiMH • nickel-meial hydride.

See report, page 56,

Guide to the RatingsOverall score is for speed, power, run and charge times, handling, and noise at ear ievei.Displayed scores for all tools are rounded; models listed by precise overall score. Speed is .(or drilling holes and driving screws. Power (torque) is twisting force. Run time is work ,per battery charge. Charge time is to recharge fully discharged battery. Handling is weight.baiance, and effort to position head. Noise is at ear levei.

Select Ratinqs Overview

Best drills for most:Paying more buys added run time for thePanasonic' EY6432G0KW, $200, and lessweight tor the Ryobi P815, 5160. Butthe Porter-Cabte PC1800K-2, $100, andCraftsman 1158B. S120, deliver the bestperformance tor the price. Note that theRyobi and Craftsman can power other toolswith the same batteries.

Lighter weight for tighter-duty Jobs:The Hitachi DS12DVF3, SSO. is amongthe lightest, lowest-priced drills that are stillreasonably fast with quick recharging.

For serious do-it-yourselfers:Choose the DeWalt DCO 940KX. S280, for Iheultimate in performance and the Maklta LXTBDF4S1, S280, for its lightness. Otherwise,you'll get comparable performance with anyof the $200 models listed as drills for tougherjabs. Choose the Craftsman 11543, S130, ifymiYe willing to trade some run time for ahammer-drill feature and a muct^lower price.

If YOU want an Impact driver:The Makita 698bFDWDE, $220. and theRyobi P230C, Si30. add power andenough noise to require hearing protection.Choose the Makita for its light weight andthe Ryobi for its low price.

D E C K S T A I N S 2 0 9

DECK STAINSOur three-year tests in sun. snow, and rain yielded several top picks that can proteclboth your deck and yflur house. Match stain to your local conditions. Pick a mildewresistant product ifyour home is in the shade and a dirt-resistant one il it's iñ an urban,irea. Below are Select Uatings.

Type Price Overall score Appearance Resists

0 100

P I f I G IVCI E

FULLY TESTED Completed the equivalent of up lo nine vear5' exposure.Behr [Jerk Plus tok, fencefliirt Siding 200 line

] Sears Wcjttieibeater Oeck,íono.'í; Silling

] Thompsofl'swaterSeal

Deck & House

rpprjit, pflcje 65.

opaque

opai)ue

semi-transparent

© e O

e o oe o ô

Ratings Key ©Excellent Qêry^xiú OGODCI OFair •Poor

Q CR Best Buy These models offer Ihe besi combination of performance and price. All are r

[•'] Recommended roese are high-pertormmgrnoaels that stand cut.

Guide to the RatingsOverall scor« is a three-year weighted performance averaige using the number of coats manu-liicturers suggest; in these cases, two coats were applied. Type stiows whether a treatmentrovers wooia grain (opaque) or shows some grain (semitransparent). All are latex-based stainsthat clean up with water. Appearance iS judged over as long as three years. Resists crackingshows which best prevent cracks In our pressure-treated boards. Resists color ctianqe --howswhich fade or change color least. Resists dirt shows which collect little dirt. Resists mildew•ihows which minimize mildew buildup.


Ihp Behr Deck, Fence & Siding 200 iine,opaque, S23 per gallon and sold a( Home Depot,iiisted longest in our decking and siding tests.

The Sears Weatherbeater Deck, Fenceand SIdInq opaque did nearly as weii as!he Behr. costs just $16 per gallon, and has

roughly one-lhird the volatile organic com-pounds, which have been linked to pollution.

Thompson's WaterSeal Deck & Housesemitransparent, S20 per gallon, protectedbest among semitransparent finishes onboth decking and siding.


DIGITAL CAMERAS, Point & ShootThe Ratings list models by overall performance. Recommended models stand ouifor their combination of price and performance, or other reajions noted. All modelsoffer good or very good overall performance and image quality. Most get 200 to350 shots per battery charge (none got fewer ihan 100) and have V/i inches or so ofLCD screen.

Brand & model Price Overall scDre Test results

~ ai Oí .>< a tf IOo QD ü ; ^

lOQ -I F I G IVGI F

COMPAa MODEISCMon PowerStioi GIO SWOCanon PowerShotAlOOO ISPanasonic LumixDMOTilNikon Cßülpix P6D00Panasonic LumIxDMC-LS85Kodak Easy5hareM1O33Canon PowerStiot 010Canon PowerSIioiA2000 ISFujifilm FInePixF60fdPanasonic LumixDUC-FX 500

A470Otympus FE-370

Canon PowerShotA430Fujiflim FinePixJÍ50W

GEABS

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o ©

o ©© o

© © © e ©

© © © o ©

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o © © o ©o © e o ©

14 200 400 iX

10 7 100 450 AX

\2 6 200 340 4.6X,

14 10 400 260 4X

10 5 400 220 3X

12 8 200 220 3)(

10 8 100 500 6X

\2 6 ZOO 230 3X

10 6 1600 280 'iX

8 100 400 34X

8 5 200 200 5X

© © © O © 10 7 100 200 3JX

O © © Ô © 10 6 100 150 5X

O © © © O 7 6 200 130 3X

Ratings Key ©Excellent ©Very good O G W X J ©Fai r • P o o rO CR Best Buy These mgdcis offer the üest combination of performance and price. All are recommandai].t d Recomnfiended These are tiigh-performfng models that stand out.

D I G I T A L C A M E R A S , P O I N T & S H O O T 211

Brand &modei Price Overall store Testresuits

3 § ' (v OÍ ,s• ^ " ^ 5.

S S a

m ~ s£ 5 :

P I F t G I V&I I

SUBCOMPACT MODELS

Sony Cyber-stioi0SC-W300Canon PowerSholSD880 IS ELPH

[71 Canon PowerSholS012U0ISELPHCanon PowerSholSOWO IS ELPH

171 Fujifilm FlnePixf200EXRCanon PowerSholSD970ISELPH

[71 Casio Exiiim CardEX-S12

son¥Cvber-sholO5C-63 500

Nikon COülptxS710 300

, 71 Canon PowerShol

Panasonic LumixDMC-FXISOSony Cytiershot05C-T900Casio Exilim CardEX-SIO

Nikon CoolpixS630

Sony Cvber-shoi

DSC-T90

Samsung SLiO?

Casio Exilim 2oom

EX-Z85

Pentax Optio P70Casio High SpeedExilim EX-FSIOKodak EasyShareM 380 "Sony Cyber-shot

LeitaClUX3Samsung TUOO

Sony Cyber stiot

DSC-W220


Brand&moäel . Price Overall score Testresults

s '-' E- —00 iC t - a,

= â *P I F i G I V«l

SUBCOMPAH MODELS continued

Canon PowerShotAlIOO ISPanasonic Luiniii

DMC-FS25

Olympus Stylus 1010

Nikon CüoipJK U9

Otympus <iivlus

Ioiigh-8000

M1093 IS

Pentax Optio E70

0MCFSI5

PMtu0pUoW60

Nikon CoolplxS220

Panasonic LiimixOMC-FX35

CasioExilim Card EX-SS

Samsung SLS20

Casio Exilim Zoom

EX-Z150

Nikon CoolpixS230

Olympus Stylus lOSOSW

Nikon Cüülpix S60

Olympus Stylus

TOUgh-6000

OiympiH Stylus 53OWP

Nikon CoolpixSZlO

Fujifilm rineP« Z33WP

Sony Cyber-shot

DSC-S9S0

Casio Exjlim Zoom

FuJifiimFJnePixZ30

Fujifilm FinePixJ20

Olympus FE-3000

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800 220 3X

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400 Z90 4X

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100 140

100 230

200 140

100 220

64 200

100 330 «

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200 165 3X

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D I G I T A L C A M E R A S , P O I N T & S H O O T 2t3


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canon PowerStiotSXIO iSKodak E.isvStiare

Canon PowerShot

SKllSCasio rxNim EX-FH20

Panasonic Lumix

Kodak EasvSiiareï980

Canon PowerShotSX20015

Sonv Cyber-shotDSC-H20

nsc-Min

Fuiifilm FinePix

SI500

Nikon Coolpix P80

Samsung HÜ15W

Fujifilm FinePix

S2000 HD

Canon PowerStiot

Panasonic LumixDMfTZS

PentaiOpiioX70Panasonic LumixDMC ZS3Fujifilm FInePJxSlOOfSSamsung HZlOW

Olympus SP-59OUZ

Olympus Slyltf^ 9000

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Guide to the RatingsOverall score Í5 based mainly on image quality, the presence of useful features, battery life,and weight. Displayed scores are rounded; models are listed in orijer of precise overall score.Megapixels is unit of measurement that shows how many million pixels an image sensor has.As 3 rule, the more megapixels you have, the larger you can print your image, or enlarge partsof an image without losing detail or Image gualily. Weiqht (oz.) is total weight of the camerabody, including battery and memory card. Imaqe qualfty combines analytical tests and expertjudgments on a reference monitor of images made with the camera's best resolution andcompression. Ovnamlc ranqe and maximum ISO with best quality are factors, for point andshoots, first-shot delay (often referred to as shutter lag) is how quickly the camera can take ¡tsfirst shot once powered up. The fastest were virtually instantaneous; the slowest took 1 secondor longer. Next-shot delay is how quickly the camera can take its next photo. Models at leastas quick ¿is 1 second were rated excellent; 3, very good; 5, good; and 7, fair. For SLRs, ease otuse is our measure of how convenient it is to use the camera's essential features, Vlewflnderis Ihe score of viewfinder specifications and the measurement of the viewfinder's brightness.Versatility reflects our assessment of a camera's physical controls, useful features, menusystem, and the degree to which you can adjust settings. Max. ISO with best quality indicatesthe highest ISO that can produce a gootJ-puality image. It's based on analytical tests of an image'sflaws (unwanted "grain" or specks of false color) and indicates which models should excel inlow light. Dynamic range indicates how wide a range of dark, middle, and light tones a cameracaptures in a scene, while stiil producing a good-quality image and fine detail. Battery life (shots)indicates the number of hiqh-resoiutlon shots the camera takes with the batteries supplied.


Best polnt-and-shoots for $150 or less:For the price, the Canon PowerShot A1000 IS,at SlSO, offers you very good image quality,producing images with excellent sharpnessalthough we did notice some visible noise.It also has decent performance and excellent

dynamic range, which allows this camera toshoot photos in a wide variety of situations.

Best underwater oolnt-and-shoots:The waterproof and shockproof PanasonicLumix DMC-TS1, S400, maintains very goodImage quality and, for the most part, perfor-mance, it has a non-telescoping zoom lensthat also has wide-angle capability and moreoptical zoom than many compacts. However,it Is a bit heavy and pricey for a compact.

The waterproof and shockproof CanonPowerShot DIO, $330, maintains very goodimage quality and has better performancethan most compacts. It has a non-telescoping

zoom lens. However, it does have lower batterylile than most compacts, which may be aproblem if you use it for long periods of timeaway from the battery charger.

For a camera that fits in a pocket:The Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS ELPH,S200, offers a winning combination of strongperformance and value. It includes new tech-nologies, such as a face detection self-timerfeature that won't begin the countdown untilit "recognizes" an additional face. But it doesn'tignore practicai features, such as an opticalviewfinder, which can be helpful when com-posing in bright light, ft has very good imagequality, producing images with excellent sharp-ness, although we did notice some noise. Itperforms very well in next-shot delay, whichis very short, though it did have some first-shot delay. It also has excellent dynamic range,which aiiows this camera to shoot photos in

D I G I T A L C A M E R A S , P O I N T & S H O O T 215


.'. i l l ' variety of shooting situations.I he Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR, 2320.

tias a special sensor that can adapt to various•ihootmq situations. It has verv good imagei-iuality, producing images with excellentsharpness, although we did notice somenotse. It has excellent dynamic range, which.-tllows this camera to shoot photos in a widevariety of shooting situations, and it performsvery well in next-stiot delay, which is very.hort, though it did have some (irst-shot delay.It has manual controls, which make this cam-i?ra more versatile than other modeis. it alsoincludes wide-angle capabiiities, usetui forlandscapes and group portraits, and an out-put for HDTV.

The very slim Casio EKitim Card EX-S12,5200. offers speedy performance and verygood Image guallty at a reiativeiy low price.It even includes manual focus, which makesIt more versatiie than other models.

The Canon PowerShot SD780 iS ELPK,5230, J5 one of the few point-and-shoots thatcan capture high-guality images in very lowlight without a flash. Its excellent dynamicrange allows Ihis camera to take photos ina wide variety of shooting situations, and theoptical viewfinder can be heipful when com-posing in bright light.

If a Ionq zoom Is a priority:Ihc Canon PowerShot SX1 IS, S560, is a,verypricey, but powerful superzoom with uniqueleatures th3t let you control many exposuresettings and take better or more creativephotos. Like an SLR, it can save images inRAW format, whlcli allows you more creative

control over editing images, it has a hot shoefor an optionai external fiash, which is rareon point-and-shoots. It can even capturehigh-definition video at a greater resolution(1920 X 1080) than most cameras, it's big ancheavy, but it's loaded with features.

With its speedy performance, very goodimage quaiity, and decent quality in iow light,the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20, $250, isa fine value. It doesn't have wide-angle capa-bility, a feature found on most in its ciass. Butit's a light, portable superzoom ât an attrac-tive price.

For a relatively inexpensive superzoom,the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS. $230,produces images with very good sharpness.although we did notice some visible noise.Performance is mixed, with short next-shotdelay but some first-shot delay. Excellentdynamic range lets you shoot photos ina wide variety of situations. Manual controlsand manual focus make this camera moreversatile than other modeis.

AithouQh ttie Samsunq HZ10W, $280. Islight and compact for a superzoom, it hassome powerlui features, such as a very wide24-mm iens, which can be usefui for land-scapes and group portraits. It has very goodimage quality, producing images with goodsharpness, although we did notice some noiseThe camera has very short next-shot deiay,but did have some first-shot delay. It has excellent dynamic range, which allows this camernto shoot photos in a wide variety of shootingsituations. It also has manual controls, whictimakes this camera more versatile than otheimodels, as well as manual focus.

Z16 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y i N G G U I D E 2 0 1 0

DIGITAL CAMERAS, SLRMost models were fine overall performers. Image-quality scores aren't comparablewith those of point-and-shoots because the two types are factored differently. Beloware Seiecl Ralinj;s,

Brand «model Price Overall score Testresuits

.c Ci. —

P I F I GBA5IC

LîlJ CaooB EOS Rebel Tli

0 MikonD5000

0 Penta«K2000

ADVANCED

© © © e O 15 18.6 1600 400 • 3.4

© © © e O 12 2i.6 3200 510 • 4

© © © © O 10 24J 800 400 Z.8

[Z\ Nikon D300

0 Oiympus Ë-3 0igital

p ] canon EOS 40D" - Dígita!


© © © 12 2 3200 1000 • 6

© © © 10 316 800 6iO • b

^ O 10 28.8 8O0 800 •* 6J

Ratings Key ©Eiceilent ©Verygood OGood ©Fair #Poor

Q CR Best Buy These models offer the best combination ot performance and price. All are recommended.

bd Recommended These are hlgh-pertorming models ihat stand out


For a baste SLR:The Canon EOS Rebel Til, $650. is one of onlya few basic SLRs with excellent image quality.It has the ability to capture HO-resolutionvideo, allhough at a slower rate than others,which can compromise video quality. It's alsobetter than most SLRs at shooting in low-light situations without a fiasti.

The Nikon D5000, $730. with its com-bination of live-view functionailjty, swivelingdisplay, and ability to shoot HD-resolutionvideo, offers you a very intuitive way of takingvideo, as well as very good photos, with one

device. It's also relatively inexpensive andbetter ttian most SLRs In low-tight situationswithout a flash.

The camera body of the Ptntax K200D,$700, although plastic, includes environmentalseals, which means it will do a better job atKeeping moisture and dust from entering ttiecamera white the lens is attached. It's veryeasy to use with access to many functionsthrough external buttons and controls. But itdoes not have live*vrew capabilities. With abuffer size that allows for only 4 JPEGs, smallerthan what most other tiasic SLRs have, you

D I G I T A L C A M E R A S . S L R 21


Will most likely see a slowinij in Irames persecond when shooting in continuous shootingmode, lt'5 one ot the few SLRs that runs onAA batteries.

For « more advanced SLR:With its ability to capture excellent imaqequality, shoot quichiy. and perform in low-light conditions, plus excellent dynamic range.Ihe Nikon D300, $1,600. is worth its tilghprice tag.

Although it was a long time in comingto market, this top-ot-the-iine, moderately

priced Olympus E-3 Diqltsl, S1.250, wasworth the wait. It includes unique featuressuch as a swiveiing LCD with live view.It also has 11 AF points to give you ampleopportunity to keep up with active subjects.It includes a sturdy body and lots of fitestorage and compression options.

The Canon EOS 40D Digital, S900. hasone of the fastest burst modes, being ableto fire o(f 6.5 frames per second for as manyas 75 JPEGs or up to 17 RAW files. It hasexcellent image guality. a large live-view LCDand excellent battery life.


Point-and-shoot

0%

SLRMorí'

FuiifiliTi

OlympusCanon

Nikon

10% 15%

Most cameras are very reliable, and few dif-ferences exist among brands. That's whatwe lound out when we asked more than275.000 readers who bought a digital cam-era between 2004 and 2008 about theirexperiences. The graphs show the percent-age of brands that needed a repair or hada serious problem. Differences of less than3 points aren't meaningtul. Models within abrand might vary, and design or manufac-ture changes might affect future reliability.Still, choosing a brand with a good repairhistory can improve your odtís of getting areliable model.

Source; Annual Product Reiiabiiity Survey. ConsumeiReports National Research Center.


DIGITAL PICTURE FRAMESPicture quality is by far the most important feature to consider when you're buying adigital frame. You might also want to look for a frame with built-in Wi-Fi to make iteasier to grab photos from your computer or an online photo-sha ring service. Extramemory is also a plus. Below are Select Ratings.

Brand S model Price Overall score Test results Features

3 fT3 ro

Si •— s ;

f >P I F I G iVGl t

[^^ Digital SpecmimMemory FrameHF80Í

Ë ipevo Kaieido R7

[7! Pandi^talPAN70000W

0 GiiNit Slope CiN-81? 90

© Ö ©

e Ô e

e ô e

o o ©

10.0X8,0X1.4

7.8«6.8x3.0

93X.8.1x1.4

9ix6.0x0.8

800x SaMMC.MS.6Û0 XD.U5B

ÖOOx SD, MMC, MS.480 USB

800x 50. MMC. MS.600 XO.USBBOOx 5D,MMCMS.600 CF.xD.-U5B

512

1024

128

See report, pace 24.

