Japanese cars rule in reliability

Mercury sole Big 3 brand in Consumer Reports' top 10

Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News

Japanese automakers once again dominated Consumer Reports' closely watched annual ratings of the best and most reliable cars and trucks, capturing all the slots on its "top picks" list for the first time ever.

The magazine, however, warned that most automakers' efforts to improve quality are losing steam.

"The progress that some of the manufacturers have been making seems to have stalled," said David Champion, senior director of the magazine's automotive test center in East Haddam, Conn., noting that even the Asian automakers are making less progress than in previous years.

That didn't stop Japan's Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. from leading the magazine's lists of predicted reliability, used car reliability and consumer satisfaction.

The annual April auto issue of Consumer Reports hits newsstands March 7. It is the magazine's most-read issue and is widely respected as one of the most influential automotive reports.

"We respect it as a voice of the customer," General Motors Corp. spokeswoman Janine Fruehan said. "We pay close attention to it."

While the latest report offered little good news for GM or other Detroit manufacturers, Ford Motor Co.'s Mercury brand did vault into the top 10 on the magazine's predicted reliability list, jumping to eighth place from 16th last year. Mazda Motor Corp., which is part of Ford's global empire, also climbed eight places to finish ninth in the ranking.

Infiniti, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.'s luxury brand, fared the worst in this year's reliability report, plummeting 20 places from eighth to 28th because of widespread problems with its QX56 luxury SUV. The magazine ranked the troubled SUV as the least reliable new vehicle on the market today. Porsche was the worst-rated brand. Chevrolet also fell sharply in this year's quality rankings.

Asian automakers also scored high in the used-car reliability ratings, which are based on subscriber feedback on more than 1 million cars and trucks.

Of the 69 cars and trucks Consumer Reports rated "good bets" for used car buyers, 59 carried Japanese nameplates, while just 8 were from domestic brands. Noticeably absent from that list were any products from the Chrysler Group, which includes the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands.

On the other end of the scale, American brands accounted for 22 of the 34 "bad bets" -- a list that included no Japanese models. Chevy had the most models on the list.

Japanese nameplates also scored highest in the magazine's annual consumer satisfaction survey, which asks subscribers if they would buy the same car or truck again, considering price, performance, comfort and reliability.

This year, 44 models earned the magazine's "most satisfying" rating, of which 31 bore Japanese marques. Of the 21 cars labeled "least satisfying," 14 had domestic nameplates.

The Toyota Prius hybrid was rated the most satisfying vehicle for the second year in a row, with the Chevrolet Corvette coming in a close second, followed by the V-8 version of the Ford Mustang in third. Other domestic models that received high marks from owners included the V-8 equipped Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Magnum. The Mini Cooper S was the highest-ranked European model.

In the competition for the magazine's "top picks" ratings, the new Honda Civic unseated the Ford Focus in the small sedan category, pushing the last American nameplate out of the winners' circle.

Anne Stevens, chief operating officer of Ford's Americas group, said she was disappointed to see the Focus eliminated from the list.

"A brand new vehicle with no track record displaced one with a solid track record," she said. "We're not satisfied with that. You're going to see some Fords in the top picks again."

U.S. automakers have never fared particularly well in Consumer Reports' rankings, prompting some critics to accuse the magazine of a bias against Detroit. "I would not say that," Stevens said. "The magazine is very reputable."

James Guest, president and CEO of Consumers Union, the nonprofit group that publishes Consumer Reports, said any suggestion the magazine's rankings are biased against U.S. automakers is baseless. "We've got only one standard and one interest: What's in the best interest of the consumer."

Champion said U.S. automakers are making progress on the quality front, but still have not caught up with the Japanese.

"Ford (is) doing better than GM or Chrysler," he said, but added that Ford is having problems with its new vehicle launches.

Stevens said improving quality is a central component of Ford's strategy for improving its North American operations.

"Launch quality is something that we have paid a lot of attention to," she said. "With every launch, we get better and better."

GM and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group blamed past quality issues for their latest showing in the report.

"We see a significant improvement trend in our new launches," Fruehan said. "We expect better ratings from CR in the future."

