CR has two major advantages
CR has two major advantages over every other car test/review magazine out there:
1) they use scientific methods that are as closely tuned to reality as possible;
2) they buy their cars and aren't beholden to advertising or other possible sources of influence - most magazines/websites at least have a "don't talk too bad about them so we don't piss them off and stop getting cars" policy.
That, for me, means they're more reliable than others. I suspect you don't like their computer reviews because they don't pander to Apple. ;)