Rating5 Key Êxcel lent ©Very good OGood © F a » # P o o rD CR Best Buy These models offer the best combination ot performance and price. Al) are raconimentled.11! Recommended TTiese are high-performing models that stand out,

Guide to the RatinqsOverall 5core is in performance order, based on picture Quality, vtewinq angle, and versatiiity.Picture quality includes image clarity, color accuracy, and contrast. It's based mainly onthe judgments of a panel that viewed photographs on each device, as well as iab measurements.Viewing anqlc indicates the quaiity of images when viewed from 45 degrees of the center iineboth horizontally and vertically. This is important if you are standing above the irame andlooking down, sitting at an angle to the frame, or sitting with the frame positioned above you.Versatility mainly includes characteristics thai aid in versatiiity and convenience. Those includethe presence of hardware and menu-based navigation features. Aiso considered are the numberof memory-card and USB siots; built-in memory; brightness, color, and contrast controls; wire-less remote control; portrait and iandscape stands; removabie picture frames and any extraframes included; audio and video playback; audio and video connections; PC-to-device imagetransfer speeds; number and duration of slideshow timings; the ability to deiete images; imagequantity; size and format limitations; and handling of non-compatible image formats.

D I G I T A L P I C T U R E F R A M E S 219


Very qood picture quality at a low prie*:Ar additional trame and malte plus the abilityto use ready-made frames make ttie DlqltalSpectrum Memory Frame MF-801, $80, aqood choice if you want to match ttie frameto your décor, Ttie low price makes ttiis framea good value, and picture quality was veryqood. A wide range of convenient featuresmakes it easy to use.

Wi-Fi connected to qet photos from yourcomputer and from select online services:At first qiance, you might think you're lookingat trie worfcl's smallest LCD monitor. TheIpevo Kareldo R7, S200, will look good in anoffice or if your home décor leans towardtectino-chic. But it's among the highest-pricedframes we rated. It comes with built-in Wi-Ficonnectivity that lets you view photos storedon your computer or on select online services.

Its 512MB of memory provides a substantialamount of storage space. Widescreen aspectratio makes picture-viewinq problematic.

Lots of storage on the frame so you canreuse your memory cards:A gigabyte of memoiy gives you plenty ofroom for storing pholos on the PandiqitaiPAN70000W, SSO. The low price makes thisframe a good value. An optional Wi-Fi adapterlets you get ptiotos from your computer andspecific photo-sharinq sites.

For people looktnq to stmply show theirphotos:If you're like many people who simply wanta digital frame to show pictures, the CiiNIiSlope GN-aT2, S90. is a very goDd bet.Its crisp-iookinq screen and low price makeit a CR Best Buy.


DISHWASHERSYou'll save money on your new dishwasher by passing on the hidden controls andstainless-steel tub. Targeted spray jets, adjustable racks, and other features designedto improve loading and washing peribrmance will also add to the price of manydishwashers, but some high-scoring models in this report are equipped with thoseconveniences and cost less.

Brand&model Price Overallstore Testresults Features

Siniiläf mOek. In smalt

OÍ C:

S S

I .H g ¡w ^ ~

0 :ooP 1 F I G I V G U

s 3

Bosch SHX98M0{9|UCSHFüaMOtltK

Bosch Evolution 500

Asko EncoreDÍ531XLHDÍSS]Kenmore (Sear^) ElitelllIi,iW,ishHE1315[2|Kenmore

IG 5teamLDF7932[ST1KitcbenAlilKUDE7OCV[SS1KUDf'OfV

ThermadorHO Series

Kenmore (Sears)Pro 131713]Kenmore (Sears)

KitchenAidKUDS40CVIWH1Kenmore (Sears)131812]GE ProfilePDWT5I0PIWW1KitchenAidKUDE60FVIWH1Bosch SKE33M0ß|

Some

D I S H W A S H E R S 221

Brand & model Price Overall score Test results Features

^ cy —ï is ^ . -O

o ^^S .E

41 ~1 ^ E

g Si ™Q 100

p IF I oivr.11

Whirlpool c>ol(jGiiiaooxivioiWhirlpool Gold(,LIÎ(J0UXTV101

Kenmore (Sears)I389Í21Whirlpool Gold

KitctienAid

KU0S3ÜIVÍWHÍ

Asko O5253XXL

LG LDS482I

Kenmore (Spars)

; voo

aoo

500

550

675

1,300

600

690

400WhirlpoolDU1O55XÎVIO]

Bosch SHE58C0[2]llC 900

Fisher RPaykel .^,,f.

Miele lns|]ir<iG2H2SCIWHI

Bosch SHE45COU11JC 700

Kenmore (Sears)

Bosch SHX6AP0(2|UC 700GE ProfilePDWF780PIWW)ElectroluxWave-ToiichEWDW6505G1WIMaytagMr)F17609flW|W]WhirlpoolDUliOOXTVlQiSamsungDMR77LHIWIMaytagML1B8751BW1WIHotpoîntHL04000N[WW1Maytag g ^

I

• • ftll • • •


BrandSmcaei Price Overall score Testresults Features

tesiPd model.

oQJ -o S-

P I F I G l V G i f

Dacor EpicureED?4[S)Jenn-AirJOBIlOSAWiWI

GEGLD5900NIWW]

GEGLDS800PIWW]

SamsungDMR57LF[W]MaytagUDB660iAW|Wl

GEGLD6700NIWW]

KJtchenAidKUDD03DÎIWH1

Haier ESD310

MaytagMDPaOOOftWfSl

$1550

See report, p^ge 39.

Ratings Key ©Excellent ©Verygooú OGood ©FsEr •Poor

O CR Best Buy Thüse modeis offer the t>est cambmation of peffarmarice arx] price. A)l are recommended.

[Zl Recommended These aie high-periorming models that stand cait

Guide to the RatingsOverall score, based mainly on washing, also lactors in noise, energy and water use, loading,and more. The displayed score is out of a total of TOO points. Washing was tested using ourstandard, very dirty, lull load. Because we switched to an enzyme-based deterijent for our tests.Ratings for models that appear here and in archived reports may differ. Enerqy use is for anormal cycle, mostly for heating water, both at the water heater and in the machine. Nols« wasjudged during fill, wash, and drain, mainly by a listenjng panel. Ease of use includes rdckadjustability, the ability to hold extra place settings and oversized Items such as platters andtalt glasses. Cycl« time is based on a normal cycle including heated dry. where that feature isavailable. Under brand & model, a bracketed tetter or number is a color code.

D I S H W A S H E R S Z23


, fuli-featured modeis thatexcel at cleaning:

• Kenmore 1374[2], S720. CR Best Buy• Bosch SHE33M0I2ÏUC, S600.

CR Best Buy- Whiripooi Goid GU2300XTV[0], S550.

CR Best Buy

The Kenmore has targeted spray jets but theWhiripooi offers better drying performance.Both have adjustable top shelves. The Boschwas the most efficient, with the shortest cycletime and a stainless-steel interior, But you'iloccasionaily have to clean its filter öy hand.

Budget-frfendiy dishwashers thatperform weli:

• Kenmore 1389Í2], $500• Whirlpool DU1O55XTV[Q], $400

These lower-priced models were excellentat cleaning. The capacity of the Whirlpool isiimited by the lack of fold-down tines. TheKenmore has bidden controls.


ii'pait! ~ " ippjiis

ttliiilpûol E ^ HKoipc<m I m j ^ p

Miele • ^ • ñmore (Sears} I H H ^ H

GEEÊIKitchenAid B ^ ^ HFrtHittaiie B ^ ^ ^ H

1EIE

n

0% ii% lO'fc 15% JU% ; 5 % 30%

Fisher & Paykel was the most repair-pronebrand, and Maytag was among the morerepair-prone brands. That's what we foundwhen we asked almost 135.000 readers whobought a dishwasher between 2004 and2008 about their experiences. Although welacked sufficient historical cfata to includethe company in the chart, LG has been arepair-prone brand, according to our analy-sis. The graph shows the percentage otmodels for each brand ttiat were repairedor had a serious problem. Differences of lessthan 3 points aren't meaningful, and we'veadjusted the' data Eo eliminate differenceslinked solely to the age and usage of thedishwasher. Models within a brand can vary,and design or manufacture changes mightaffect future reliability Still, choosing abrand with a good repair history can improveyour odds of getting a reliable model.

Source: Annual PrtxJuct fielialillily Sutvey, ConsumerReports National Research Center.

224 C O N S U f ^ E R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U I D E 2 0 1 0

DRYERSMost of the dryers we tested scored at least very good for drying performance. Thosethat scored excellent were better at drying delicate clothes at low temperatures andleaving loads damp enough for ironing. While we test only electric dryers, we've foundihat g-as and electric dryers perform similarly. Electric dryers require a heavy-duty240 volt line. Gas dryers cost more but are less expensive to operate, so you'll recoupthe added expense quickly


îiïiiiiît mcniels. in imal) lype.Ate im»[urabie lo ts'Avä inodel.

ELEaRiC DRYERS

i e s ÎO 5 E ,S

F l G

Kenmore (Sears) Elite HE3Steam 86MUIKenmore (Seaf5) Elite HE5Steam 8772|1|E!ilpHt.!jSrpjniS771(|

6E Profile HarmonyOPGT750ECIWW]Kenmore (Sears) OasisSteam 6806[2|íMii;SiíPjiní>Si»(l

UTromm DLE8377IW1

Sl,400

1,300

1,050

e ©

0

[7]

Maytag 5000 Series steam ,,f.f, ¡nMEDE500VIW1 ^'^^^ '^LGDLE39S5IW1 900 EE

IG SteamOrver DLEX300IÎWI 1.400

Kenmore (Sears) Elite Oasis

6703121 titeOäsis «041 i,Ete

Whirlpool Duet SteamWED'JöOOTIWI

DV4'IBAE[W1

LG OLE25t6(Wl

Kenmore (Sears) 800

Series 698212] aoo^nes 698311

D f l Y E R S 225

Brand Smoriei Price Overall score Testresulls

i nioiJeis, m ímill 1)¡K.ne tompsrdQi? to tested model. Sis ~ È

O 100

P I F I G l V G Í f

ELECTRIC DRYERS continued

GEP;ofileOPVH890EJ|WW] Í1,?OÜWhirlpool Cabrio SteamWED6600V[Wl

GE Profile OPSESlOEGIWn

Maytag Bravos MEDô-lOOTlOl

Maytag Epic UED9700SI8I

Siemens uiiraSensG

Bosch Nexxl 500 PlusSenes WTMCS3ï(0lUS

MFDR800VIQIWhirlpool Duel Sport

Amana NED72O0TIW1

Whirlpool Cabrio

Kenmore (Sears) HEZ

(71

Bosch Nem 800WTMC832U1USElectrotux Perfect SteamEWMED65HIIW1

GE DCVH640EJ[WW|

Miele TOL)íhlroiiiíT%00

Frigidaire GüIlefY

CiLERlCI4FS(S|

Kenmore (Sears) 69W12)

Whirlpool WED58O0Srwi«FO'i'IXlVll o

2 2 6 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U I D E 2 0 1 0

Brands model Price Overall score lest results

g 'jimiür models. IH are comparable »iKiedf

ELECTRIC DRYERS continued

S ' a >••S. ç 'O ^ ë

a 100

p ' l F I G I V G l Í

Frigidaire LE0Z152HSI$600

Fri^daire AinnitvAE06000EIS1 AtrimtyAEOBWoai 700(B« BUïl. Aflinrty lEOMKlOtl I

Fi5herSPavkelDE62TGlBÍWÍ37G

Fisher & PaykelIniiiilive 0E1X2Asho rL751XXL|Wl 1,000

MEDC500VÍW]

GEDTSR49SEFÍGG)Prolite I>RSR4'<5GG|ÍG|

Fisher« PavkelDEGX2

GE DRSR483EG[WW)

Kenmore ¡Sears) 6952[2l

Amana NED4800VIQ1

SUber HXO^3O4£

GA5 DRYERS

O O e ©

o o

©

0

0

0

009

0

9Q

e©

©

©

©e©

©

©

u0

©

©

©

0©

0

©0

u©

©

0

000

0

e0

Kenmore (Sears) Elite H BSteam 9674[2]Kenmore (Sears) Elite HE5SIMIH 9772111

GE Profile HarmonyDPGT750GC[WWlKenmore (Sears) OasisSteam 7808[î]LGTrommDLG8388[W]Maytag 5000 Series SteamMGnE50ÜV¡W¡

L6 DLGS955IWIIG SteamDryerDíCiX3OO2|W]Kenmore (Sears) EliteOasis 7703m i '

D R Y E R S 227

Brand S model Price Overaltscore Testresults

1)0

-sSoV.a:

•rtiiiilainiodeis. in small lype,life cOTiparatíle lu iwtEd moäei.

GAS DRYERS continuetj

0

Pli F •

• 100

1 G 1 VGl E

tu

i2

a.

ceîa

in to

ryin

gra o Ë .2

3 tac o

a. '^

WrjD9600T|W]Samsung Sieain

QQ

p]

Q

SI,470

1.220

Kenmore (Se irs) 800 Series798^121

GE Profile DPVH890GJ[WW] 1.250

Whirlpool Cabrio steain

W&D6Ó00VIWI

GEProtiieDPSE8lOGGlffT!

Maytag Bravos

MGD6400IIOI

Maytag Epie UGD97005IB] 1.180

Siemens un taSenseWTXD5122UCBosch Nexxl 500 Plusseries WTMC553I01USMaytag Bravos SteamM[,O880nviOIWhirlpool Duet sportWGD83OOSIfH

Amana NGD72OOTIW]

Whirlpool CabríoWGD62OOSÍW1Kenmore (Sears) HE2

Bosch Nexxl 800

Eiectrolux Perfect Steam

tWM0D6!.H|lW|

GE DCVH640G][WW|

Miele IoiichlionlcT9820

p i Frigidaire GalleryGLGR104FSIS!

0 Kenmore (Sears) 7963¡2|

0 Whirlpool WGD5700VIW]


Brand & model Price Overall score Testrestjits features

'M <rte comtfflatile lu tansl moûel.^ ' âj ß ti

DP i f I G IVGl E

GAS DRYERS continuedfrigidaire LGO215MS1(Lowe's)Frigidaire AffînJtvACQÖOOOEIS)Fisher &PavkelDG6?TGiFislier & Paykel

Intuitive DGIX2

ASÎCOTL751G)(XL{W1

Maytag Centennial

M&DC500VIW1

GE 0RSR495&GIWW]

Fisher & Paykel DGGX2

GEI]RSß-483GG[WWl

Kenmore (Sears) 7952121

Amana NE¡DdS0OV[Q|

Staber HXt)a304G

ooe

O

O

eo eo ©o eo eo e

d ed e

o oo ©e ee oe oo o© oo oe Qo Q


Ratings Key ©EAnelleni ©verypiod OOood ©Fair #Poor

D CR Best Buy These modeis otfef ihe besl combimilion ot periormance and pnce. All are racommended,

0 Recommended These are high-pertormlng modeis thai starid oui.

Guide to the RatinqsOverall score is based primarily on dryinq performance, drum volume, and noise. The displayedscore is out of a total of 100 points. Dryfnq performance combines performance on four typesof launöry loads of different sizes and fabric mixes. Among models we tested, drum volumecapacity varied from about 5 cubic feet lo 8 cubic leet. Convenien« takes into account con-trots and ergonomics, such as ease of loadinq and unloadinq, servicing the lint filter, whettierthe door could clear a tall basket, and whether tfie machine has a raised edge to contain spills.Noise level, both sound quality and volume, was determined while machines dried an Q-poundload. Prfc* for electric and gas dryers is approximate retail.

D R Y E R S

Select Ratinas Overview

(The pGtfOf manct' of each tirand's qas modelis equivalent to Ihe electric model we tested.Most of the dryers we tested scorecJ at leastvery çood for drying performance. Those thatscored excellent were better at dryinq deli-cate clotties at low temperatures and leavingloads damp enougti for ironing.)

For performance:The GE Profile Harmony DPGT75OEC[WW1,S950, and the LG D L E : 5 9 5 5 [ W ] , S90Û, havea stainless-steel drum. Kenmore (Sears> EliteOBSfs â703[21, $800, has a rusl-resistantporcelain top. The Whiripooi Cabrio SteamWED6600V[W], S900, is the least-expensivemodei we tested that offers a steam cycleto remove odors and wrinkles, but lacks adryinq rach and blocked lint filter Indicator.

For price and performanceThe LG DLE2516IW], S700. has electronicpushbutton and rotary dial controls and adigital timer. The Konmore (Sears) 800Series 69e2[2}, $600. has a spacious druiThe GE Proftie DPSE810EG[WTJ, $625, h.ia stainless-steel drum and a porcelain top.The Amana NED7200T[W], S600, is veryquiet, but iacks a drying rack and drum light.

For affordabliity:These economy modeis were very good atdryinq and at Ipast good in all categories: theFrigidaire Gallery GLER104FS[S], $450; theKenmore (Sears) 696212], $490; and theWhiripooi WED5800S[W], $480. The Galleryhas a stainless-steel drum. The Kenmore lacksa drying rack and blocked lint filter indicator.


Dryers, gasFewerrepairs

r.E

UOfe

We found oniy modest differences in thebrand repair rates of both gas and elec-tric dryers. That's what we found when weasked over 105,000 readers who bought adryer between 2004 and 2008 about theirexperiences. The graph shows Ihe percent-age of brands that needed a repair or hada serious problem. Differences of less than3 points aren't meaningful, and we've ad-justed the data to eliminate differenceslinked solely to age and use of the dryer.Models within a brand may vary, and designor manufacture changes may affect futurereliability. Still, choosing a brand with agood repair history can improve your oddsof getting a reliable model.

Source: Annual Product Reliability Survey, ConsumerReports National Resean:h Cenler.

230 C O N S U M E : R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U I D E 2 0 1 0

DVD PLAYERSStandard DVD players continue to remain popular, partly because Blu-ray high-definition players still cost quite a bit more. And they can give you a very enjoyableviewing experience—the best picture you'll ever see on a standard-definition TV, anda nicely detaiJed image on an HDTV. Below are Select Ratings,

Brand&model Price Overall score Test results

'& a Si l e 2 g E Is "0 s ^ s; c

=1 — =1 — OJ•ë- o o

O m e SP I F I G IV6l f •"-

PROGRESSIVE-SCAN SINGLE-DISC PUYERS

0

Pioneer

DV-410V

LG0NS98

Toshiba XD-E5Û0

PhilipsDVP599Z/37

$100

100

50

e

o o e


QJ . = - s

0 IDOP I F I G I Vt^l (

PORTABLE DVD PLAYERS

[^ Toshiba SD-P9ÍS

0 Sony DVP-FX820

0 lfiDP885


O O O 4 3 9 3.75 Conv. 2 3-Dec

o o o 1.23 8 2.75 Conv. 2 Ï-Dec

O O O 4 8.5 ¿5 Conv, 2 _• 3-Dec

• Ratings Key ©Excellent ©Very good OGood ©Fait •Poor

Q CR Best Buy These models offer Ihe best combination of performance and price. All are recommendetf,

l£] Recommended These are high-períorming nwdeis ttiat stand out.

