Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Lexus, Mazda and Subaru top Consumer Reports Brand Report Cards

A revised methodology in devising its annual Car Brand Report Cards has seen Consumer Reports award Lexus its top overall ranking for 2013. For the first time ever, the institute broke out individual brands from their larger corporate umbrellas, meaning car makers like Lexus and Scion were judged independently from parent company Toyota. That strategy worked out well for Lexus, as the luxury brand earned a top report card score of 79 for the 2013 model year.

The institute has recommended every one of the Lexus models it has tested to date, and said that the company's products won out thanks to "a foundation of plush and very reliable vehicles."

Meanwhile, Mazda and Subaru tied for the second-highest scoring report cars, with scores of 76. Subaru earned praised for sporting models like the BRZ, which CR testers apparently had a lot of fun driving (naturally), while the Mazda products were lauded for their blend of practicality, sportiness and efficiency. Both of the Japanese brands offered good handling, fuel economy and versatility, said Consumer Reports.

Acura and Toyota rounded out the top five with twin scores of 74 points. A full eight out of the top ten best brands were Japanese companies, with Audi (eighth place) and Mercedes-Benz (tenth place) the only European companies with high-ranking scores. CR noted that those Euro brands were inconsistent this year, with Volkswagen losing ground and Mini doing the worst overall of the European brands, at 20 out of 26 overall.

Domestic automakers didn't do particularly well, either. Cadillac was at the tops of the General Motors portfolio, but was still held back by just average reliability and no love at CR for "complicated CUE controls," a complaint we've heard before. Ford and Lincoln were also dinged for their infotainment systems and reliability, as well as for EcoBoost engines that didn't deliver on promised fuel economy ratings. Chrysler brands were the worst off, however, with just the Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 and Chrysler 300 V6 being recommended by the publication.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/02/26/l...-brand-report/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

mmarshall

I'm a Subaru fan myself, and have had a high opinion of their products for some years (still do, in some ways, but not quite as much as before). I also have a generally high opinion of CR itself, but I honestly think that they have given Subie too much of a break in the last couple of years, and not called them out enough on the recent cheapening of their products. They did, however, even with Lexus in the overall #1 position, call Lexus out on the recent cheapening and stiffening of the new ES350 when they reviewed it. And, boy, did they (correctly, IMO) call out last year's Civic.

LexBob2

My recent ownership matches CR's findings. I had a 2007 and 2010 ES350 and over the 6 years of owning both, I never had to go back to the dealer for any warranty or service bulletin work.

The '07 had to go in for the questionable floor mat recall and that was it.

I currently have a 2011 Mazda3. Same scenario after two years. It's been problem free.

I recently bought a 2013 Audi - Fingers crossed.

mmarshall

Congratulations. Audis aren't quite up to Lexus-reliability levels yet, but are generally improving.

What Audi did you get?...... the A4? That's generally their most reliable model.

ydooby

Seems that Lexus wins at being better rounded, while some brands (Acura, Audi and Mercedes-Benz to be specific) that earn better average test scores than Lexus does lose out due to lower reliability. Sames goes for Toyota, which actually gets beaten by all of its non-American rivals in average test scores but still manages to get placed #4 overall due to much superior reliability.
http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoram...190158202.html

GS69

Japanese Brands Continue to Dominate Consumer Reports Rankings

Japanese brands, led by Lexus, Subaru and Mazda, continue to dominate Consumer Reports' rankings of the best light vehicles on the market, claiming "top pick" honors in 7 out of 10 product segments and capturing the top 7 spots for overall brand reliability and performance.

The brands that scored best on the magazine's report cards for 2013 were Lexus, with a score of 79 out of 100, followed by Subaru and Mazda, which both scored a 76. Toyota, Acura, Honda and Scion rounded out the top 7.

Toyota Motor Corp. landed 3 of the 7 top spots with its Lexus, Toyota and Scion brands.

For the 1st time in several years, Detroit automakers did not claim the top spot in any vehicle segment, continuing their longstanding struggles in the magazine's rankings.

Consumer Reports, an influential shopping guide with 8 million magazine subscribers, said the 6 lowest-rated brands were Buick, Chrysler, Ford, Lincoln, Jeep and Dodge.

Dodge, the last-place brand, received a score of 46.

"Overall, we recommend fewer than half of the domestic models we've tested, and most of the [recommended models] come from Chevy and GMC," the magazine says in its April 2013 auto issue.

U.S. brands are also hurt by older models, subpar reliability and new technology such as Ford's MyTouch infotainment system, the magazine said.

Consumer Reports released the results of its 2013 auto study today during an event in Washington.

For 2013, the magazine ranked individual brands rather than calculating a single score for each automaker, based on brands, as it has done in the past. Last year, the magazine's top picks among automakers were Subaru, Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Volvo, Hyundai, BMW, Volkswagen and Ford.

