Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

After reading reviews and seeing several that claimed these radios weren't as good as the previous model I thought it was simple nostalgia, I purchased a pair of these to replace an aging set of motorola talkabout radios (12 mile rating) that were more than 15 years old. It was cheaper than buying new batteries and going by Motorolas claims, at least a 23 mile increase in range. They are reasonable in size and appear sturdy. They offer nice features and far more security codes than I thought possible. I am familar with FRS/GMRS radios and their true limitations. In reality if you get 2 miles in varied terrain you are doing something special. I didn't expect a miraculous increase in range but was hoping for a little better clarity fromthese radios. From the beginning one of the radios would never indicate a full charge. Not a deal breaker but problematic. Upon testing the radios the range and clarity is horrible. I took them out onto a flat straight roadway and anything over .25 miles was scratchy and communication was impossible before you got .5 miles apart. To verify the test, I took the old radios and they performed just fine well past .5 miles. Side by side comparison with the old radios and the issues with charging were enough that I returned the radios and did not request an exchange but a refund. Is it possible that I just had a bad pair? Anything is possible. But the fact that both neither transmitted or recieved as well as a pair that are more than 15 years old say a lot. I can't in good conscious recommend these for use in the back country and motorsports. It's simply not a risk I am willing to take. They might be a decent radio for children play with on FRS. They are definately not what they are protrayed to be.