D V D P L A Y E R S 231

Brand & Pnce Overall score TestresuitsmodelAil Olltpula maximumvideoresolKiionof i080p

i á I a ° f, É.'a iS o Í:Í ä

P i. F100

C IV6I i

BLU-RAY PLAYERS

0

[)oibv DigiMl 5.1. Dotliv niiii-

PanasonicOMP-BD80

- • • !• - ' . -

LGBD390 400

SonyBOP-S36O

Samsui^BO-P36OO

e © •

e © • •\7] Sharp

AqiosBD-HP2ÍU

1 HasoniyBamisView.noBDLive.

7.1.DTSDfgiiai5.1,DrS'HDHigh RKOliiîion aufiio 7.1.DTS-HD Master audio 7.1OoiiîV Oigitül S.I. ft3lbv Dißi-tai Plus 7.1, Dolhv rrueHO7.1. DTS Digital S.1,DTS-HOHißh Resolution audio 71.DTSHD Master audio 7,1Doíbv Dígita! 5.1,Dnlby Digi-tal Plus 7.1, DollivlrueHt)7.1.DÍSDigi[aí3.1.DISHDHigh ResoiiiiJon audio 7.1

tone

OolbyDigllalilDolhy Dis-tal Plus 7.1. DolbvlrueHD7J.0TS Digital 5.1. DTS-HOHigh fte-ioiution audio 7.1,DIS HI) Hâitei audio 7.1Dolby Oiîtal 5.1. DTSDigital S.l

None

Guide to the RatingsOverall score is based mainly on picture quality and ease of use. The displayed score is out ofa total of 100 points. Fllin DVD at 480p: Scores of this picture-quality test indicate ttie sharp-ness and detail of images on HDTVs when the unit plays prerecorded tilm-basetJ DVDs (mostmovies) at 480p video resolution. Video DVD at 480p indicates the sharpness and detail ofimages on HDTVs when the unit plays video-based DVDs (many prerecorded TV series compilalions or concert videos, and home recordings) at 4B0p video resolution. Film DVD at 4801indicates the sharpness and detail of images on regular TVs when the unit plays lilm-basedDVDs (most movies) at 480i resolution. Video DVD at 4801 indicates the sharpness and detailof images on regular TVs when the unit plays vtdeo-based DVDs (many prerecorded TV seriescompilations or concert videos, and home recordings) at 480i resolution. E«$e of use is ourassessment of the user-friendliness of the remote control unit, console front panel, setup menu,and Key playback functions, as welt as the number of useful features included.


Guide to the Ratings tcontinueci)For Portable DVD players:Overall score 15 mainly based on picture qualily, sound quality, ease of use, and battery life.Picture quality indicates picture quality of built-in display. Sound quality indicates perfor-mance of players' tiuilt-in speakers. Eas« ol us* considers normal and low-light use of controlson the unit and the remote. Battery life is our measurement of how long the unit played onits iully charged battery.

For Btu-ray players:Overall score is based primarily on picture clarity and ease of use. The displayed score is outof 3 total of 100 points. HD picture quality indicates the sharpness and detail of images onHDTVs when the unit plays prerecorded high-definition Blu-ray videodiscs at lOSOp videoresolution via an HOMI connection. OVO picture quality indicates the sharpness and detailot images on HDTVs when the unit plays standard DVDs and outputs the signal via an HDMIconnection at an upconverted (quasi-1080p) resolution. Remote assesses the user-friendlinessof the unit's remote control for basic playback and control functions. Menu assesses the user-triendliness of the unit's onscr&en menus for basic playback and setup functions.


DVD playersBest for most consumers:The top-rated.Pioneer DV-410V, SIOO, is anexcellent overall performer, with top-notchpicture quality for progressive-scan andstandard-det. It has a USB port for playingdigital music, videos, and photos stored ona removable flash drive.

The LG DN898, $60. is an excellent over-alt perforp-ier, with top-notch picture qualityfor progressive-scan and standard-def. It hasa USB port for playing digital music, videos,and photos stored on a removable flash drive.

Look to the Toshiba XD-E500, SIOO, forvery good overall performance and an excel-lent choice for an HDTV with HDMI inputs ora standard-definition TV. Not the model topick for HDTVs that don't have HDMI inputs.

You'll qet very good overall performancewith the Philips 0VP5992/37. S50, a goodchoice for use with an HDTV; but thereare better choices for use with a standard-definition TV.

Blu-ray playersGreat full-featured choices:Tne Oppo BDP*83, S500, is the !op-ratedperformer in our Ratings. Although pricey.It delivers excellent audio and videoquality, and offers a lot of step-up features.including the ability to play all disc types,including SACDs and DVD-Audios. It's aBD-Live model, and includes 7.1-channelanalog audio outputs.

Ttie Panasonic DMP-BD80, S350, offersexcellent overall performance. It includesPanasonic's Viera Cast online service, foraccess to videos from YouTube, digital photosfrom Picasa, and soon, Amazon Video OnDemand. II has internal decoding of DolbyTrueHD and DTS-HD lossless audio, and7.1-channel anatoq outputs, it includes an SDcard slot and can play back AVCHD video files.

The LG B0390, $400, a BD-Live model,offers excellent overall performance, andimproved picture quality compared to itspredecessor, the BD300, It's the only model

D V D P L A Y E R S 233


in Ihe Ratings witti built-in Wi-Fi í802.Un,dralt version), so it can wirelessly connectto (he Internet. Includes LG's NetCast onlineaccess tor streaming movies and videosfrom CinemaNow, Netftix, and YouTube.

ThE' Samsung BD-P3600, S35O, deliversexcellent overall performance. It's function-ally the same as its hiqher-priced sibling,but with more connectivity options-inclutJinqa component-video connection, which theP4600 laci(s-and a more conventional flesigntt\ai will save you $50. Like its brandmate. itcomes with a USB Wl-ri doncjle, and can accessNetllix instant videos and Pandora streaminginternet radio.

Good budget choices:Sony's entry-level Blu-ray player, the BDP-S360, S250, is an attractive BD-Live-readymode!, though not the most feature-laden.Picture quality is excellent, and it can internallydecode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MasterAudio contained on 6lu-ray discs, though notsome older DTS formats.

The Philips BDP5010, S250. ¡s a well-priced, middle-of-the-pack model withexcellent picture quaiity and a unique look,with silver trim accents encircling the faceof the player.

The Sharp Aquos BD-HP21U, S200, olfeisexcellent picture quality at a relatively lowprice. It lacks BD-Live, a feature found onmosl newer players, and additionai memoryis needed for BonusView (picture-in-picture)operation.

Portable DVD playersBest choices tor most:These three models all have good picturequality, qood sound quality from [heir speakers,and two headphone jacks. Battery life is atleast 4 hours, enough to keep you goingthrough a few movies. The Toshiba SD-P91S,S180, has a 9-(nch.screen; the Sony DVP-FXB20, S180. screen is 8 inches, and Ihe LGDP8B5, SlBO, is 8.5 ihches. All are convert-ible models with screens that can be liftedup like a laptop display or folded flat like awritinq tablet. The LG's USB port cah accessphotos or music from a flash drive.

2 3 4 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y i N G G U I D E 2 0 1 0

FLOORINGTop performers did best in our eyeryday abuse tests. For baths, we suggest vinyl orceramic tile for its moisture resistance. Below are Select Ratings.


S

o toup I F I G I vr.l f

ENGINEERED WOOD

[ 7 ] Armstrong Locking Hardwood BambooCarboniMfi Natural EL58ßCCNLG i

p i Shaw Epic H.inlwooil SymphonicSWll? 774 Reri Oak Natural -•

p i Mannington American ClassicsCollection Oregon Oak Ptank

0 BR-m Brazilian Cherry PFENGBU z

PUSTICUMINATE

©

a

o

O ©

26

33

Q Armstrong Nntüre's Gallery AmericanDuel L65Z¿-N8i Naiural Oak (narrow)

[7 ] Wifsonart Estate Plus Harvest Oak

W3oooin . . .

PREFiNISHED SOLID WOOD

O © © 13

© © © 20

Q EcoTlmber Woven Honey <

[ 7 ] Teragren Syriprgv Wheal

TPF-SWN-WHT{Sirand) •

12] Brute Dundee Plank Natural CBIZIO

VINYL

5.70

© © © © O 23

O © O © O 2

e o • a o 32

g Congoleum DuraCeramtc Sierra Slate51-74 Golden Greige

p i Congoleum OuraStone HPF

Q Hannlngton Adura Vintage Oak Ptank

p i HaícoBmerLIvií^ColíedionPemiaStone

Natural Slate NS-660 Sand Stone

1. Bamboo prwtua s CaimMbeftoaied.


Ratings Key ©Encellenl ©Verygood OGood ©Fair %Pr,ai

D CR Best Buy These models offer the best comtimation of perfofmance and price. All are recommended.

[EJ Recommended These aie hi^-[»rformine models that stand oui.

L O O R I N G

Guide to the RatingsOverall score is faaseO mainly on resistance to wear, scratches, dents, stains, sunlight, moisture,and slips. Moisture resistance, not shown, is based on a damp sponge left overnight (minor spills)and soaked samples (long exposure). Slip resistance, not shown, is friction level using anindustry machine with leather and Neolite, Displayed scores are rounded; models are listed Irorder of precise overall score. Wear denotes how quickfy surface wear was noticeable afterabrasion machine was used. Scratches is ability to withstand dragged ot)ject simufation. Dent'IS resistance to blunt and pointed weights dropped from various heights. Suntlqht (UV) is exfjsure to high levels of ultraviolet light for roughly two weeks. Price per sq. tt. is based mainlyon price paid. Sq. f t . per box Is as claimed.


Real wood with easier Installation:These use a veneer of bamboo or wood overwood substrate. Choose Armstrong LocKinqHardwood Bamboo at S7.50/sq, ft, if youw,3nt a top bamboo, and it must be floated.Shaw Epic Hardwood Symphonic at $7.25/sq. ft. and Manninqton American ClassicsCollection at 55/5q. ft. are besl among oahand can be nailed or glued; Mannington canalso be floated or stapled. BR-111 BrazitianCherry at S5.70/sq. ft. must be nailed; chooseit if you value Brazilian cherry over stainresistance.

For laminate's style and touqhness:Impressive wear resistance and a low pricemake Armstrong Nature's Gallery AmericanDuet, S3.5O/sq, ft., a CR Best Buy. ChooseWilsonart Estate Plus, S5.5O/sq. tt., if youneed superb dent resistance.

If you want solid wood or bamboo:Among bamboo, EcoTimber Woven Honeyat S5.50/sq. (t,. a CR Best Buy, offersbetter dent resistance and costs less thanTeragren Synerqy Wheat at SaSO/sq. It,Choose Bruce Dundee Plank Naturalat $5,70/sq. ft,, if oak is worth less than deniandUV resistance.

For baths or a Kitchen on a budget:Congoleum DuraCeramIc Sierra Slate,S4/sq. tt., a CR Best Buy; CongoleumDuraStone HPF, S5,?0/sq. ft,; ManninqtonAdura, S4.80/sq. ft., a CR Best Buy;and Nafco Better Livinq Coiiectlon atS5/sq, ft. are all tiles or planks, which areeasier to Install than sheet vinyl. BothCongoleums and Nafco mimic stone betterthan many; choose Mannington ¡f you wanta wood look. I

236 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U I O t 2 0 1 0

GAS GRILLSYou'll pay $300 to $500 for a grill that can handle most of your cooking needs. Spendingmore will get you more stainless-steel styling and additional convenience features, butnot necessarily better performance. Several midsized modeis that cost less than $500performed as well inourtestsasothers that cost much more. Below are Select Ratings.


Similar moilels. in smsil

tVf», atecDinparablp to

^ ûi r^ w ai

E E

P l F

100

G I VGI E

URGE MODELS

Fiesta Blue Ernt^r ¡QUEF&Q65O7')-11403[Item #1522021 (Lowe's)

M ( S l

Char-Broil CommercialQuantum 463247209 500[item #66829] (Lowe's)

MEDIUM-SIZED MODELS

e e

© e e

• Rotiss,

Mainturn.

[71

Q[Pi

Q

Weber Genesis E320Qvmw EÎIO

Vermont CastingsSignature Sei-iesVCS35O7P

Char-Broil Red 4632S{H)9(Home Depot)Brinkmann aiO-841OS(Home Depol)Kenmore (Sears) 16641

Char-Broil CommercialSeries 463268008 B[Item 9242266] (Lowe's)Commercial SWWS 463247009

¿00

300

PORTABLE OR SMALL MODELS

» - • none

• none

^ ^ Main- ,• twrn.

• none

• • none

|71 Char-Brati Select

463620208

0 Weber Q 200 396002^

B Discontinued.


e © Oe e o

nonenone

Ratings Key ©Excellent ©Verygood OGood ©Fair •Poor

Q CR Best Buy These models dfet the best combination of periorrflance and price. All are recommended,

0 Recommended These are high-performing models that stand out.

G A S G R I L L S 237

Guide to the RatingsOverall score denotes performance, features, and convenience. DisplayecJ scores are rounded,'models are listed in order of precise overall score. We tested evenness at hiqh and low settings.Low-temperature qrlllinq is ttie ability to cook on low wittiout burnihg. Convenience includesconstrucfion and materials, shelves, rack space, flare-up, and ease of use.


l( you often cooK for a crowd:me Fiesta Blue Ember lOue FG065079-U403 [Item «152202) (Lowe's), $900, is avery good grill. In our tests, it scored very goodfor healing evenness and good for low grilling.It has a very sturdy cart, an infrared rôtisserieburner, an electronic fuel gauqe, and a built-intemperature probe. But it flared up more thanothers when loaded witti greasy loods.

Overaii. the Char-Broil CommercialQuantum 463247209 [Item »66629](Lowe's), $500. a CR Best Buy, is a verygood large grill that provicies very goodheating evenness of the main cooking areaand low-temperature grilling.

Fine performinq midsized models:Overall, tlie Weber Genesis E320, $700. isan excellent, three-burner, medium-sized grillthat provides excellent heating evenness ofthe main cooking area and tow-temperaturegrilling. Note: The E320 was recalled bythe Consumer Product Safety Commissionin 2007 because of a fire hazard with a gasnose; Weber is replacinq the hose for free,

Vermont Castings Stqnature SeriesVCS3507P, S700. is an excellent, three-burner,medium-sized grill ttiat provides excellenthealing evenness of the main cooking areaand low-temperature grilling.

The Char-Broil Red 463250509, (HomeOepot), S450. is an excellent medium-sizedgrill that provides excellent heating evenness

of the main cooking area and very good low-temperature grilling.

The Brinkmann 8t0-8410S. (Home Depot),S200, IS a very good grill that provides excel-lent heating evenness of (he main cookingarea and very good !ow-temperature grilling.Its a CR Best Buy.

The Kenmore (Sears) 16641, S3S0, aCR Best Buy, is a very good medium-sized grill that provides very good heatingevenness of the main cooking area andlow-temperature qrilling.

The Char-Broil Commercial Series463247009 [Item «2964501 (Lowe's),$300, a CH Best Buy, is a very good grillthat provides very good heating evennessof the main cooking area and excellentlow-temperature grilling.

If you Khe to taliqate:The Weber 0 200 396002, S200. is a verygood grill that provides very good heatingevenness of the main cooking area and verygood low-temperature grilling.

No frills small qrlll:The Char-Broil Select 463620208, $100,scored a very good lor heating evenness andexcellent at low-temperature grilling. Wejudged its carl less sturdy than others, andits handle got very hot and could not betouched without using an oven mitt. Its pricemakes It a good value.


GPS NAVIGATORSPortable GPS navigation systems diíFer most in ease of use and their features. For ourRatings, we heavily factor in the qualities that make it easy to input destinations andgive the mosl helpful directions. Below are Select Rallngs,

Brand & modei Price Overall score Test results

^ £ Kffi•3 ivpp,ais[ompar3ble[D

teled moöel. 1 i,2 S^ S 3 g

P t F I G l V G l E

NAVIGATORS WITH TRAFFIC OPTIONAL

TomTom One 140 S

Magelian

RoatlMaie!440

TomTom One 140

MagellanRoadMatG 1220

TRAFFIC READY NAVIGATORS

© a© eo o

e ea aa a

3.54.4

15

0E

O•

GarnilnNuvi885T 60ü

TomTom do 740 Uve 400

Garmin Nuvi 76ST ^ Q

Garmin Nuvi 760

earmln Nuvi ?65T

250

200


Ratings Key ©Excellent ©very pwd OGoôd ©Fair •Poor

D CR Best Buy These moctels öfter ttie best combination of performance and price. All are recommended.

1 ^ Recommended Ttiese ate high-performir^ models that stand out.

G P S N A V I G A T O R S Z39

Guide to the RatingsOverall score reflects how easy a navigation system is to use. combined with factors suchas information given, portability, and routing options. Ttie displayed score is out of a total of100 points. Entering destlnatron/POl is based on Ehe ioqic and ease of programming anaddress or point-oi-interesl into the system. Inciudes whether the database allows dynamicsearchinq for addresses. If letters are grayed out, ease of entering into navigation menusupon start-up, and ease of finding POls, Info tor driver is based on the onscreen and audibleinformation given to the user during navigation. Includes type and font size of onscreeninformation, abiiity lo speak proper street names, languages supported, ano amount of audibi-information given including descriptions of the next maneuver. Routing options is based on tinumber ot options for fine-tuning the route plotted by the system. Includes multitJestinationrouting, avoidance of toll roads, bihing routes, walking routes, and RV/truck use. Also includesavailability of foreign map databases. Use of controls, based on the design of the physicalinterface with the system, includes size of onscreen icons, presence of hard keys, need to usea stylus instead of a fingertip, and ease of adjusting common (unctions like volume, bright-ness, and map zoom setting. Mount design considers how the mount is engineered, factoringsize, security, and ease of insialiation. Display includes size, brightness, contrast, and glare/reflections ¡n bright sunlight. Considers ratio of screen size to overall device size for packag-ing efficiency. Portability, based on size, determines how easily the mount can be detachedfor packing, flouting time is based on measurements of calculation time for plotting varioustrips with GPS reception active. Also includes system response time when operating data-entrymenus, such as POI searching. Traffic interface rates the presentation of the traffic informatioiand the ability to put ifie data into use. Rating factors include antenna design, color coding fortraffic severity, depth of information, estimated time for delay, and tools for rerouting aroundcongestion. However, we do not rate the accuracy or timeliness of the traffic information itsett.