Cadillac highest Detroit brand

Cadillac -- ranked 14th with a score of 62 -- was the top-scoring domestic brand in the 2013 study. Buick earned a higher test score than Cadillac but suffered from weak reliability, notably with the Verano and LaCrosse, the magazine said.

Among Japanese brands, Honda staged a comeback in the rankings for 2013 models. 3 of Honda's vehicles took top honors, up from 0 last year. Honda's winners were the redesigned Accord, which unseated the Toyota Camry Hybrid in the mid-sized sedan category; the CR-V, which replaced the Toyota RAV4 as Consumer Reports' top pick among small SUVs; and the Odyssey minivan, which ranked 1st in its segment.

"For the last several years, Honda has let themselves go a little bit, resting on their laurels," Jake Fisher, head of automotive testing at Consumer Reports, said during an interview with Automotive News on Tuesday. Cabin quietness, steering feel and interior quality had gotten worse, he said, but Honda "turned" itself "around with the Accord, which was much better than the outgoing model."

Consumer Reports has not tested the redesigned Toyota RAV4 or Subaru Forester to compare with the CR-V, Fisher noted.

The magazine said Honda continues to be dragged down by the low-scoring Insight and CR-Z hybrids.

Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Ram and Smart are not included in the 2013 study because the magazine lacked sufficient reliability and test data for at least three models from each brand.

European brands -- ranked mostly in the middle of the study -- are differentiated more by reliability than test scores, with Audi and Mercedes-Benz cracking the top 10, the magazine said.

2 measures

Consumer Reports ranks cars and light trucks on 2 measures: performance, which is scored during road testing at the magazine's proving grounds in Connecticut, and reliability, which is scored based on feedback from subscribers who own the cars.

The magazine starts by driving a car for about 2,000 miles to wear it in. It then conducts about 50 tests, covering performance in areas such as handling and braking. The entire testing process requires about 5,000 miles of driving over several weeks, the magazine says.

Pickup trucks, a segment in which American cars have historically dominated the Consumer Reports rankings as well as the marketplace, were not rated this year because the magazine has not yet tested the updated Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, 3 chief competitors in the segment.

Toyota topped the Family SUV category with the Highlander, while its Prius won the green-car title for the 10th consecutive year. The Scion FR-S and Subaru BR-Z, co-developed by Toyota and Subaru, shared sports-car honors, replacing the Ford Mustang, last year's top pick.

In the sports-sedan segment, the redesigned BMW 328i claimed top honors, unseating the Infiniti G37, which Consumer Reports had previously named its top pick 6 years running.

This year's list of top picks included the 1st appearance in a decade by German rivals Audi and BMW. Audi won top honors in the luxury-car category with the A6 sedan.

The winners:

Mid-sized sedan: Honda Accord

Sports car: Scion FR-S and Subaru BR-Z

Budget car: Hyundai Elantra

Green car: Toyota Prius

Compact car: Subaru Impreza

Luxury car: Audi A6

Family SUV: Toyota Highlander

Minivan: Honda Odyssey

Small SUV: Honda CR-V

Sports sedan: BMW 328i

The magazine did not select a best overall vehicle or a top pick among family haulers or pickup trucks for 2013.

PHP Code:

     Overall score    Average road-test score    Recommended vehicles
Lexus    79    80    100%
Subaru    76    80    90%
Mazda    76    77    89%
Toyota    74    71    73%
Acura    74    82    100%
Honda    72    73    79%
Scion    72    61    67%
Audi    70    81    75%
Infiniti    70    80    75%
Mercedes-Benz    69    82    57%
Kia    65    73    91%
BMW    64    79    56%
Nissan    64    71    59%
Cadillac    63    72    20%
Hyundai    63    77    67%
Volkswagen    62    77    63%
GMC    58    66    57%
Chevrolet    58    67    55%
Volvo    58    70    50%
Mini    56    72    20%
Buick    54    76    40%
Chrysler    52    73    25%
Ford    51    73    20%
Lincoln    50    63    33%
Jeep    47    52    20%
Dodge    46    64    22% 


MikeLex

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013...it_ws_20130226

Joey-E

iTrader: (1)

Those are my fav top 3 car make choices.

GS69

The Disappointing Dozen:
Cars that Fail Our Tests

The Consumer Reports Annual Autos Issue is a great resource for researching the best cars. Flip through the magazine or tour the website, and it is clear there are many great choices. However, just as there are many good cars available, there are also many that fail miserably. These vehicles fall way below our threshold to be recommended. Take a look at our dirty dozen—the cars Consumer Reports has recently tested with the lowest test scores.

