Yamaha Response to Car and Driver SxS Vehicle Review
by Jon Crowley on 24/08/10 at 8:53 pm
Yamaha Rhino
Safety and responsible use of our products are our top priorities at Yamaha, and we are greatly concerned in the manner in which Car and Driver conducted its limited evaluation of SxS vehicles.
The vehicles evaluated by Car and Driver have a wide range of use and capabilities – from pure utility functions to pure sport. Instead of reviewing the performance of each individual vehicle based on its intended reasonable use, the editors “tested” each vehicle by racing them all in the same way – in an irresponsible manner around a home made race track – to compete for the highest top speed, fastest acceleration and fastest lap times.
Car and Driver editors intentionally pushed the Rhino beyond reasonable, common sense, and recommended use for the ordinary consumer. We do not encourage responsible users who are safety conscious to drive these vehicles at top speed and fastest accelerations possible around a home-made race track or to perform jumps.
Yamaha notified Car and Driver of our concerns about how these vehicles were evaluated and portrayed in their article. Yamaha also offered Car and Driver information about the status of several of the lawsuits (referenced in the story). The editors refused to include any mention of Yamaha’s safety recommendations and ignored the many legal cases that have been dismissed or won by Yamaha. To date, no jury in the United States has found the handling or stability of the Rhino to be defective as alleged by plaintiff lawyers, and since last month three juries in California and Alabama have returned three complete defense verdicts in cases involving the Rhino – all in Yamaha’s favor. The Rhino is a safe and useful off-road vehicle when driven responsibly. Drivers and passengers should wear helmets, protective gear including over-the-ankle foot wear, the vehicle’s three-point seat belts at all times and should refrain from potentially reckless behavior such as racing and jumping the Rhino.
Yamaha’s top priority is the safety of our customers, and we pride ourselves in the safety and quality of our products. More than 150,000 Rhino owners have used the vehicles safely, including the U.S. military, border patrol, and a growing number of law enforcement agencies, firefighters and other first responders. The Rhino has won virtually every “first in class” award and top safety ratings in independent reviews since its introduction.
More background and accurate information, including lawsuits recently dismissed or won by Yamaha, can be found at www.TruthAboutRhino.com
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