Best overall:The Garmin Nuvi 885T, S500, ts an improve-ment over the previously tested Nuvi 880, Ithas the latest Garmin software that includesa reality view and lane guidance to help navi-gate through major, potentially confusingintersections, sucfi as when changing high-ways. The voice recognition is fully integrated,allowing the user to operate all menus, wtiejeasmost voice recognition systems are typicallylimited to address entry. Although there isroom for improvement, it is the most effective,fuli-function voice recognition system on theportable market.

The TomTom Go 740 Live, S400, providesvery good navigation abilities with almostevery feature available for OPS units on themarket. It is a good choice for a buyer lookingfor an upscale GPS unit, but a monthly fee is

essential to ceaiize its lull potential.The Garmin Nuvi 765T, S450, is a pre-

mium, full-featured navigator with free,ad-based traffic services. The Nuyi 765T hasreaiity view and lane guidance to help navi-ijate through potentially contusing majorintersections, such as when changing high-ways. Many of the same qualities can befound in lower-priced Garmin units. TheGarmin Nuvi 775T and the Gartnin Nuvi785T have the same features as the Nuvi765T. In addition, the Nuvi 775T adds pre-loaded European maps, and the Nuvi 785Tincludes an MSN traffic receiver enablingweather, gas, and movie information. TheGarmin Nuvi 755T differs from the Nuvi 760,because it lacks Bluetooth hands-free calling.

The Garmin Nuvi 760, S250, a CR BestBuy, is a premium, full-featured navigator



that doesn't have the latest Garmin software,like the 765T, but stiii offers good value,flaws. The Garmin Nuvi 770 and ttie GaiminNuvi 7B0 have the same features as the Nuvi760, In addition, ttie Nuvi 770 adds preloadedEuropean maps, and the Nuvi 780 includesan MSN traffic receiver enabling weather, gas,and movie information. The Garmin Nuvi 750differs from the Nuvi 760 because it lacksBluetooth hands-free caliinq, and there is notrafiic receiver included in the box.

Best on a budqet:The Garmin Nuvi 265T, $200, a CR BestBuy, shoulct be on the short list of choices foranyone in the market fot a full-featured GPSunit with traffic services. It adheres to theessv-to-usé Garmin tradition, and it includessome useful features, like spoken streetnames. Bluetooth hands-iree calling, trafficreceiver, and free traffic services. Althoughthere are advertisements, they are not toointrusive, and may be worth the trade-off toeliminate a monthly 'ee.

The TomTom One 140S, $t70. improvesupon the previously tested One 130S. Itcombines spoken street names with qoodperformance and portability, but moresignificant, it now includes features such aslane assistance and reality views that were

previously found on more expensive modeis.Like othef TomToms, the One 140S offersnice extras such as map sharinq and allowingusers to install customized voices.

The TomTom One 140, SWO, a CR BestBuy, improves upon the One !30. It providesgood performance and portatiility, but moresignificant, it now includes features suchas lane assistance and reality views that werepreviously found on more expensive models,l ike other TomToms, the One 140 offersnice extras such as map sharing and allowingusers to install customized woices.

The Maqeilan RoBdMate 1440, S)60,impresses with crisp graphics, attractive userinterface, and highway lane assist, but it doesnot include multimedia features or Bluetoothconnectivity for hands-free caliinq. This unitis a marked improvement over previouslytested fvlagellan devices. Small touches, suchas shortcut keys, help but more Important, theoverall presentation is on par with top-ratedunits. However, we have (ound that the Road-Mate 1440 may provide unusual routes at times.

The Magellan RoadMate 1220. $125, is anentry-level navlqator with the ability lo speakproper street names. It does not include mul-timedia features or Bluetooth connectivityfor hands-tree calling, bul it does have crispgraphics and a user-friendly interface.

L A W N M O W E R S 24;

LAWN MOWERSDecide on a gas or electric (corded or cordless) mower based on your needs. Then seiout Selecl Ratings for high-scoring models with specific strengths and value.

Brand «model Pnce Overall score Testresuits

•S

* Sí .S

P I F I G IVGI ES

SELF-PROPELIED

Honda KRX?17?HXA

Q Toro Recycler 20333

Honda KRX2172VKA

Honda HRR216K3VXA

Q Toro Recycler 20332

Craftsman Í7659

Craftsman 37104

Honda HRÍÍ2I6K3TDA

Q Toro liecycler 20330

Q Craftsman 37435

Craftsman 37654

John Deere i^Vi

John Own JS25

snapper SPVH2Í67S

Cub Cadet t2AtSMC

Craftsman 57077

Craftsman 37639

0 Lawn-Boy 10641

Snapper SPV21675E

í' '] Craftsman 37624SnapperSPV22675HWCraftsmanl'rofession.-il 88921

cubcaileti2AEiaM

Husqvarna 5S21CHV

© © e© © o e e

500

290

450

Variable

variable

Variable

Variable

Variable

Variahle

Variable

1variableVariableVar¡ableVariablevariable

variable

I

1

Variable1

Rear 21

Rear 72

Rear aRear 21

Rear 22

front 22

Rear 22

Rear 21

Front 22

Rear 22

Front 22

Real 21

Rear 21

Rear 21

Rear 19

Rear 2\

Front 22

Rear 20

Rear 21

Front 22

Front 22

e O e © e e 6e o e o o e io o o o o o

19C

19(1

190

160

190

190

175

160

190

t90

160

190

190

190

173

190

J90

190

190

190

190

I

Rear 21 179

Rear 19 173

1 Front 21 160


Brands model Price overall score Testresults

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5 g Et tí

100p I F I G I V6I

SELf-PROPELLED continued

Craftsman Î7648

Troy-Bilt 1 ME 1890

John Deere ]S4B

Trov-Bilt UAI839FCraftsman 889B

Brute BTPVZ2675E

Brute BTP2267SHW

Ariens0HZISP/91115ÍSnapperRP2167519BDV 490

0000

ao0

o

o©©0o99

0

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4

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Rear

Rear

Rear

Rear

FromFrant

Rear

¿2

19

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3Î

2222

21

190190

190

175

344

190

190

173

o © o o o o Variable Rear 21 160

Brand & model Price Overall score Testresults

Lft a£}

a .Ec* c" K

0 SP 1 F I G I V i l E

GAS POWERED PUSH MODELS

00

Lawn-Soy 10640

Cub Cadet 11A-18MC

Bolens 11A-4I4A

PoulanPro96i340008

Craftsman 38905

Craftsman 38820

Craftsman 38901

Trov-BHt 11A-542O

Ariens 901360006

Yard Machines

1IA-54MÏ

Brute BT2265HW

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o o o o © ©o o o © © oo o o © © oo © o © © ©

20 190CC

19 173CC

2! 15Brt

2! 158a

21 I90CC

21 158CC

a I90CC

21 160Cf

.21 M9CC

?i I73CC

22 190CC

L A W N M O W E R S 24.


IS E .p'gg t 1 -I Sí Ï - -

0 I t»P I F I G IVGl E

ELECTRIC PUSH MODELS

Black & Decker CUM[20a

Black & Decker MM875 '

Craftsman 37048

Worn m 780

Earthwise 60120

o a o ©o a © ©o o o oo © © ©o © o ©o Q e ©o © • ©

© oo ©© ©a o© o© oo ©

19 ¿4v19 12amp

19 48v

19 ^4v

19 36V

20 Mv

20 I2amp< Used a plug-in power conl.

Ratings Key ©Excelfent ©Vefygood ÛGood ©Fair •Poor

Q CR Best Buy Theê modeis otter the üesl combination of oer'ormance and price. All are recommetided,

Í1.I Recommended These are htgh-pertorming models that stand out.

Guide to the RatingsOverall score influöes mostfy cutting performance, tiandling. ease of use. Displayed scores.ife rounded; models listed in order o( pretise overall score. Evenness shows average cuttingperformance for available modes. Mulching is how well clippings were cut and how evenly theywere spread into lawn. Bsgqinq is effective capacity with full baq or bags or clogged chute.Side discharqc is how evenly clippings were dispersed onto lawn surface. Handlinq for mowersincludes ease of using drive controls, pushing, pulling, U-turns, ancf other maneuvers. Easeot use for mowers is ease of startinq, using blade-stopping controls, shifting speeds (for self-propelledi, and adjusting Ihe cutting height.


Best for most smaller lawns;Amonq qas push mowers, choose the Lawn-Boy 10640, $260, for its better mulching andside-discharging, the Cub C«det 1IA-IBMC,$260, for its bagging. Between electrics, pay-ing more for the Black & Decker CHMIZOO,$400, buys cordless cutting.

Among seif-propelled mowers, all threeToros offer top performance for relativelylittle money: The Toro Recycler 20333, S420,

has a blade-brake clutch. The Toro Recycler20332, $390, IS relatively similar but iacksthe clutch, while the Toro Recycler 20330,S32O, is front-drive-fine tor reiatively flatlawns, though rear-drive provides bettertraclion uphill. The Craftsman 37435, $300,Lawn-Boy 10641, $290, and front-drive,electric-start Craftsman 37624, S300, giveup some performance but cost a bit less andare fine choices.


Brand Repair Historv

Mowers, push

(orelepar, " rewiri

Honda H H H S

T o f o H H g g

Craftsman iSaars) • ^ • H

Uwn-Bov • ^ ^ • 1I1B!

0% S% ¡0% 30%

Mowers, self-propelled

Fewpr

aatemanlSeary

Tnjï-Bill

>ían1 MattiineVVard-Man

10% 15% 20% iWfc 30%

Bolens was among the more repair-pronepush-type mower brands, John Deere wasamong the more repair prone brands ofself-propelled mower. That's what we foundwtien we asked 18,134 people who pur-chased push and 48,969 people whopurchased self-propelled mowers between2004 and 2008 about their experiences.The graph shows the percentage of modelsfor each brand that were repaired or hada serious problem. Differences of less fhan5 points aren't meaningful, and we'veadjusted the data to eliminate differenceslinked solely to the age and usage (numberof hours) of the mower. Models within abrand can vary, and design or manufacturechanges might affect future reliability.Still, choosing a brand with a good repairhistory can improve your odds of gettinga reliable model.

Source; Annual Product Reliabllltv Survey. ConsumerReports NatlDnal Research Center.

L A W N T R A C T O R S 245

LAWN TRACTORSThe Ratings rank tractors and zero-turn-radius mowers by overall score. While thliigher-priced tractors indude tighter turning, several others perform similarly wilfor huiulrods ot\lo!lars less. Below are SCIL'CI Ratings.

Brand&model Price Overall store Test resultsfe, in small tu ce cu

iwnS model,

AUTOMATIC-DRIVE UOOELS

SB

O 100P I F i G l V b l í

•0D•00

John Deere X3O4

Craftîman m'a

iottn Deere LAtls

Craftsman ?98¿8 /ms

cub cadet LTX1040

Craftsman 287 4 mi*

Craftsman 28934

Craftsman 28910 42 20

ZERO TURN-RADIUS MODELS

000•jet' leptirt. i

JohnOeereZ225

Toro 25000 !sow Oa e e e

A2 19

42 18.S

50 2]

Ratings Key ©Exr.alJent ©Very good OGood OFair •PoorQ CR Best Buy These mccJeis olfer the best combmalion of pertormance and price. Alt are lecommaniJeii.lid Recommended These are high-pertomima models that stand out.

Guide to the RatingsOverari score includes mostiy cutting pertormance. tiandling, ease of use. Oispfayed scoresjre rounded; models listed in order of precise overall score. Evenness is how close the tractorscame to even, carpet-like mowing. Side dtsctiarqe is how evenly clippings were dispersed ontoidwn surface. Mutchlnq is how well clippings were cut and how evenly they were spread ipito¡<jwn, Baqqinq is effective capacity with full bag or bags or clogged chute. Handiing includesclutching or drive engagement, braking, steering, turn radius, and stabiiity. Ease of use include.sleg room and seat and steering-wheel comfort, as well as ease of blade engagement, cut-heightadiustment. parking brake engagement, bag removal, and cutting-mode changes.



Best for most:All three CR Best Buys offer top perfor-mance: the John Deere LA115, Si,750;the Cub Cadet LTX1040 13RX90AR,Si,500: and Craftsman 26724, $1,500,The Craftsman 28B28, $1,700, and Crafts-man 28724 take a wider bite wilh eachpass; while the Craftsman 28828 is dis-continuecJ, its similar model is available.Cfioose the Craftsman 28934, $1,600. orCraftsman 28910, $1,300, if top mulchingis less important: note that the Craftsman28910 trades a foot-pedal ground-speedcontrol for a less-con'venlent lever.

If you want tighter turning:Both the John Deere X304, $3,600, and theCraftsman 28933, S3,000. turn almost astightly as a zero-turn-radius riding mower, yetthey indude more-intuitive controls. Either isfine for lawns with lots of obstacles.

For flatter lawns only:We advise buyinq a tractor for slopes 10 to15 degrees or greater. But ii your mowingis relatively fiat and you don't mind leversfor steering and speed, consider the ToroZ4200, $2.600. or John Deere Z2Z5, $3,000.tor their evenness, the Toro Z5000, $2.800,for wider mowing, (The Z5000 is discontin-ued, but its simiiar modet is availabia)


Lawn tractors

ffVVPf Morp

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

John Deere has been among the more reliable

brands of lawn tractors, That's what we found

when we asked almost 18.600 readers who

bought a lawn tractor between 2 0 0 4 and 2008

about their experiences. The graph shows the

percentage of models for each brand that were

repaired or had a serious problem. Differences

of less than 6 points aren't meaningful, and

we've adjusted the data to eliminate differences

linked to the age and use of the lawn tractor.

Although we lacked sufficient historicai data to

inciude Kubota iawn tractors in the chart, our

data indicate that this brand had an average

repair rate. Similarly, while we reQUire addition-

al historical data to include any zero-turn-radius

mower brands in this chart, preliminary findings

suggest that they are no more repair-prone

than lawn tractors. Modeis within a brand can

vary, and design or manufacture changes might

affect future reliability, Stili. choosing a brand

with a good repair history can improve your

odds of gettirig a re i ia ble model.

Source; Annual Product Reliaülllty Survey, ConsumerReports National Research Center.

M O N I T O R S

MONITORSIhese Ratings select, from among 24 tested monitors, those models that were vetgood or better and offered exceptional features, value, or both.

Brand & model Price Overall score Testresults Features

1 1I -I

o 100 Q =•IT!

p I F I CIVSi E

TO 20 INCH MODELS

LCD20

AcerPI91W

Compaq PresarioWF1907

BenQ FP92W

Gateway FPD1976W

ViewSonic V6930m

Gateway HD190G

DEillJllr3Sharp?009W

HPLIVOSw

AOC9I7VW

22 TO 26-INCH MODELSApple ¿4" LED CinemaÜiMiliiVLenovo ThinkVision

ViewSonic VX2240W

Samsung SyntUasier

Deil S2409W

ViewSonic VX2260wm

LCD22WMGX

AOC ?2m

Gateway HD22O1



~ dû 'S™ o Vi -= ? "ö

o IOOp I F I G I VËl E

22- TO 26-INCH MODELS continued

NeurokOplics22"iZ30

Gateway FHD24gi_ 415

Virio VMM26 400


e o e •© ô- Q _r f _ _•© 0 0 " • • •

Ratings Key Êicellent OVerygooú OGood dFa i r #Poor

D CR Best Buy Tfiese models offer ttie best combination ol pertarmance and price. All are recammended.

[HI Recommended These are high-performing models that startd out.

Guide to the RatinqsOverall score is based mainly on display quality and ease of use, with viewing angle andtealdres also considered. Display quality reflecls image clarity, color accuracv. and contrast.Vlewinq angle indicates quality of images wtien viewed irom positions 45 degrees of thecenter line, most important for group viewing. Ease of ust Indicates usability of controls onthe display and in onscreen menus.


Ttie 19-inch Acer P191W, a CR Best Buy atS140; the Compaq Presarlo WF)907, Sl60;and the 22->r\ct\ ViewSonic VX2240w, S23O,are all fine performers priced fo move. Evensome newer models witti very good displays,such as tfie 19 inch Gateway HD1900, $150.and 22-inch AOC Z217V, S150, are pricedwell below $200. Step-up models, such asfhe Dell UltraStiarp 2009W, and the $220,

Unovo TtilnkVlston LZ240P, 5330. bothof which can be adjusted in height andcan rotate between landscape and portraitorientation, run $70 fo almost $200 more,as does the 24-inch Dell S2A09W, $335.If nothing short of the best wiH do, the24 inch Apple 24" LED Cinema Display,5900, was fhe only monifor we tested wiihexcelient display quality.

P A I N T S , E X T E R I O R 249

PAINTS, ExteriorFlat and satin finishes are usually applied to the body of the house; semigloss, to doors,windows, irim, und shutters for added protection and visual interest. Match paint toyour local conditions: Pick a mildew-resistant paint if your home is in the shade anda dirt-resistant one if it's in an urhan area. Below are Select Ratings.

Price Overall score Appearance Resists

S ™ Í5S ^ ^S. ^ 1

0 100 ** • *

p I F I G I V G l E

FUILY TESTED Completed the equivalent of nine years' exposure.

[^ M.A.B. sea shore Satin

Q KHz U-ÍU3Í Colüís Semigloss

• Kllz Casual Colors Flat

12] Valspar ultra Premium Duramax

Sa(ifi*

H CalKomia 2010 Flat

• Kill casual ColofsSaiin*Self-pr)ining paint.

e e oe © oe © oe e o© © o© e o

See report, page 6S.

Ratings Key ©E«celienl ©Very good OGood ©Fair #Poof

B CR Best Buy These models ofleí'lfie best combination of patfofmance and price. All are recommended.H Recommended Tnesa we high-performlni models that stantJ out.