In perusing these models, you'll find a wide range of car types, counting small cars, sedans, SUVs, and pickups. Likewise, there are several brands represented, with Jeep and Toyota each appearing 3 times. Our criticisms of these vehicles are often similar, with common shortcomings being poor ride, sloppy handling, tepid acceleration, too much engine noise, and an uncomfortable driving position. Sure, these models may be better than the old junker you're looking to trade in, but they do not hold up against the latest competition. Simply stated: There are many better vehicles available for comparable prices.

We understand that many people buy these vehicles, and others, even though they don't meet our criteria to be recommended. To reach that pinnacle, cars must do well in our tests, attain average-or-better predicted reliability, and must not have failed any government and/or insurance industry crash tests.

Below, we present this year's dirty dozen with accompanying highlights where they came up short.

PHP Code:

Make & model     Test score     Low points
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara     20     Ride, handling, braking, wind noise, access, driving position, seat comfort, fit and finish, visibility, fuel economy, reliability.
Smart ForTwo Passion     28     Transmission, acceleration, ride, agility, noise, seats only two, premium fuel.
Scion iQ     29     Ride, noise, acceleration, steering, driving position, fit and finish, radio controls, blind spots, tiny rear seat.
Mitsubishi i SE     34     Short range, long charging time, weak cabin heat, Spartan accommodations, acceleration, ride, agility, seats only four, complicated radio, headlights.
Chevrolet Spark 1LT     34     Acceleration, transmission, ride, noise, front-seat comfort, driving position, controls.
Toyota FJ Cruiser     36     Visibility, ride, handling, noise, fuel economy, fit and finish, access.
Toyota Yaris LE     41     Noise, ride, agility, driving position, front-seat comfort, fit and finish, radio controls, rear visibility.
Dodge Avenger SXT (4-cyl.)     43     Engine noise, acceleration, braking, handling, rear visibility, transmission, driving position, fuel economy.
Jeep Compass Latitude     49     Engine noise, acceleration, driving position, front-seat comfort, rear visibility, cornering limits, braking, reliability.
Ram 2500 Laramie (6.7L, inline 6)     49     Ride, noise, handling, transmission, high step-in, complicated optional radio, reliability.
Toyota Tacoma (V6)     50     Ride, handling, driving position, high step-in, low rear seat.
Jeep Patriot Latitude     52     Engine noise, acceleration, driving position, front-seat comfort, complicated optional radio. 


Our mission is to help our subscribers make informed purchase decisions, whatever they may be. Many of these models have versatile utility, an eye-catching design, or are novel in other ways-tough to argue with the popularity and iconic looks of the Wrangler. Personality often goes a long way, as well. If you are interested in a car that performs poorly in our tests, take special care with the test drive and make sure you can live with the cited flaws before you purchase. Otherwise, don't say we didn't warn you.

To find the best vehicle for your needs, see our car Ratings. Plus, check out the special auto issue section with our Top Picks, best and worst lists, car brand report cards and more.

GS69

Japanese Stay Atop Consumer Reports Rankings as Detroit Struggles

Detroit has come clawing back from the brink with award-winning products, but Japanese and luxury brands still have the best lineups of cars and light trucks in the industry, the editors of the influential shopping guide Consumer Reports say.

Japanese automakers captured 7 of the top 10 ranked brands rated for overall reliability and road-test performance in tests conducted by the magazine; the top-ranked Detroit brands -- Buick and GMC -- tied to rank 12th, and 5 Detroit brands rounded out the bottom 5.

Consumer Reports' top-rated brand was again Lexus. Toyota Motor Corp.'s luxury brand received a score of 79 out of 100, the same as last year, for a car and SUV lineup the magazine deemed "quiet, plush, and very reliable" -- though less engaging to drive than those of some rivals.

Among the top 10 brands, Lexus was followed by Acura, Audi, Subaru and Toyota (tied for 4th place), Mazda, Honda, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz and BMW and Volvo (tied for 10th place).

The biggest gainer in the rankings, Audi, surged from 8th place in 2013 to 3rd place this year, thanks to a lineup that received the top score on road tests and showed signs of improved reliability. The German luxury brand's score of 74 fell behind only Lexus and Acura -- which scored a 75, a point better than last year.

"Audi has been making very impressive vehicles, but what's really impressive about them is: They're reliable too," said Jake Fisher, director of auto testing for Consumer Reports.

The magazine, which tests cars in Connecticut and has 8 million magazine subscribers, released the results of its 2014 "report card" at an event today in Washington.

Overall brand scores are a composite of the average road-test score for each model tested by the magazine, as well as each brand's average predicted-reliability score for models tested, based on the problems reported by subscribers in Consumer Reports' annual auto survey.

