CR is for the GENERAL public who doesn't have too much knowledge of any particular field or interest. If you're going to buy a VCR, it would be easier to pick up a CR and read some reviews of that then buying a half dozen Audio/Video mags and finding out which is the best. They can't review ALL models out there, so they review as many as they can in a reasonable amount of details. Also, because they review so much stuff, sometimes there is an occasional error (lack of info, such as Kamiam original post about the 2 VCRs infact being identical, or digression from the mean - this is particularly likely since they only review/test one of each item).
Yup. I agree. Consumer Reports is a fairly reliable magazine. If I want to buy a kitchen appliance or a budget VCR, I'm sure as hell not going to read 10 different books on it to find out what's best. It's easier just to consult a consumer reports, because their reports are quite accurate.
And their automotive reports are quite reliable too. If you want to buy a Dodge Viper because it goes 0-60 in 4 seconds, then CR may not be for you, but if you want to find out about a convenient mini-van for long family drives, CR is the best source that you can consult. Most auto-mags focus only on the engine of the car and report on little else. If a large car has a ridiculously small trunk, Motor Trend, C&D, and R&T aren't going to tell you that, but CR will.
I've also found Consumer Reports hotel ratings to be quite reliable.