Guide to the RatingsOverall score tor paints is a weighted average of each year's appearance for a white, a blue,and a brown version. Except for self-priming paints, we apply two coats over primed pine-clapboard siding. Overall score for stains is a weighted average of appearance for a red, aqreen, and a white version, where available. We apply one or two coats of stain to untreatedpine-clapboard siding according to manufacturers' directions. Fully tested finishes undergoaccelerated weathering for three years or until their appearance has fallen to "fair." whichwould require reapplication. Each year of testing equates to about three years on verticalsurfaces; performance on decks and other horizontal surfaces might differ. Displayed scoresare rounded; models are listed fh order of precise overall score. Type for paint is sheen listedby manufacturer; if we disagree, our assessment is in parentheses. Type for stains Is opagueor semitransparent, ranging from tinted to almost opaque. App«ar«nc« scores summarizelong-term testing. Price is the approximate retail per gallon.

zso C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U I D E 2 0 1 0


Best tiat and satin paints:• M.A.B. Sea Shore Satin, $40• Kill Casual Colors Flat, $20. CR Best Buy• Val5par Ultra Premium Duramax Satin, $33- California 2010 Flat, $33• Kilz Casual Colors Satin, $22. CR Best Buy

All were impressive at resisting cracking. KHzCasual Colors Flat was particularly good forsunny locations, and Valspar Ultra PremiumDoramax Satin and Kilr Casual Colors Satin

were better for steady or urban areas. M.A.B.Sea Shore Satin and California 2010 Flat arealso top performers but cost more.

Best semlqloss paint:• Kilz Casuai Coiors Semiqioss, S23.

CR Best Buy

This top-rated product performed better thanmore expensive brands.

P A I N T S , I N T E R I O R Zl.

PAINTS, InteriorNo single interior paint can work for al) of your household projects. Some finisli,excel at hiding, making them ideal for painting over dark surface-s with a Ught-coloi.paint. Others are hetter at resisting mildew, key (or use in damp areas, such as a hal Iroom. Below are Select Ratings.

Brands model Price Overall score Testresuits

•0

an í/^ QD DD1= yi er c-S oi -= .=

üi g a t

100

P i f i G i V G i E •^

LOW-IUSTER (SATIN AND EGGSHELL FINISHES) Best for most applications.Behr P[emiiim Plus En.ime!iHome Depot) ^

Benjamin Moore Regai i

Kil2 casual colors (Wai~Mart)ï

Benjamin Moore Ai in -

TrueValuetasyCiire ^

Dutch Boy Home (Wai-Hart) \^^

FLAT Besi for low-lraffic areas.

22Behr Premium Plus Enamel(Homp Depol)ValsparSiyiititiiie Coinrs „(Lowe's) ^'

Olympic Premium (Lowe's) 17

SEMIGLOSS Best for trim, doors, and shelves.

Sears Best Easy Living LJitra ISValspar l l i lta Piemium (Lowe's) MBehr Premium Plus Enamel(Home Depot)Olympic PremumJLowe's) I Î

i^Flatterthanlatreled. i Gtossierttiantabbed.


Ratings Key ©ExcellEnt ©Very good OGood ©Fair • p o o r

D CR Best Buy These models oHei the best combination ol performance and price, Alt are recommended.bd Recomnotended These are tiigh-pertorm)ng models that stand oui.

252 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U i D E 2 0 1 0

Guide to the RatingsOverall score includes primarily a paint's hiding performance, surface smoothness, and resistanceto staining, scrubbing, gloss change, sticking, mildew, and fading, VOC level does not factor intothe overall score. Most results were developed from tests of white, pastel, and medium-tint bases.HIdInq reflects how well a paint covers a contrasting color with one coat and wiih two coats. (Theone-coat results are weighted more heavily.) Surface smoothness represents an absence of roll-er marks when the paint is dry. Staining shows how well a paint resists a greasy stain. Scrubblnqshows how a paint holds up to an abrasive cleaner, Gloss change notes the change in appearancewhen a paint is cleaned with a hard-surface cleaner. Sticklnq indicates a paint's tendency to notremain soft or tacky even when dry. Mildew is a paint's ability to inhibll mildew growth. Fadingreflects the lightening of color when a paint is exposed to UV light. Claimed VOCs indicates themanufacturer's stated level of volatile orqanic compounds in the untinted base coat, meastired ingrams per liter (g/l). No untinted zero-VOC paint exceeded 50 g/l. Price is the approximate retailcost per gallon. We also test lor spattering, which Is not shown in the Ratings but Is a small part ofthe overall score. To assess spatter, a technician, wearing a new, clear-plastic disposable glove foreach paint, uses a roller with a quarter-inch nap to apply the paint to a hiding chart. We compareeach glove to a six-glove reference set, measuring the droplets that fly off the roller and onto theglove. Every paint did at least a very good job at preventing spattering.


Best value within each qloss leve):• Behr Premium Plus Enamel, S24,

CR Be5t Buy• K)lz Casual Colors, $23. CR Best Buy• Dutch Boy Home, $17. CR Best Buy• Behr Premium Plus Enamel, S22,

CR Best Buy' Sears Best Easy Llvlnq Ultra, 525,

CR Best Buy- Olympic Premium, $21, CR Best Buy

Ad were impressive at resisting staining andscrubbing and are good tor high-traffic areas.

Winners Irt one-coat ability:• Behr Premium Plus Enanwl, S24,

CR Best Buy• Kllz Casual Colors, $ZX CR Best Buy- Benjamin Moore Aura, $57• Behr Premium Plus Enamel, $22,

CR Best Buy• Sears Best Easy Lfvinq Ultra, S25,

CR Best Buy

These paints were best at hiding with a singlecoat, especially when applied over a lightercolor. Benjamin Moore Aura and Sears BestEasy Living Ultra are lower-VOC paints.

Suited to sunny spaces:- Benjamin Moore Reqal, $45• Valspar Signature Colors, S27- Olympic Premium, $17, CR Best Buy• Valspar Ultra Premium, $26

These withstood exposure to UV light andare the best values within the category.

Smoothest-ftnfsh paints:• Behr Premium Plus Enamel, $24,

CR Best Buy' Behr Premtum Plus Enamd, 525

These top-choice paints leave behind thefewest marks from application, providing aneat look.

Top low-VOC finishes:• Benjamin Moore Aura, $57• True Vatue Easy Care, $25• Olympic Premium, $17. CR Best Buy• Sears Best Easy LIvinq Uitra, $25.

CR Best Buy

These earned good to exceiient scores inmost tests we perform.

P R I N T E R S , A L L - I N - O N E 25.

PRINTERS, ALL-IN-ONEIf all you'do is print, you can save money and space by purchasing a dedicated prinfiBut if there's any chance you niighf want to copy or scan, it's worth investigating ,ail-in-one. While most model-s are bigger than the typical new stand alone prinlifhey take up less space and cost less than a separate printer, scanner, and copier, IiolnarcSclecl Ratings.

Brand« Price Overall score Tesf resultsmodel

mid CT

i sS- ö S - J-

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ISIm

I f 1 G I V G l t

INKJET MODELS

B

CanonPtxma . . , , , n ^ ^MP970 '''^"^ " ^ "

Arlis.in800 ^™ E ^ B

HPPhOIO- , „ „ r ç ^smarfC6.î80 ' " " ' ^ ^ ^ ^

LASER MODELS

^m © 0.9

^ © 1.4

• i © . 1.5

1.8

2.2

2.8

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Etiiernpl,' Win '

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NA M NA O O O *Brother

• " ' MFC-7340

See report, page 96':

Ratings Key ©Excellent ©Veiygood OGood ©Fair

D CR Best Buy These models offer the b«st combination of performance and priGS. All are reconHniind«(l.

S Recommended These are higli-performirgmoaelsttiat stand oui.


Guide to the RatingsOverall score is based on speed and quality of print, scan, and copy functions, plus ease ofuse. The dispiayeö score is out of a total of 100 points. Photo quality is our assessment of theappearance of eacti photo. Models with higher scores produce more natural looking photos.with smoother changes in shading and fewer problems with banding. 4x6 photo time (min.)measures, to the nearest half minute, how long it took each printer to output a 4x5 borderlessphoto. 8x10 photo time (min.) is our measurement ol how long it took eacH full-sized printerto output an 8x10 color photo, at the printer's best setting. Text quallty indícales how crisplyand dearly a printer produced black text in a variety ol Ivpetaces, sires, and styles. Modelswith higher scores produce more uniform type, with sharper edges and smoother curves. Tlextspeed (ppm) is our calculation of the printer's typical output In pages per minute (ppm) fora five-page document. Speeds generally range from 3 to 9 ppm for inkjets and faster for lasers.Graphics quality is our assessment of the appearance of color graphics produced by theinkjet printer. Models with higher scores produce graphics with colors that are brighter, moreuniform, and less prone to band or bleed Into one another on the page. Lasers were judged onblack and white graphics, Scan fluaUty is for color photos, graphics, and text scanned at eachmodel's default settings. Copy quality is ôr photos, graphics, and text. Power saving Indicateshow well the printer conserves power between uses.


Best all-in-one inkjets:The Canon Pixma MP970, S270, Is priceybut includes lots of features. It has a large2.5-inch LCD viewer that lets you edil photosfrom the printer, it prints excellent 4x6 snap-shots quickly, although at a slightly highercost than some other models, PictBridge,infrared. Ethernet, and optional Bluetooth,along with memory-card support, provide avariety of connectivity options.

Best values under $200:The HP PhotoSmart C63eO, $180. is a full-(ealured multifunction printer with reason-able printing costs. Text and photo gualitywere very good, and printing costs for textwere lower than most other all-in-ones. ItsLCD viewer is 2.0 inches. It includes Wi-Fi

and Ethernet connectivity, although Blue-tooth is optional. You can set It up on anetwork as well,

Tor networked wireless printing:You can share the Epson Artisan 800,S300, over a home network wirelessly anduse it over an Ethernet connection. Itprints very good photos and graphics, andlias good text quality. There's a very con-yenient touch screen for all controis anda buiit-infax.

Best «li-in-one laser:The Brother MFC-7340. S200, is a goodchoice for printing excellent text quicklyand at tow cost. It includes an automaticdocument feeder and a built-in fax.

R A N G E S 2 5 5

RANGESYou can find a high-performing electric range without spending a bundle. Severalmodels we tested costing $450 to $1,400 outperformed ranges costing $1,600 or more.

Brand s model Pnce Overall score Test results

I êO ^

4^ 11A .2;E oi

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D 100

P I F I G I VGI E

i''S

30-INCH COIL MODELS

$700 C

0•

Kenmore (Sears)

HotpointRB757WH[WW|Whirlpool

500

30-fNCH INDUCTION MODELS

Kwimore (Sears)Elite 9991131

3D-INCH SMOOTHTOP MODELS

3 1 0 «

QD

D•

GECaféCS980SNISSIGEJE1700DNIWW]ElectroluxtW3O£f65GIWIKenmore (Sears)F h le 980219)Kenmore (Sears)964|¡íl%4J|lKenmore (Sears)974S191

FC0321HTUXGE JBP81SLISSIIllf SISMI I

GEJSP't2DN|WW]

Amana AER6011VAS

GE ISP46DMWW1

GE PB970SMISSI

2 •


Brand & model Price Overail score Testresuits

•3

dcli. in smji ltype, are tonipaïahli' lotötet l model. o. t ca. i

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P I F I G IVGI E

30-INCH SMOOTHTOP MODELS continued

JB968TKIWW1

Maytag Gemini[]

GE PB975SM|SS1

Frigidaire Galiery

Kenmore (Sears)

Kenmore {Searsi

9800[3lWhirlpoolWFr371LVBMaytagMER5752BA[W]ElearotuKEW1OFS65G[W|ienn-AirJ£R88SSRA|SI

GEÍSP42WKIWW1

GEJBP64SMISS]

Maytag

KitchenAidArchitocl SeriesKERS8O7S1SS!Whirlpool GoldGYÎ99LXU[Q|

HotpointRB787WH[WW!Jenn-AirJES885OBA[W1Bosch HES71I5I2

K8-34Z5LS ^'^^^

30-INCH DUAL-FUEL MODELS

00

BOSçhHOS71i5]2 ,,000

GE ProfileJ2B918WEK[WW1

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R A N G E S 257

Brand S model Price Overall score Testresults

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Kenmore (Sears) Pro4.000

5.200

2,800

Wotf DF304

GECale

C2S980SEMISS1

Viking VOSC53OISS] 5,500

Jeiin-Air

JDSa860BD[Pl

Dacor Epicure Efl30D 6,000

KitchenAid Architea

2,750

Series KDRP707filSSI

30-INCH GAS MODELS

4,300

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36-INCH DUAL-FUEL ÍMODELS

Kenmore (Sears) Pro7962Í7]KitchenAJd Arctiitectseries KDRP462U5SÍ 6050ArchtectScflesKDBPtóWSSL 'fcdlitffl Seró KDBP467KIS51

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Ratings Key ©Excellent ©Very good OGood QFair #Poor

Q CR Be5t Buy These models ofler Ihe best combination ol pertormance and price. All are recommended.

[^ Recofîimended These are high-performing modeis tfiat stand out.

R A N G E S 299

Guide to the RatingsOverall score is based on oven capacity, cooktop speed and simmer performance, and ovenbâkinq, broiling, and self-cleaning performance. The displayed score is out of a total of100 points. Cooiitop high reflects how quickly the most powerful element could raise a 6-liter(6/3 quart) pot of water from room temperature to a near boil. Cooktop iow reflects the abilityol the lowest power element to melt and hold chocolate without scorching it. We also set themost powerful element to its lowest setting to test its ability to hold a larqe pot of tomato saucebelow a boil. Baking reflects the evenness of cookies and cakes in mulll-rack baking tests.Broiling indicates upper-elemeni evenness as well as high-temperature searing, using a broiierpan full of hamburgers. Oven capacity evaluates usable space, including shell area and verticaispace for casseroles. For dual-oven models, the score Includes both ovens. Oven eieaning isi3 gauge of the self-cleaning cycle's effectiveness after the oven is coated with a mixture of eggs,lard, cherry-pie {illlnq, cheese, tomato puree, and tapioca.


Best smoothtops tor most:i IP GE: JB700DNIWW]. $800, and theKenmore 9641[21, $750, deliver superbi.uoktop performance: choose the GEtor Ils bakifig. fhe Kenmote for its broiling,The Kenmore 9745[9], S800, and theAmana AER6OIIVAS, $820, include con-veclion toi far less than most.

Best electric-coil ranges:ThP GE JBP35SMISS], $700, baked best.The Kenmore 9421[2]. $550, and the Hot-point RB757WHÍWW]. $450, cook almostas weil for less; consider the Hotpoint if stain-less isn't a priority.

More features, more money:Amonq smoothtops, the GE CaféCS9B0SN[SS], S2,800, offers high style anda small oven drawer (also on ihe ElectroluxEW30EF6SG[W], $2,000); the Kenmore Elite9802[91, $1,500, has larger dual ovens, thoughthe lower one is very low, and self-cleaning wasjust fair. Choose the Kenmore Elite 9991[3],$2700, for induction and convection.

Best gas ranqes for most:Between convection models, the Kenmore(Sears) Elite 7753[9], $1,450, offersbetter simmering, baking and broiling; theFriqidaire Gallery GLGF3B6D[S], $900,has iaster,coohtop heating. The GE ProfiiePGB910SEMtSS], $1,800, offers morestainless Ihan most; choose the HotpotntRGB745WEHtWW]. $600. if stainless isn'tcritical.

If you want a dual-fuel or pro-style model:Our extensive tests have revealed no clearbenefits to dual-fuei ranges. 8ul if you wantone of those modeis, consider the BoschH0S7U5)2, $2,000, for its broiling perfor-mance or the GE Profile J2B91BWEK[WW],$1,700, lor its faster cooktop heating.Pro-style ranges continue to be a poor valueoverall. But if you wanl a 36-Inch pro-stylerange, consider the Thermador Pro GrandPG366B(SI, $5,900. for its fine performance,and the lower priced Frigidaire ProfessionalPLGF659EC, $1,900, if you're willing to tradesome oven space for a lower price.



Ranges, electricFPWOI ^repairs

Hotpom! ^ 1 1OEEH

Whirlpool • • •Frigidaire H I H ^ I

KetimaiF (Sears) H I ^ ^ K

MaviagHHK

KltdVtlAiO m ^ ^ Q H ^ QJenn-Air I B ^ H H H B

Morerepat«

5% 10% 2'i%

KitchenAid and Jenn-Air have been amongthe most repair-prone brands of electricrange. That's what we found when we askedalmost 75,000 readers who bought an elec-tric range between 2002 and 2008 abouttheir experiences. The graph shows the per-centage of models for each brand that wererepaired or had a serious problem. Differ-ences of less than 3 points aren't meaning-ful, and we've adjusted the data to eliminatedifferences linked solely to the age of theelectric range. Although we lacked sufficienthistorical data to include these brands in thechart, Bosch has been repair-prone and LGabout average, according to our analysis.Models within a brand can vary, and designor manufacture changes might affect futurereiiabiiity. Still, choosing a brand with a goodrepair history can improve your odds of get-ting a reliable model.

Source: Annual Pfoduct Reliability Survey, ConsumerReports National Research Center.

Ranges, gasFewerrepairs

0% 5%

KitchenAid has been the most repair-pronebrand of gas range, while Maytag has beenamong the more repair-prone brands. That'swhat we found when we asked more than26,000 readers who bought a gas rangebetween 2002 and 2008 about their expe-riences with these appliances. Although welacked sufficient historical data for ail yearsto include Viking gas ranges in the chart,our data indicate it has been a repair pronebrand. Similarly, our data show that amongdual fuei ranges Frigidaire, General Electric,and Kenmore have been reiiabie, but Jenn-Air has been repair-prone. The graph showsthe percentage of brands thai needed a re-pair or had a serious problem. Differencesof less than 3 points aren't meaningful, andwe've adjusted the data to eliminate dif-ferences linked solely to the age of the gasrange. Models within a brand may vary, anddesign or manufacture changes may affectfuture reliability. Still, choosing a brand witha good repair history can impnave your oddsof gettinq a reliable modei.

Source: Annual Product Reliability Survey, ConsumerReports National Research Center.

R E F R I G E R A T O R S 261

REFRIGERATORSUnce you know how much space you have, particularly the width, our Ratings will helpyou find models ihat fit in thai space. Models that have higher energy-etïiciency scoresuse less electricity for their capacity. And if your household isn't large, remember that asmaller refrigerator is likely lo use less electricity overall than a larger model.