Detroit's woes

All Detroit 3 brands ranked from middling to subpar. The score given to Cadillac, last year's top-ranked Motor City marque, plunged from 63 last year to 54, largely due to electronic controls that Consumer Reports found confusing.

Buick, GMC and Chrysler, ranked 14th with a score of 62, rated best among the Detroit brands, ahead of mass-market rivals Kia, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Nissan, but shy of Subaru, Toyota, Mazda and Honda.

Dodge, the last-place brand in 2013, moved up in the rankings thanks to a redesigned Durango SUV that the magazine deemed "excellent," if unproven, and decent reliability scores for the Dodge Dart compact sedan.

Coming in last were Ford and Jeep, which both scored a 50.

Consumer Reports said Ford's struggles were due to lingering complaints about the MyFord Touch infotainment system, and Jeep's were attributed to a "crude and outdated" lineup. Though the Jeep Grand Cherokee did well on the track, the magazine dinged its weak reliability scores and said the new Cherokee "isn't that competitive."

Fisher said the Detroit 3 are "going the right way" with more recent products like the Chevrolet Impala, which the magazine says is the best large sedan on the market, based on road tests.

"If GM had a whole lineup of Impalas," Fisher said, "they'd be right on top, quite honestly."

But Fisher called Ford a "sad story."

"The Ford Fusion, not only does it look, but it drives like a good European sports car. It really does," Fisher said. "The problem is the reliability, and that's what's dragging down that brand."

Consumer Reports did not rank Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mini, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Ram, Scion, Smart and Tesla because it had too few recently tested models from those brands to assess.

But 2 of those brands -- Ram and Tesla -- received high marks for key models in what the magazine calls its top picks in 10 key segments.

Plaudits for Ram, Tesla

Chrysler Group's redesigned Ram 1500 was rated the best pickup on the market, with a quiet cabin and smooth ride that Consumer Reports says makes the truck "surprisingly refined and inviting."

The magazine rated the new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra slightly higher than the Ram on road tests, but said today it lacks enough data on the reliability of the 2 GM models to justify naming either of them the best in the segment.

It is the 1st time in 16 years that Chrysler Group has cracked the top picks list, which historically has been dominated by Japanese brands such as Toyota and Honda. Japanese brands have won more than 70% of the spots in the magazine's "top pick" rankings since 1997, including 7 of 10 segments last year.

They won 5 of 10 this year. Honda and Subaru were the only brands to win more than 1 segment, receiving 2 "top picks" honors apiece.

"There was a time when a handful of brands dominated our Top Picks list, but in recent years we've seen a more diverse group make the cut," Rik Paul, automotive editor at Consumer Reports, said in a statement.

Also included in that diverse group is Tesla, which had its Model S sedan rated best vehicle overall. Consumer Reports has praised the Model S since its launch in late 2012, giving it the magazine's best ever score: 99 out of 100.

The other newcomers to the list of Top Picks were the Hyundai Santa Fe, which replaced the Toyota Highlander atop the magazine's mid-sized SUV segment, and the Subaru Forester, which replaced the Honda CR-V atop the small SUV segment.

Overall score Average road-test score Recommended vehicles
Lexus 79 77 78%
Acura 75 79 83%
Audi 74 83 50%
Subaru 72 80 78%
Toyota 72 71 62%
Mazda 71 77 70%
Honda 70 73 57%
Infiniti 69 80 63%
Mercedes-Benz 68 81 50%
BMW 66 78 67%
Volvo 66 71 60%
Buick 63 74 67%
GMC 63 73 25%
Chrysler 62 80 67%
Kia 61 76 30%
Hyundai 60 76 50%
Volkswagen 59 77 46%
Nissan 59 70 28%
Chevrolet 56 70 28%
Cadillac 54 73 25%
Dodge 53 69 0%
Ford 50 73 27%
Jeep 50 54 0%

Source: Consumer Reports

Segment-by-segment winners
Overall: Tesla Model S
Compact car: Subaru Impreza
Mid-sized sedan: Honda Accord (4-cylinder)
Small SUV: Subaru Forester
Mid-sized SUV: Hyundai Santa Fe
Pickup truck: Ram 1500
Minivan: Honda Odyssey
Green car: Toyota Prius
Luxury car: Audi A6
Sports sedan: BMW 328i

mmarshall

Sometimes you have to look at individual vehicles, though, rather than just a brand's overall average. Chevy, for example, in terms of its average road-test score, ranks near the bottom, but the superb new 2014 Impala got a 95 out of 100 on its road test....yes, from Consumer Reports itself.

spwolf

it means they have one good car out of 30, hence them being bottom.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Lexus once again proving its stereotype for excellence

ISF350

Nissan/Infinity Corp. is falling behind Mazda & Subaru lately !