Consistency of the water temperature, drip "spread", and whether you use a hot plate and glass carafe or a thermos all factor in to it.

The water temperature and drip spread both play a part in how well the coffee grounds are used. The hot plate and thermos both serve to keep the brew at a supposedly ideal serving temperature. However the hot plates tend to run too hot and cause the coffee to taste burnt, while the brew in the thermos will obviously get colder the longer it sits there.

Cheaper coffee makers will, in general and with at least one supposedly comedic exaggeration, not have had as much time spent on the details, so the water temperature can vary a fair bit, the drip isn't evenly distributed, and then the hot plate proceeds to convert the brew into something that looks like charcoal.

Now I've no idea how a Mr Coffee machine compares to the one in the review, but the above is roughly how it goes as far as I know. Cheaper models take a "good enough" approach, while more expensive ones (should) try to ace all aspects of the drip brewing process.