Brand & model Price Overall score Testresuits

iñiEd modeL

TOP-FREEZERS

mI F I G I V t l (

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1.350PTS22LHRIWWI 0Pradle FtWi HSf 1

0 Whirlpool ETIFTEXViO) 1.100

Kenmore (Sears) „ , , ,782S[21 . ^ ' ' '

0 eCGTHlSKBXiWW) 1.000

ikeaEnergiskB18W[W] 500

FrigidaireFurfiisoAiwi B

Q Frigidaire

Q Kenmore (Sears)74I9Í2I

Haier RRTG18PAA|W1 DHRiliISl'nflll

Amana ATF1822MREIWI

BOTTOM-FREEZERS

680

650

680

650

e e

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O

©

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e e ^8 i6,8 68 33 32

o e 02 17.8 67 33 30

o e S5 17 69 30 32

o e 55 15.3 67 30 32

O O -IS 13,7 69 28 32

O O 60 16,8 70 30 33

O O 62 14.5 67 30 31

O O 70 16.3 69 W 33

© O 58 13.1 66 30 31

O O 60 13.? 68 28 30

O

O

O

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[71 Kenmore (Sears) Eliie7759I2Í

Q Whirlpool GoldGXÍFHTXVIQI

Amana AFI2538AEIW)

Q Samsung

fiF.'6()AB¡WP|

Q Amana ABB2Z2ÍFEIW]

Kenmore (Sears) Elite787313]

© © 52 17.1 71 36 14

O © W 16,2 70 36 33

O © 65 14.8 71 36 5

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Brands model Price Overall score Testresults

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BOnOM-FREEZERS continued

Q Amana AFO2535DEIWI íl.SOO

GE Profile , . „nPGSS5PJXI5S1 ^-^^^Maytag M8F19S6KE(W] 1.300

[71 Kenmore (5ear5) Elite . . ^g

LieblwrrCS1650[S5]

GE GFSF2KEX1WW1

Q Amana ABBI921OEIW]Maytag ice 2 0MFI2569VEIW1Whirlpool GoldGI5FSAXVI0)SamsungRB197ABIWP1LGLFC20760ISWIJenn-Air JFC2O89HP[R1Maytag MFC2061KEIW]

Maytag Ice 2 0MFI2067AE[W)

ViWngVCFF036(SS)GE ProfilePFSF6PKX[WW]KMimore 7840121Haier PBFS21EDA[S|LGLBC22518IWWI

f lFisher & PaykeiRF2014DUX

Fisher ft Paykel E5228

SIDE-8Y-StDE

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55 17.5 70

65 1!).6 70

55 13.3 67

50 15.1 70

48 13 8258 1 .2 70

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9

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64 0 4 69

67 14,9 70

66 14.9 71

63 13.1

65 Ü.7

70

77 13,2 71

74 14.2 71

81 12.1 71

82 D.6 70

101 16.6 70

Í35 14.2 70H l Í4.2 70

93 17.4 69

68 13.3 71

69 11,3 67

36 32

36 iî

30 31

33 31

30 26

a Î2

36 36

36 33

36 27

36 28

36 28

36 33

33 32

g HotpointHSS22GFTIWWI

0 Samsung RS275AC[WP|WhirípooiGoldGO5OHAXVÍ0IGECaléCSHS5llGXlS5|

O © 62 15.1 68 34 32

80 18.1 70 Î7 34

© © e 73 16.6 70 36 31

69 15.3 70 36 i?.

R E F R I G E R A T O R S 263


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Maytag MS0255OVE ÎI.ÎOOKenmore (Sears) Elite50441?!

Samsung RMZ57AC[PN] 2.600

¿700

Q Whiripooi_ E05HVEXV[01

r,/1 Jenn-AirICD?290HE|W!Frigidaire ProfessionalPHS6')tJiSSl

. Kenmore {Sears)

Kenmore (Sears) ílite

Kenmore (Sears) Cold

Siioi ')942|2]

LG LSC27910[SW| 1.100

Whiripooi

Kenmore (Sears) ProÜS33[J|

GEGSS2S0GTIWWI

Etectrolux

SamsungRSG2ii7AA[WP!

Amana AS02524VEIW] 1.200

GE GSHF6PHXIWW1 1.7'i(l

ElecIroluK

Haier PRCS25£DA[P] 1,500

BUILMNS

Jenn-Alr)S42PPOIIOB|SS1ThermadorK8UDT4265EIS1

7.200

7.600

67 17.3 84 42 26

© 71 16 84 42 26

264 C O N $ U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U I D E 2 0 1 0

Brand & model Price overall score Test results

lypt'.arecomparablPtuiBted model.

BUILT-INS continued

ii0 IDO

P i F I G IVGI I

00

Miele KF1901VJ

KitchenAidKBFC42FISS] •

Sub-zero SI36U/S/THElectrolux iconE42BS75EPI51Bosch IntegraB18IO8O5(55lamlB24IR70SÍS51Viking DFSB423

Kenmore (Sears) Elite4048P1GE ManogramZISP4Z0DXI55]Sub-zero 736KIISS1Dacor EpicureEF42B0CBISS1KitchenJUdKSSS360Tl)aGE ProfilePSB42LSRLBVL

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66 16.1 84

68 15.6 84

89 172 84

92 15.4 84

71 Í6.6 83

100 19.5 84

75 16.1 84

81 15.9 79

100 13.5 83

64 13.6 84

87 16.6 84

36 24

43 28

35 26

42 26

42 25

43 2S

48 26

42 27

37 24

42 25

36 25

42 26


Similai moael'-, m •.nia

£ 5

CUBE COMPACT REFRIGERATORS

HaierHSftO2ilMagic Chef

MCBfil70|W!

Haler HflT02WNC

Avanti RM17Í1B

Î100

80

70

100

1 ^

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1.8

1.7

J.7

1.7

20x19x18

20x19x18

2U17)(2021x18x18

36

32

2233

RE F R I G E R A T O RS 265

Brand & model Price Overaii store Test results

g Similar mod*, inimallg iVíW.aiP comparable to? d l

MEDIUM COMPACT REFRIGERATORS

¿ J Kenmore 927719]

0 Sanyo Sfi •2S70M '

i ' ^ HaierHSBOSfB]FrigidaireFRCO3LZ0[Wl

TALL C O M P A a REFRIGERATORS

O O 2.7 26x19x19 4J

O © 2.5 25x19x20 41

O O 27 26x19x19 41

O O 2.8 28x20x20 52

^ FrigidairefHCOSlSOIBl

0 Haier HNSE05[B![7] GE Spacemaker

GMR04AAM|88|Kenmore 9467|9| 18DMagic Chef , „MCBR44SIW11 ^

Haier HWSE03WA[WW| 140

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O

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©

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© O 4.6

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33x20x22

32X21X22

33x19x22

33x19x18

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Ratings Key ©Exreltenl ©Very good OGood ©Fair •Poor

Q CR 8est Buy These models oiler ttte l>est combinaiton of performance and price. All are recommended,W Recommended These ora high-performing models that stand out.

Guide to the RatinqsOverall score is based mainly on temperature performance and energy efficiency. Noise andfase of use are also considered. Displayed scores are rouncîed; models are listect in order ofprecise overall score. Tcmptrature performance is how uniformly each maintained 37" F inthe refrigerator and 0° F in the treeïer at different room temperatures. Energy efficiency iselectricity use based on measurements and usable capacity. Noise is with the compressor run-ntfig. Ease of use assesses features and design. Enerqy cost ¡s estimated cost in dollars, basedon the average national electricity rate. Usable capacity is the volume, in cubic feet, of interiorspace, including ice-makers in the storage measurements for top-freezer anä bottom-freezermodels, but not for side-by-sides. For compacts, refriqerator performance is the ability to.jchieve and maintain a desired temperature, tennperature uniformity inside, the ability to com-ppnsate for variations in ambient temperature, and reserve capacity under extreme conditions.Freezer performance is how close the freezer compartments could come to zero degrees.



Top-freezerSmall (30 Inches wide):The 17.9-cubic-foot GE GTHISKBXtWW],Si.OOO, has spillproof shelves and is EnergyStar qualified. At S650, the FrigidaireFRT18S6A[W] costs less than most other30-inch-wide top-freezers but has lessusable freezer capacity than most. The20.5-cutiic-foot Kenmore (Sears) 7419[2],$680. lacks spillpfool shelves. It has pultoutshelves only in the refrigerator and doesnot have half/split shelves. It is not EnergyStar qualified.

Midsized (33 Incties wide):The GE Profile PTS22LHR[WW],'Sl.35ahas ampîe features and more usabte fridgecapacity than most, but it's pricey. The21-cubic-toot Whirlpool ET1FTEXV[0].$1,500, has spillproof shelves and is EnergyStar qualified.

Bottom-freezerSmall (30 Inches wide):Overall, the Amana ABB1921DE[W]. $900,i5 very good, with excellent temperature perfor-

• manee and very quiet operation but mediocreenergy efficiency.

Midsized (33 inches wide):Thf Amana ABB2221FEtW], Si.020.provides excellent temperature performanceand very good energy efliciency. It issomewhat noisy. The Kenmore (Sears)Eilte 7625[21, $1,400, provides excellenttemperature performance.

Larqe (36 Inches wide or wider):The Kenmore (Sears) Eilte 7759[2J, $1.950,has excellent temperature performance andenergy-efficiency scores. The Whirlpool GoWGX5FHTXV101, $1,700, has excellent temperature performance and energy efficiency, butis somewhat noisy and pricey. The SamsunqRF266AB[WP], $1600, is very good and very

quiet, with excellent temperature performanceand very good energy efficiency. The AmanaAFD25350E[WJ, $1,500, is very good, withexcellent temperature performance.

Built-inLarqe (36 inches wide or wider):The Mieie KF1901VÍ, $7,200, is a very goodrefrigerator with excellent temperature perfor-mance. It is especially quiet. The KitchenAidKBFC42FtSS], $7.500. is very good, withexcellent temperature performance thoughmediocre energy efficiency. The ElectroluxIcon E42BS75EP[S], $6,600 is a very goodand especially quiet built-in refrigerator,though it has mediocre energy efficiency.

Side-by-sideMidsized (33 to 35 inches wide):Overall, Ihe Hotpoint HSS22GFT[WW1,$1,100, is very good with excellent tempera-ture performance.

Larqe (36 inches wide or wider);The Samsung RS275AC[WP]. $1300, Isvery good and very quiet. The WhiripooiEp5HVEXV[0], $900, is very good, butwas not especially energy-efficient and notespecially quiet. The Jenn-AIr JCD2Z90HE[W].S2.3OO, is very good, but offers less usablecapacity overall than most and isn't especiallyenergy-efficient. The Kenmore (Sears)5802[2] , $1.450. is very good and very guiet,thougfi not especially energy-efficient. TheLG LSC27910ESW], $1.100, is very good andvery guiet, but not especially energy-efficient.The GE GSH25JFX[WW], $1.100, is good,with very good temperature performance.

CompactConsider the Haier HNSE05IB1, $150, andGE Spacemaker GMR04AAM[BB], S16O, forcooling, not freezing. For a smaller motíel,go with the Kenmore 927719], S1<O. SanyoSR-2570M, $130, and Haier HSB03[B]. $12Ü.

R E T R I G E R A T O R S 267


Refr igerators, top-freezerMfKf

FríBidaire

Maytag

Whirliioûl

Frigidaire

Gi

i7

1 1i t

0% 5% 10%

Refr igerators, bot tom-freezer

Mme

Hi 10% IS% 20% 25%

Refr igerators, s ide-bys ide

Maytag has been the most repair-pronebrand of top-freezer models without ice-makers. We have also sufficient dala toconclude that their modeis with icemaltershave also been repair-prone. That's whatwe found when we asked over 64,000readers who bouqht a refrigerator between2004 and 2008 about their experiences.The graph shows the percentage of mod-els for each brand Ihat were repaired orhad a serious probiem. Differences of lessthan 5 points aren't meaningful, and we'veadiusted the data to eliminate differenceslinked solely to the age of the refrigerator.Although we lacked sufficient historicaldata to include'Sub-Zero side-t)y-sides inthe chart, they have not been repair-pronein receñí years, according to our analysis.Models within a brand can vary, and designor manufacture changes might affect futurereliability. Slill, choosing a brand with agood repair history can Improve your oddsof getting a reliable model.

Source: Annual Product Reliability Survey. ConsumerReports National Researcft Center.

2 6 8 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B J Y I N G G U I D E 2 0 1 0

SMART PHONESDecide how "smart" a phone you wanl. Some phones offer busîness-foirused capabili-ties in a palm-fiuing package. Other.s are geared toward personal use. They're fine torplaying music and other multimedia, reading e-mail messages, and opening Office-typeattachments, but they don't allow you to create or edit documents and spreadsheets.Below are Select Ratings.

Brand & model Price overall score Testresuits

= j:inll.H

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11 lltBia) model.

o IDO

P I F I G I V G Í E

I l

[71 Apple iPhone 3G^ S(!6GB)(ATÉIT) 120Ü

[71 Apple iP(ione3G

ISGBKATST)

[71 T-MobilemvTouch 3G

[ 7 ] Samsung Omnía(Verizon)

[7] BlackBerrystorm 9530(Veriïon)

[ 3 T-Mobile Gl

[71 BlackBerry Bold

— (AT&T)¡7 ] Samsung EpiK

(ATST)[71 Palm Pre

(Sprint Nextel)[7] BlackBerry

Curve 8900(T-Mobile)

Fiip82Z0(Htotlile)

[71 BtockBerry Pearl

a[71 BlackBerry

Pearl 8130(Sprint Nextel)

See 'epofl. paqe77.

50

M (Pfl 3.1 H

© © © O a © © © M iPh 1,9 H

a © © O © © © © M And, 11 • H

© O Ö © © © © © M WM 4.9 H

© © © O © © © a M BB 3,1 H

© © © O a © © © M And. 3.1 H

© © 0 © © © © 0 M B B 1.9 H

O © © a © © © © M WM 1.9 Hwich

a © © O © © © O 5 "Q™ 3.1 H

o © © o © a © © M BB 31 L

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Ratings Key ©Eitcellenl ©Verygood OGood ©Fair •Paar

Q CR Best Buy Ttiese mudéis olfer the best combination cf performance and pnce. All afe recommended.

E Recommended These are hígh-periwming models that stand oui.

S M A R T P H O N E S Z69

Guide to the RatingsOverall score i5 based mainly on display, navigation, voice quality, phoning, messaging. Webirowslnq. multimedia, and battery life, and also considers document editinq as well as ttieI'hone's siîe and weight. The displayed score is out of a totdl of 100 points. Phones are listedMl performance order. Due to test upgrades, results may vary from past Raíings. Display: i?presents a weighted combination of display size, resolution, and evaluations of how well theLüsplay can be seen under different lighting conditions. Navigation mainly considers howi?3Sy it is to access the phone's various features and modes, such as phoning, messaging, Webbrowsing, the camera, and music player. We also consider programmable shortcuts, touchscreens, and user manuals and reference cards. Voice quality considers listening quality whichreflects wfiat you hear; talking, what's heard bv other phones. Tests were conducted In noisy¿ind quiet environments using live phone calls indicated by carrier used. We show the lowerscore between listening and talking. Phoning considers the number of step-saving (unctions(ot making and receiving calls. These Include hands-free capabilities such as voice command¡iná Bluetooth, speed dialing, DTMF and ringer controls, call timers, security options, and otherfeatures. We also evaluated keypad readability under different lighting conditions. Messagingmainly assesses keyboard ergonomics, e-mad readability, attachment capabilities, and text-piiessaqing features. It also considers how easy It is to synchronize the phone with a computerand access applications while on a call. Web browsing mainly assesses browser capabilities,including the phone's ability to handle more Ihan one browser. Rash Video, and Java, as welllis data connections such as 3G and Wi-Ti. Multimedia mainly considers camera and musicplayer capabilities and features, as well as GP5 navigation, voice memo, streaming or live audioiind/or video. Battery life represents mainly an average of talk time from tests with strong andweak network signals, and also considers standby, display times, and other (actors. Talk time is,in average to the nearest quarter-hour from tests with strong and weak network signals. Forphones using AT&T's or T-Moblle's 3G HSDPA network, expect talk times to be shorter Mostphones work only with a specific carrier, so you must decide whether to stay with your currentprovider or select a new one when shopping for a phone.


Best choices for Offlce-rike tasKs:1 he pilones listed here take theif PDA öuliesseriously. All allow you to create and editdocuments and e-mail attachments and arevery good choices for heavy e-mail and Micro-soft Office users.

From Verizonrile Samsung Omnia, $100, is a very good,teaturepacked smart phone with heavy-dutye mail and Office and multimedia capabilities.

With its unique interface and powerfulbusiness and entertainment features, theBlackBarry Storm, SlOO, is a worthy sidekick(or qlot)e trotting Verizon customers.

From AT&TThe BlackBerry Bold, $300, is a very goodchoice (or heavy-duty Office and BlackBerrye-mail users. But pricey.

The Samsung Epix, Si80, is a line choicefor heavy-duty e-mail and Office users whoneed lots of talk time.

From T-MoblleThe BtackBerry Curve, Sl50, Is a very goodchoice (or heavy-duty Office and BlackBerrymessaginq users. Also, the Wi-Fi connectioncomes in handy for voice calls, surfing the Web,and downloading large files.



Best choices for multimedia use:The following phones have a flair for fun.combining large displays, desktop-classWeb browsers, and a powerltil array of music,video.and gaming capabilities. And theymake it easy to keep ttie fun flowing, wittitheir online-store connections to millionsof songs, qames, applications, and ottierforms of entertainment.

The Apple IPhone 3G S (16GS), $200, isa high-scoring, versatile, and innovative smartphone thafs a sliver better than Its 3G pre-decessor. A very good choice for multimediaaddicts-and even some corporate users.

The Appie IPhone 3G (BG8), $100, is ahigh-scoring, versatile, and innovative smartphone with a few warts. A very good ctioicefor multimedia addicts-and even some cor-porate users.

Ttie T-Mobite myTouch 3G, S200. is ahigti-scoring smart phone loaded with intrigu-ing features and capabilities. A very goodchoice for Web browsing addicts-and evensome corporate users.

The T-Moblle G1, $150, Is a high-scoringsmart phone loaded with intriguing featuresand capabilities, though not for corporate users.

Best compact choices:These are some of ttie smaliest, and lowest-

priced smart phones on ttie market, whichmakes it worth putting up with their smallishdisplays and tiny QWERTY keyboards.

From T'MobileThe BiackBerry Pearl flip 8220, $50, is apetite, inexpensive smart ptione packed wittilots of smart BiackBerry features, and theWi-Fi connection comes in handy for voicecalls, surfing the Web. and downloading largefiles, though ttie condensed keyboard mayoe cumbersome for some users.

The BiackBerry Pear) B120, $80, is apetite smart phone crammed with lotsof smart BiackBerry features, and the Wi-Ficonnection comes in handy for voice calls,surfing the Web and downloading large files,though ttie compact keyboard may be toosmall for some users.

From Sprint NextelThe Palm Pre, $200, is a palm friendly smartphone packed with lots of useful capabilitiesand features, though the smallish keyboardmay be a challenge lor some people.

The BiackBerry Pearl 8130, $50, cramslots of smart BiackBerry features into asmall package-and Is relatively inexpensive.The compact keyboard may be too small forsome users.

