• by Karl Greenberg , January 4, 2011

Consumer Reports has some dour news for Ford's Edge and sibling Lincoln MKX. Same story for Chevrolet Tahoe. The brands all scored too low to get a "Recommended" rating from the magazine. For the February issue, the company tested six midsized, midsized luxury, and large luxury SUVs.

The Yonkers, N.Y.-based company's ratings of vehicles are critical because people regard them highly as objective information. That is partly because, unlike buff books, Consumer Reports buys its test vehicles from dealerships, just like the average Joe.

Other vehicles under the microscope were Infiniti QX56, a V8 version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the Porsche Cayenne, which Consumer Reports said performed well. However, they also won't get a "Recommend" rating because, according to the magazine, they are too new for the report to have "adequate reliability data.

Consumer Reports says it only recommends vehicles that have done well in its tests, have at least average predicted reliability based on its proprietary survey of its seven million print and Web subscribers, and performed "at least adequately" if crash-tested or included in a government rollover test.

The company says it chose the test vehicles because of product changes: the Porsche Cayenne and Infiniti QX56 were both top-to-bottom 2011 model-year redesigns. The Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX got major face-lifts. And Consumer Reports says since its last test of the Tahoe, the vehicle has a six-speed transmission. The magazine said it tested the V8 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo because the V6 version performed poorly in its emergency handling tests. The magazine said the V8 is a vast improvement, with good handling, quiet interior, good shifting and braking.

The magazine also reviewed the MyFord/MyLincoln Touch system, which lets the vehicle's user operate radio, climate control, and navigation systems, interface with cell phones and portable music players via video touch screen or voice command, and also personalize the vehicle's virtual gauges. Consumer Reports said the system is too complicated and distracting to drivers.