T V s , L C D 271

TVs, LCDMost of the TVs in the Ratings have very good or excellent picture quality, so there arcI'lcnly of good choices available. Still, check detailed results for the highest-scoringmodels if you want top picture quality.

All tested sets 37 inches and up. and many of the 32-inchers. have 1080p resolution,ITiis has become the norm. In smaller sets. 720p resolution is still common, and it's allyou need, unless you want U) use the TV as a computer monitor, in which case higherrcMilLitimi is a plus.

Branda model Price OveralKcore Test results

.£ .£r "^ 2r15 "rS s 15=3 =3 •« ser c? 00 er

P i f I G IVt l t

27-INCH AND SMALLER MODELS

Sony BraviaKDLZ6L5000ViewSonic

EQ

Insignia

NS-U60-10Â

Sanyo DP26649

Panasonic Viera

Samsung

LN26B'16O

Le 26LK2O

Westinghouse

SK26H57OOToshiba

O 26

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768

I366i(

768

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60

60

60

60

60

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, , I366X ,_26 ^^g 60

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60

60

32-INCH MODELS

Panasonic Viera

Sony Bravia

I InsigniaNS-U32Q-10A

Q VÍZJOVO320E

192OX !20,1080 60

60

1920)t 120,

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1080 60

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Brand&model Price Overall score Test results

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Sj r

P I F i

32-INCH MODELS continoeci

100 5G I V6I E X

JVC LT-32J3OO

Sony Bravia

KDL-32S51OO

LG32LH2O

Sanyo DP32649

(K :AL32KD31R

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Guide to the Ratings for LCD and Plasma TVsOverall score is based primarily on picture quality; sound quality, ease of use, viewing angle,aivi versatility are also figured in. The displayed score Is out of a total of 100 points, HD picturequality is based on a trained viewing panel's evaluation of the TV's picture clarity and coloraccuracy, using known references, when displaying a lOSOi HD signal. The picture's qualityrating is determined by how well it displays all the attributes of an HD signal, including the finedetails you would expect from HD. All signals were sent through the HDMI input, which canbe used io connect a high-def DVD player, digital-cable box. satellite receiver, or off-air digitalreceiver/tuner to the TV. SD picture quallty indicates how a TV displays "regular," non-HD TVprogramming. This picture quality score is based on a standard-definition TV signal, knownas 4801, sent through the TV's HDMI inputs, except where indicated. The standard-tJef imagesare evaluated by trained panelists, using known references. Common sources of this standard-definition signal are digital-cable boxes and satellite boxes. Viewlnq anqle for LCDs indicatesour evaluation of picture quality for clarity and color accuracy at various horizontal and verticalyiewinq angles. Sound quality is measured from the set's built-in speakers using compuler-driven test equipment, with additional subjective testing by a listening panel. You can get betterstereo sound if you bypass the built-in speakers and route ¡he TV's sound to a receiver andexternal speakers. With a multichannel sound system, you can get the enveloping experienceof surround sound from digital broadcasts anü also DVD movies. Remote ease of use is anassessment of the usability of the TV's remote control, considering button layout. labeling, andpractical features. Onscreen menu ease of use is an assessment of the usability of the TV'sonscreen menu, considering its interaction with the remote, menu layout, and practical features.Versatility indicates features that increase a plasma TV's utility or capabilities. These mightinclude the presence of more HD-capabie inputs, a headphone jack, a base that swivels, exten*sive Internet connectivity, slldeshow functionality for digital pictures, iPod docking, and so on.Enerqy cost is estimated cost per year in dollars, calculated for S hours a day turned on and16 hours in the off (standby) mode, based on the current year's national average electricity rate.Your usage and local rates will affect your costs. Note that the energy scores are for a plasma TVoptimized for the besi picture quality, not using any energy-saving technology included in the set.


TVs, LCD26-inch sets:Sony Bravia KDL-26L5000, S500: This26-inch 720p (1366x768) set from Sony'sentry-level L5000 series delivers top-notchperformance at a competitive price (for aSony), However, its narrower-than-averaqeviewing angle may be an issue m roomswhere some viewers may be situated off-angle from the screen.

ViewSonic N2690w, S450: This 26-inch720p (1366x768) LCD from ViewSonic isa solid across-the-board performer at acompetitive price. However, Its very narrow

viewing angle may limit its appeal In roomswtiere some viewers will be off-angle, and ithas a limited number o( inputs.

Inslqnia NS-L260-10A. S300: This 26-inch720p (1366x768) LCD from Insignia, Best Buy'shouse brand, deiivers v&ry good picturequality at a low price, though its viewing angleis narrower than most sets we've tested,

Sanyo DP26649, S295: This 26-inch 720p(1366x768) LCD TV from Sanyo is a CR BestBuy, offering excellent picture at a very lowprice. It has fewer features than pricier setsand a narrow viewing angle, but If you'll be

T V s , L C D 275


il head on, that's nol d concern,

Samsung LN26B460, $450; This 26-inch72Op (1366x768) LCD from Samsung offersexcellent picture quality and an exceilentonscreen menu system. However, it has anarrower-than-averaqe viewing anqle, andpoor sound, much worse than most of theother spts we've tested.

32-Inch sets:Samsung LN32B650, $1,000: This 32-inchi060p LCD ftom Samsung is a top-notchperformer with excellent picture quality, butit's pricey for the size. It has 120Hz technol-ogy, plus InfoLink, Samsung's entry-levelInternet service that provides RSS feeds ofnews, weather, and sports information,

Panasonic Viera TC-L32S1, $715: Ttlis well-priced 32 incti lOSOp LCD from Panasonicoffers very good overall picture quality, withtop-notch detail and very accurate colors.Like other Panasonic LCDs we're tested it hasa wider-than-averaqe viewinq angle, thoughnot quite as wide as the best Panasonic sets.

Sony Bravia KDL-32XBR9, $870: This 32-inch 1080p LCD from Sony is a top-notchperformer with excellent picture quality, butlike other X8R models it costs a tDit more thanmost othef sets this size. It includes t20Hzlechnology to reduce motion blur, fairly rarein ttlis size.

Insignia NS-L322Q-10A, S500: This 32-inch1080p LCO from Insignia, Best Buy's housebrand, ofiers excellent overall picture quality,and is very iow priced, especially for a 1080pset. Its viewing anqle, thouqh, is narrowerthan most.

VIzto VO320E, S400: Ttlis 32-inch 720p(1366x768) Vizio deiivers excellent picturequality and a fairly wide viewing angle at an

especially low price, making it a CR 8«st Buy.Its sound was good, unlike its 37-inch sibling's,fine for typical TV programming.

JVC LT-32J3OO, $600: This 32-inch 1080pLCD from JVC is a winner, offering very qoodpicture quaiity and better-than-averaqe viewinq angle and sound at a competitive price.

Sony Bravia KDL-32S5tOO, $730: This32-inch Sony, part of its entry-level 1080pS-series, delivers the goods-excellenthigh-def picture quality, ¡mage detail, andcolor-at a competitive price, (hough itwasn't without some flaws, as noted.

37-inch sets:Samsung LN37B650, $1.200: This 37-inchSamsung 1080p LCD is a very good overallperformer. It's pricier than other sets thissize, but it inciudes I 2 0 H Ï technology(unusual in this size) and InfoLinh Internetconnectivity that provides RSS news, stock,and weather feeds from USA Today.

Panasonic Viera TC-L37SI, S775: This37-inch 1080p LCD from Panasonic is a verygood overall performer that's weli-priced fora major brand. Like other Panasonic LCDswe've tested it has a wider-than-averageviewing anqle, though not quite as wide asthe best Panasonic sets.

LG 37LH30, $850: This 37-inch LCD is LG'sentry-level lOBOp set, and it delivers verygood overall picture quaiity. Brightness levelwas only fair, dimmer than most, so it's t)est-suited for a darker room,

VIzio V0370M, $600: This 37-inch Vizlot060p LCD set has exceilent picture qualityand a fairly wide viewing anqle, plus a verylow price. However, its sound quality ispoor, so consider pairing it with an externalsound system.

276 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U I D E 2 0 ) 0


40- and 42-Inch sets:Toshiba Reqza 42XV540U. S1,1OO: This42 inch loaop Toshiba boasts excellentHD picture quality, and is well-priced for aset with I20HZ technology, which reducesmotion blur. HD content was detailed andhad'great color and a satisfying level ofbrightness. It also has a betterthan-averaqeviewing angle.

Samsunt) UN40B6000, $1,600: This 40-inch lOaOp ôOOO-series LCD from Samsunqdelivers excellent picture quality and detail,with very accuiate colors. Like 8000- and7000-series sets, it uses edge-mountedLEDs rather than conventional lamps, whichaccounts for its slim profile and higher price.Unlike those models, though, it includes RSSfeeds from USA Today rather than the fullMedl#2.0 Internet service. It also has 120Hztechnology to reduce motion biyr.

JVC LT-42P300, S850: This 42-inch 1080pLCD from JVC is a CR Best Buy, offeringvery good picture quality ät a very low price,plus an iPod dock. An illuminated remotewould have been helpful though, since theiPod's functions can be controlled with it.

insignia NS-L420-10A, $700: This 42-inch1080p LCD from Insignia, Best Buy's housebrand, delivers excellent picture quality anda lot of performance for a (airly low price,making it a CR B«st Buy, though It's not thebest choice for a brightly lit room.

Sony Bravia KLV-40ZX1M, $2,200: Thissuper-slim 1080p Sony LCD is a showpiecemodel that borrows some design elementsfrom Sony's It-inch OLED TV. The set, whichuses edge LED backlighling, delivers excellentoverall picture quality, albeit at a fairly highprice. It also includes i20Hz technology toreduce motion blur. It would have scoredhigher except for its narrower-than-average

viewing angle and so-so remote. Also, it's amonitor with no tuner, so it requires an exter-nal tuner to receive over-the-air broadcasts.It has only one HOMI as its input, so considerpairing It with a digital receiver.

46- and 47-incti sets:Sony Bravia KDL-46XBRe, S3,000: This46-inch XBR-series lOBOp set from Sony isa clear, if pricey, winner. It uses a full-arrayLED backlight rather than a conventionallamp, which enables the set to produce excel-lent deep black levels, on par with the bestsets we've tested, it has Sony's MotionFlowI20HZ technology to reduce motion blur, andwill accept an optional Bravia Internet linkfor access to online content,

Samsunq UN46B7000, $2,300: This 46-inch 1080p LCD from Samsung Is a top-notchset with excellent picture quality_and detailand very accurate colors. Like Samsung's8000- and 6000-series sets, it uses edge-mounted LEDs rather than conventionallamps, which accounts for its slim profileand higher price. The 120HZ feature reducesmotion blur, and internet connectivity pro-vides access to various online services.The DLNA feature aiiows it to browse andplay content sent over your home network.

Samsung UN46B6000, S2,100; This 46-Inch tOBOp LCD from Samsung is a top-notchset with excellent HO picture quality anddetail and very accurate colors. Its perfor-mance with standard-def programs was anotch below its 7000-series sibling. Like thatset. It uses edge-mounted LEDs rather thanconventional lamps, which accounts for itsslim profile and higher price. It also includesl20Hz technology that reduces motion biur.The set comes with RSS feeds from USAToday rather than the full [email protected] Internetservice on the 7000-series. But that differ-ence will save you a few hundred dollars.

T V s . L C D 277


Sony Bravia KDL-46V5100, Sl,400: ThisA6-inch V-series Sony is a fine 1080p set withexcellent HDîctufe quality, despite a fewflaws as noted. It has 120H2 technology, whichreduces motion blur, but it's still a bit priceycompared to simitar TVs.

Sharp Aquos LC-C4677UN, SHOO: This-ló-inch 1080p Aquos LCD TV from Sharpdelivers excellent picture quality at a fairlylow price tor a major brand, though its view-ing angle and sound quality scores werebelow average. Also, its 120Hï technologyprovided little improvement in motion blurover standard 60H2 sets. It has five HDMIinputs, the most we've seen.

5Z-inch and tarqer sets;Samsunq LN55A950, S3,600: This 55-inch1080p 5amsunq, a top-notch flagship modeloffering excellent picture quality, is an excel-lent big-screen choice for those looking forstaie-of-f he-art performance, thouqh its verynarrow viewing angle may be of concern itIt will be regularly viewed off-angle. Its full-

array LED backlight with local dimming helpsproduce some of the best black levels we'veseen on an LCO, but also adds to the price.Its use of Auto Motion PJus T20Hz technologyreduces motion blur,

Toshiba REGZA 55ZV650U, $2,000: This55-¡nch Toshiba Regza lOSOp LCD is atop-notch performer offered at a very attrac-tive price for its size and leatures, makingit a CR Best Buy. This model has a widerview-ing angle than many LCDs, and ttsquasi-240Hz technology does a good jobreducing motion blur.

Sharp Aquos LC-C5277UN, S1500: This52-inch 1080p Aquos LCD TV from Sharpdelivers excellent picture quality at a sur-prisingly low price for a major brand, thouqtiit has a narrower viewing angle and soundquality wasn't as good as on many other setsthis size. Also, we found its 120H2 technologyprovided little improvement over standard60Hz sets. It has five HDMI inputs, the mostwe've seen.



TVs. LCD

fewer Mure

Mitsubishi

Flat panel TVs have been extremely reli-

able, a l thouqh it's wor th not ing that Ihe

vast major i ty of purchases vZ&re recent.

That's what we found when we analyzed

over 168,000 reader experiences with flat

panel TVs bought between 2 0 0 5 and 2 0 0 8 ,

The graph shows the percentage of brands

that needed a repair or had a serious prob-

lem. Differences of less than 3 points aren't

meaningful, and we've adjusted the data to

el iminate differences linked solely to age of

the TV. Models wi th in a brand mav vary, and

design or manufacture ctianges may affect

future reliabititv- Stil l, choosing a brand

with a good repair history can improve your

odds of gett ing a reliable modet.

Source: Annual Product Reliability Survey. ConsumerReports National Research Center.

T V s . P L A S M A 279

TVs, PlasmaPlasma TVs are well worth consideration, especially in 50-Inch and larger sizes, wher.they offer a strong alternative to LCD sets. In fact, when you factor in their unlimitedviewing angle and the generally superior hlack level and shadow detail of the bettimodels, plus their ability to handle fast motion with virtually no visible blurringplasma displays oflcr meaningful advantages over LCDs.

The plasma TVs we tested did very well, as you can see from the excellent and ver\good picture quality scores on the chart. Given the overall high quality, it's hard to gtoo tar wrong with any of the TVs in the Ratings.


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0 Recommended These are tiign-per(o/ming models that stand out.


TVs, Plasma42- to 46'inch models:Panasonic Viera TC-P42S1, $1.100: This42-inch 1080(3 plasma from Panasonic offersexcellent picture-quality performance at afairly low price for a major brand. Part of theSl-sertes that replaced the old PZ80 models,these are Panasonic's entry-level mainstreamlOBOp sets, which claim improved brightness,contrast, and energy efficiency thanks to thenew Neo PDP panels.

Panasonic Viera TC-P46S1, 51,400: This46-inch lOBOp plasma-from Panasonic's SI

series, which replaced last year's PX80/PZ80models-offers excellent overall HD picturequality and image detail. The 46-incti size,unusual for a plasma TV, is designed to com-pete with 46- and 47-inch LCDs.

Panasonic Viera TC-P42G10, $1,150: This42-inch 1080p Panasonic plasma, part of thestep-up GIQ series that replaced Z85/PZ800sets, has excellent picture quality acrossthe board and many features, it is one of thenew Internet-enabled TVs, It's also a THX-certified model with a THX mode preset modeoptimized for movie viewing, and has an SD

T V s , P L A S M A

Seiect Ratings Overview fc^rd reader that can play high-def video files.Sound, however, was only fair, so you maywanl to consider an external sound system.

Panasonic Viera TC-P46C15, $1.400: This46-inch TOBOp pfasma from Panasonic,part of fhe step-up G)5 series sold throughregional dealers and A/V specially stores,is a top-notch performer in another screensize unique to Panasonic. It delivers excellentpicture guality and lots of features-includingTHX certification and the company's VieraCast Internet service-but only fair sound,,so consider pairing it with an external soundsystem. It also has an SD card slot, and canplay high-def AVCHD video files.

Panasonic Viera TC-P42X1, $750: This72Op (1024x768) Panasonic plasma, part otthe company's entry-level Xl series (whichrepiaced the PXBO-series sets) offers verygood overall picture quality at a fairly lowprice for a maior brand.

LG 4ZPQ30. S700: This 42-inch 720p11024x768] LG plasma is well-priced, anddelivers very good overall picture quaiity.Features include a sensor that adjusts theTV's brightness to room conditions.

50-Inch models:Samsunq PN50B650, $1,700: This 50-inch 1080p plasma set from Samsung, likeits 58-inch sibling. Is a top-notch perlormer,amcmq Ihe best TVs we've tested, and aCR Best Buy. It offers excellent picturequality, with a great menu system and remote.It is one of the new Internet-enabled TVs withvarious data services, such as Samsung'sMediâ.O Internet service, which uses Vahoowidgets to access Internet content.

Santsunq PN5OB850. $2,200: Like its58-inch sibling, this flagship 50-inch lOSOpplasma sel from Samsung is a top-notch

performer with excellent picture quality, thoui.you pay a premium for its ultraslim design.It is one of the new Internet-enabled TVs wi'various data services. Like the more conventionallv designed but lower-priced 650-seri>sets, it has the witJqet-based Medi#2.0 Int fnet service lo access Internet content. Unlih.the 5a-inch B850 set, which had among theworst sound of any TV we've tested, sound '•this model was good, if not inspiring.

Panasonic Viera TC-PS0G10, $1,800: This 5(inch lOBOp plasma from Panasonic, part ofthe step-up GlO-series that replaced Z85/PZ8L •sets, is a top-notch performer with someextra features. For example, it has PanasonnViera Cast IPTV service, which now includesAmazon Video On Demand, plus an SD cardreader that can play high-def video flies.

Panasonic Viera TC-P50X1, Sl,050: This50-inch Panasonic plasma, a 720p (1366x76.set, is the part of the company's mainstreamentry-tevel XI series that replaced the PX80series sets. This set delivers excellent overa'picture quality at a low price for a major branSince its sound guality is below tha't of mos!other sets, you might consider pairing it witt:an external sound system.

Panasonic Vfera TC-P50C1, S990: This50-inch 720 plasma from Panasonic's entry-level Cl series delivers exceiient picturequality at a fairly low price for a major brand,though its brightness was dimmer than mostmaking It best-suited for a darker room,Sound is only fair, so you might consideran external sound system. It has two HDMIinputs, fewer than most sets this size,

54-inch and larger models:Samsunq PN58B650, S2,7OO: This 58mcti1080p plasma set from Samsung is a top-notch performer, among the best TVs we'vetested. It offers excellent picture quality, a

282 C O N S U M E R R E P O R T S B U Y I N G G U I O E 2 0 1 0


great menu system and remote, and it includesSamsung's Medii§i2.0 Internet service, whichuses Yahoo widgets to access Internet content,

Panasonic Viera TC-P54V10, $2,300: This54-inch ioaop Panasonic piasma-a screensize unique to the brand-is a top-notch per-former with excellent picture quality, despitea minor quibtjle. It's a pricier, flagship model(that replaced the old PZ850 series) withextra features, such as THX certification,access to the Viera Cast online service, andan SD card slot with the ability to play high-def AVCHO video files.

Samsunq PN58B850, S3,400: This ultraslimi1.5-inch deep) flagship 58-inch 1080p plasmaset trom Samsung is a top-notch performerwith excellent picture guaiity, though you pay

a premium for its design. Like its 650-seriessibling it has the widget-based [email protected] service to access Internet content.But ils sound was among the worst in ourRatings-we'd recommend pairinq it with anexternal sound system that can do juslice toits excellent images.

PanBsonk Viere TC-P54CtO, $1,900: This54-inch I080p plasma from Panasonic-a sizeunique to the company-delivers excellentpicture quality at a competitive price, thoughlike its Si-series brandmate, has below-averagesound. The set is psrt of a step-up G1O series,which has THX certification and the com-pany's Viera Cast Internet service. It also hasan SO card slot with AVCHO video playback.A CR Best Buy.


TVs, Plasma

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Flat panel TVs have been extremely reliable,although it's worth noting that the vastmajority of purchases were recent. That'swhat we found when we analyzed over168,000 reader experiences with fiat panelTVs bouqht between 2005 and 2008, Thegraph shov is the percentage of brands thatneeded a repair or had a serious problem.Differences of less than 3 points aren'tmeaningful, and we've adjusted the data toeliminate differences linked solely to age otthe TV. Models within a brand may vary, anddesign or manufacture changes may affectfuture reliability. Still, choosing a brandwith a good repair history can improve yourodds of getting a reliable model.

Source: Annual PfotJuct Reliability Survey, ConsumerReports National Reseafcti Center,

V A C U U M C L E A N E R S

VACUUM CLEANERSNew designs and features are producing increasingly high-tech vacuums, but high-

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-1 Self-|iropelled. '£ Doe not accept tools.

Guide to the RatingsOverall score is based mainly on cleaning performance and ease of use. The displayed score Isout of a total of 100 points. Carpet shows how much embedded talc and sand a vacuum cleanerlifted from a medium-pile carpet. Bare floors indicates how well a vacuum cleaner picked up sandwithout dispersing it on bare floors. Tool airflow indicates the strength of airflow through thehose. Notee is based on measurements in decibels. Emissions is a measurement of the quantityol small particles that are released under two conditions: first, only when the motor is turned on,and second, while vacuuming. Handling reflects how easy it is to push, pull, and carry a vacuum.P«t half reflects how well a vacuum picks up pet hair from medium-pile carpet.


Best upriqhts for most:The Hoover WindTunnet AnniversaryEdition U64e5-900, $230, is a very goodupright vacuum that excelled at clearing bothcarpets and bare floors and had excellentairflow for cleaning with tools. It also wasexcellent at keeping its emissions low, thoughIt was fairly noisy. Hoover, however, has beenamong the less reliable brands of uprightvacuums.

The Kenmore Progressive 3S922, $350.a CR Best BuVi is a very good uprightvacuum that excelled at cleaning bare floors

and picking up pet hair. It was also excellentat keeping its emissions low.

The Kenmore Progressive 36932, $350,also a CR Best Buy, is a very good uprightvacuum that excelled at cleaning bare floorsand picking up pet hair. It was also excellentat keeping its emissions low.

The Eureka Boss SmartVac 4870, $170,a CR 8est Buy, is a very good uprightvacuum that excelled at cleaning bare floorsand picking up pet hair, it was also excellentat keeping its emissions low. It was only fairin handling.

V A C U U M C L E A N E R S 26


Iiu- Hoover WindTunnel AnniversaryEdition Bagiess U57e6-900, $160, is a veryijood uijfight vacuum that excelled at clean-ing carpets and picking up pet hair. It was alsoexcellent at keeping Its emissions low. Hoover,however, has been amonq the less retiatjiebrands of upriqht vacuums,

A CR Best Buy, the- Eureka ComfortCiean OhI 4235, $140, is a very good uprightvacuum designed so that the user shouldnever need to bend to use any feature. It hadexcellent airflow for tools and excelled atkeeping emissions low.

For iess weight with some trade-offs:The Hoover Piatinum Bagçed UH30010COM,S400, is a very good upriqht vacimm thatexcelled at cleaning both carpets and barefloors. It aiso was excellent at picking up pethair. While Hoover has been among the lessreliable brands of upright vacuums, thismodei is amonq newer designs from TTI FloorCare, which also makes Dirt Devil.

The Hoover WindTunnel AnniversaryEdition Baqged U5491-900, S14O, Is a verygood upf iqhf vdcuum Ihat excelled at clean-ing bofh carpets and bare floors. It alsowas excellent at picking up peí hair andkeeping its emissions low. Hoover, however,has been amonq tfie less reliable brands olupriqht yacuums.

The Dirt Devil Featheriite BaqlessM085e45 (Tarqet), S60, is a very goodbiisic upriqhl vacuum that excelled at ciean-mg bare floors and picking up pef hair andkeeping its emissions low. It was fairly noisy.

The Bissen Momentum 82G71, $120, isa very good upright vacuum that excelledat keeping its emissions low.

Best canisters for most:The Kenmore Intuition 26014, $600, is a vergood, though heavy, canister vacuum thatexcelled at cleaning bare floors, keeping itsemissions Içw, and picking up pet hair. It alsrhad excellent airflow for tools,

A CR Best Buy, the Kttimore Progressive27514, at $300, is a very qood canistervacuum whose strengths were chiefly cieaning bare tioors, keeping its emissions tow.and picking up pet hair. Our anecdotal onlinruser reviews include model-specific durabilit.complaints that may not show up in ourtests or surveys. A numbei of those reviewsnoted such issues for this model, but ourfollow-up research revealed that those con-cerns did not track with our survey.;..

Another CR Best Buy, Ihe Hoover Wind-Tunnel S3670, $300, is a very qood canisteivacuum that excelled at cleaning bare floorsand keeping its emissions low. It was only faiifor handling.

The Hoover WindTunnel Bagiess S3765-040, $250, atso a CR Best Buy, is a very qoodcanister vacuum that excelled at cleaning barefloors. It also had excellent airflow for tools.Our anecdotal online user reviews Includemodel-specific durability complaints that maynot show up in our tests or surveys. A numberof those reviews noted such issues for thismodel, but our follow-up research revealed thaithose concerns did not track with our surveys.



Vacuums, can is te r

Fewerrepaie

Rainbow

20%

Rainbow and Dyson have been among the

more reliable brands of full-sized canister

vacuums. Kirbv and Dyson have been among

the more reliable brands of upright vacuums,

Electrolux, Hoover and Simplicity among

the less reliable. That's what we found when

we asked 156,000 readers who bought a

vacuum between 2 0 0 4 and 2 0 0 8 about

their experiences. The graph shows the

percentage of brands that needed a repair

or had a serious problem. (Belt replace-

ment isn't included because it's usually an

inexpensive fix.) Differences of less than

4 points aren't meaningful , and we've

Vacuums, upright

More

0% 5% m^ 1S% «Mb

adjusted the data to eliminate differences

linked solely to age and use of the vacuum.

Models within a brand may vary, and design

or manufacture changes may affect future

reliability. Still, choosing a brand with a

good repair history can improve your odds

of getting a reliable model,

Source: Annual Product Reliability Survey, ConsumerReports Nalional Research Center.

W A L L O V E N S 287

WALL OVENSElectric wall ovens are another appliance where price can have little to do with per-formance. While the lop-scoring Thermador is pricey, several models cooked nearlyas well tor hundreds tif.dollars less. Note that mosi wall ovens are available wilhstainless-steel trim {typically $100 to $3t)0 extra).

Brand&model Overall score Test results

small TvpfmoiM

o IDO

P I F I GlVfil I

i Î I

Kenmore (Sears) Elite 4804|31 Í2,1OO

GEProlllePT916fiUlBBl

ThermadOTMEJOlElSl

viking PrDiessional

0 M Prarile PT9Z5DNIBB1

fî Bosch HBIMNIUC

Electroiu« Icon E3OEW75EISS]IcantJULwnGlSÎ

0 GE JtP70SM[SS|

R Kenmore (Sears) Pro-liOOUl

GEUormgf,imZ£TlSll|SSlii

Q Frigidaire Gallery

GIEB10S9FÍS]

Kenmore (Sears) fl783[2]

KitchenAid SuperbaKEBSK)7S[SS|

Fisher A Paykel OS3O21SS]

PÎ> ri'pori, Plage Ai.

Ratings Key SExcellent ©Verv good OGood OFair •Poor

D CR Best Buy These models otter Ihe best combination ol performance and price. All are recommorHjed.l i i Recommended These are high-pertorming models thai stand out.


Guide to the RatingsOverall score reflects oven capacity and baking, broiling, and self-cleaning ability. (Self-cleaning ability ¡s not shown.) Ttie displayed score is out of a total of 100 points. Ovencapacity is our measurement of usabte space. Bakinq reflects whether cahes and cookiestjai<ed on two racks were evenly browned. Brolllnq is based on even browning of a panof burgers and hiqh-heat searing ability,


Top p«rforminq wall ovens:Till; Kenmore Elite 4804[3] , S2,100. andthp GE Profile PT925DN{eB], S2.300,have a slow-cook feature. Choose the Ken-more for its better tJaking and broiling, theGE for its dual ovens and its pizza setting:the GE's oven self-cíeanlnij-vías only fair.The Bosch HBL54[50IUC, $1,900. and the

Kenmare Pro 4100[3], $2,000, offer well'rounded performance.

Good wall ovens for less:Choose the GE JTP70SM(SS], $1,550, ifyou're willing lo givf up some bíiking even-ness, the Frigidaire Gallery 6LEB30S9FIS],S1,400. ff you don't mind a bit less capacity.


Wall ovens

G£

Kenmore

Tfiqidaire

Maytag

Whirlpoo!

KilchenAid

Oacof

Jenn-Ai[

Thermador

0% i% 10% 15% Z0% 25% 30%

Ttiermador, Jenn-Air, and Dacor have beenamong the most repair-prone brands of elec-tric wall oven. That's what we found when weasKed almost 26,000 readers who bougtil anelectric wall oven between 2003 and 2008about their experiences. The graph showsthe percentage of models (or each brandthat were repaired or had a serious prob-lem, Differences of less than 3 points aren'tmeaningful, and we've adjusted the data toelimínale differences linked solely lo the ageof the electric wall oven. Although we lackedsufficient historical data to include Wolt inthe chart, this brand has been repair-prone,according to our analysis. Similarly, Ihereappears to be little difference between gasand electric wall ovens, although we lackedenough data to analyze these differences bybrand. Models within a brand can vary, anddesign or manufacture changes miqht affectfuture reliat]ility. Still, choosing a brand with agood repair history can Improve your odds ofgetting a reliable model.

Source: Annual Product Relialjllity Survey, ConsumerReports National Researcn Centet.

W A S H E R S 289

WASHERSGreat washing isn't a given, especially in top-loaders, so check our washing-perfor-mance scores. Each improvement in energy-efliciency scares, from good to very g(M>d,for instance, cuts an average of $10 to $20 from your annual energy expenditllre^,More-efficient washers also extract more water from each load, shortening dryingtime, llie higher the capacity, the fewer loads you'll need to do. And the shorter thecycle time, the greater chance you can finish multiple loads in a day.


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Washer WM3001HIW1A ' ' ^ ^

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800

Bosch Nexxt 800 Sefies

Kenmore (Sears) HE3tSleam 4674121

Whirlpool Duet HTWFW9400SIWÍ

maytag 5000 SeriesMHWESOOVIW]Frigidaire AffinitvFAfW3577KiWl

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Samsung WF21&ANIWÍ

Bosdi Nexxi 500 PlusSeries WFMC544I01UCFrigidaire AffinityATf6000F[Sl

Maytag Epie ZMHWZ600T101KcnnHHï (Sears) HE2I4756111 HE2l.475:ilJ

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W A S H E R S 291

Brands model

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Price Overall score Test results

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non

1,000

1,000

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WTW6700T[Vií|Kenmore (Sears) EliteO,1SISHT28O8[II

Whirlpool Cabrio

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D tooP I F 1 G I VCl E

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Fisher &PavkeiIntuitive IWL16Haier EncoreGwn50A[W|Whirlpool WTW58OOS1W]

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S 800

550

Maytag MVWC6ES|W1

StaberHXW23Û4GEWHflE555ÛK(WWl

Maytag CentennialMVWC300V[W|Flsher & PaykelEcoSmari WA37TZ6Gmm»Maytag centennialUVWC500V[W]GEWhfDÍÍÍÍ418G[WWl(Home Depot)Kenmore (Sears)400 Sef ies 294212]

Estate ETW4400W(Oi

GEWLSR22OOJ1WWI

RoperRTW4440V[Cli

Kenmore (Sears)800 Series 2982(31

Whirlpool WTW57ESVÍW1

GEWWSË524O( [WW1

Kenmore (Sears)

500 Series 2952Í21

Hotpoint

VWSR4160G[WW)

GEWHDSH1O9J(WW1

Frigidaire FWS1233F[Sj

Whirlpool WTW53OOVIW]


600

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Ratings Key ©Dc«lient ©Very good OGood ©Fair •Poor

D CR Best Buy These moüels aller the best combinalion ol performance and price. Alt are recommendeü.

0 Recommended These are fitgh-performitig models that stand oui.

W A S H E R S 29;

Guide to the RatingsOverall score (or washers is based mainly on washing ability, efficiency, capacity, and noise.Ihe displayed score is out of a total of 100 points. Washini) performance reflects the degree cicolor change to swatches of f3bric that were included in an S-pound and maximum capacity te'load of mixed cotlon items using the machines' most aggressive normal cycle. (We do rol usespecial cycle or option buttons.) Energy etticlency is based on the energy needed to heat thewater for S-pound and maximum loads using a warm wash and cold rinse, the electricity needt'lo run the washer and energy needed for drying. Washers that extract more water are scoredhigher. Water elflclencv denotes how much water it took to wash our 8-pound load and eachFnachine's maximum load. On models that didn't set the IÍII level automatically, we used thelowest fill setting that sufficed tor the 8-pound load. We then calculated water used per poundQI clothing. For top-loaders, capacity is based on how well the washer agitates increasinglylarge loads. For front-loaders, the score is based on our judgment of the maximum-slïed loadthat the washer holds. Models that earned lower scores tor qentleness are more likely to treatvour clothes roughly, causing wear and tear. Noise refiects judgments by panelists during thefill, wash, and spin cycles. Vibration reflects usage on a suspended wooden floor. Cycle time{mtn.), rounded to the nearest five minutes, is the time it takes to complete the most aggressiv^normal cycle with our 8-pound load. (We do not use special cycle or option buttons,)


Front^loadingFor cleaninq ability and efficiency:GE WCVH6800J[WW], SSOO, CR Best Buy

• Overall, this washer was excellent.• Washing performance is very good.• Energy efficiency is excellent.• Water efficiency is excellent.• Capacity is excellent.• Gentleness is very good.• Noise is very good.• Vibration is just good.• Has a cycle time of 70 minutes.• Comes with a ! year warranty.

Friqidaire Gallery GLTF2940F(S], $650• Overall, this washer was vDiy good.• Washing performance is very good.• Energy efficiency is excellent.• Water efficiency is very good.• Capacity is very good.• Gentleness is very good.• Noise is very good.• Vibration is ¡ust good.• Has a cycle time of 65 minutes.• Comes with a 1 year warranty.

GE WBVH5300KÍWW], $700• Overall, this washer was very good.• Washing performance is very good.• Energy efficiency is excellent.• Water efficiency is excellent.• Capacity is excellent.• Gentleness is very good.• Noise is very good.• Vibration is just good.• Has a cycle time of 69 minutes,• Comes with a 1 year warranty.

For qentleness;LG WM2016CtWl, $800

• Overall, this washer was very good.• Washing performance is very good,• Energy efficiency is very good.• Water efficiency is exceilent.• Capacity is excellent.• Gentleness is excellent,• Noise is very good.• Vibration is just good.• Has a cycle time of 90 minutes.• Comes with a 1 year warranty.



For budqet-friendiv prices:Amana NFW7200T[W], S600

• Overall, this washer was very good.• Washing performance Is very good.• Energy efficiency is very good.• Water efficiency is excellent.• Capacity is excellent,• Gentleness is very good.• Noise is very good.• Vibration is ¡ust fair.• Has a cycle time of 85 minutes,• Comes with a 1 year warranty.

Top-loadingFor budqet-frlendly prices:

GE WJRE5500G[WW], S480. CR Best Buy• Overall, this washer was very good,• Washing performance is very good.• Energy efficiency is just good.• Capacity is very good.• Gentleness is just good.• Noise ts ¡ust good.• vibration is excellent.• Has a cycle time of 45 minutes.• Comes with a 1 year warranty.


Washers

•PWPtrepairs

Whirlpool i H I I H ^ m !Frigidaire ^ • • H H I

".enmore (Sears) • ^ ^ • ¡ ^ B

Maytag L^ggjjuimùFnFrai tieclric ^ H ^ H ^ I ^ I

1 '1Roper

Frigidaire

Kenmore (Sears)

General Electnc

Whirlpool

Maytag

Amana

Fisher & Paykei

<i

Morerepairs

D

—

.4

0% 10% 15% 20%

FRONT-LOAD WASH£f! TOP-IOAO WASHES

Amana and Fisher & Paykei have beenamong the repair-prone top-loading brands.That's what we found when we asked over100,000 readers who bought a washerbetween 20O4 and 2008 about their expe-riences. The graph shows the percentageof brands that needed a repair or had aserious problem. Differences of less than4 points aren't meaningful, and we've ad-justed the data to eliminate differenceslinked solely to age and use of the washer.Models within a brand may vary, and designor manufacture changes may affect futurereliability. Still, choosing a brand with agood repair history can improve your oddsof getting a reliable model.

Source: Annual Product Rellabilily Survey, ConsumerReports National Research Center.

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Consumer Reports BuyingGuide 2010 - All Product Ratings