Chrysler spokesman Sam Locricchio said the company's efforts to improve quality are reflected in the high marks vehicles like the Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300 received in the magazine's consumer satisfaction survey. "The one's that are in the 'least satisfying' area are ones that are being phased-out or revamped," he said.

 

Sedan, less than $20,000
Honda Civic
Consumer Reports cited the Civic's roomy interior, comfortable ride, good handling and fuel economy. The magazine also points out the Civic's standard side curtain airbags and excellent crash test scores.

The Civic replaces last year's pick in the category, the Ford Focus.


Sedan, $20,000 - $30,000
Honda Accord
The hybrid Accord offers slightly better fuel economy and quicker acceleration, but regular 4-cylider and V-6 versions are just about as good, Consumer Reports says. The magazine also noted the Accord's comfort, roominess and handling.


Sedan, $30,000 - $40,000
Acura TL
Another Honda product, the Acura TL provides a "near ideal blend of comfort, convenience and sportiness," Consumer Reports says. It's a quick car that still gets fairly good fuel mileage, the magazine said, and the interior has good fit and finish.


Luxury sedan
Infiniti M35
Available in rear- or all-wheel-drive, the M35 offers a good balance of performance, comfort and handling, Consumer Reports says. It replaces last year's pick in this category, the Lexus LS430.


Fun to drive
Subaru Impreza WRX/STi
With the WRX and its high-performance STi version, you can have a blast behind the wheel with two more doors behind your back. The WRX is an inexpensive, fun sports car with the practicality of a small sedan, the magazine says.


Small SUV/SUV, less than $30,000
Subaru Forester
Honda just barely lost out in this category. The Honda CR-V was runner-up. The car-based Forester handles and rides well, Consumer Reports says.


Mid-sized SUV/SUV more than $30,000
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
The Highlander Hybrid has quick acceleration, a comfortable ride and a third-row seat. The Highlander Hybrid and the closely-related Lexus RX400h were the only SUVs to earn an overall "Excellent" score in Consumer Reports' testing. The magazine recommended the Honda Pilot as another good choice with a better third-row seat.


Minivan
Honda Odyssey
The Odyssey leads it class in agility, refinement and interior flexibility, Consumer Reports says. Electronic stability control and side curtain air bags are standard.


Green car
Toyota Prius
The Prius takes this category for the third year in a row. With a spacious interior and reasonable performance, the Prius is a good alternative to a mid-sized sedan, Consumer Reports says.


Pick-up truck
Honda Ridgeline
Redefining the pick-up truck, the car-based Ridgeline combines a comfortable ride and agile handling with good payload capacity, Consumer Reports says. There's even a weather-proof trunk hidden in the bed. The Toyota Tundra is another good choice for buyers who need a longer bed and more towing capacity.

 

Hmm some conflicting info with the J. D. Power's study notwithstanding, this is yet another great showing from the Japanese, Infiniti excepted of course.

Here's the link to the FoxNews article BTW:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186531,00.html

 

Questions I'm wondering:
- Why didn't the ES330 or IS250/350 beat the TL?
- Why didn't the GS300 beat the M35?

 

Because that list isn't just about reliability, but about the overall package, where cars with higher ratings in areas that the editors happen to value the most win.

You win some, you lose some. Just be sure to bring with you at all times the mags/reports that favor the car you drive in order to impress your passengers.

 

The most likely reason for Suzuki's newfound high reliability rating is the fact that it sells very few of its own products any more. The Reno, Verona, and Forenza are all three Korean-built by the Daewoo company and are based on Daewoo platforms ( one reason why they are such good values and offer a lot of car for the money ) ...and it is no secret that Korean vehicles in general have shown astounding improvents in quality and fit-and-finish in the last several years. The Grand Vitara is now a vehicle that is more or less a derivitive of the GM-designed platform that spins off the Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent, and Saturn VUE....but unlike them has a body-on-frame chassis. The econo-tinbox Suzuki-designed Swift ( which was a coffin in accidents ) is been gone for several years now. Of the U.S. market Suzukis, only the 3rd-row-seat-equipped XL-7 SUV and the quirky Aerio are still Suzuki designed-and-built....and the XL-7 will shortly be redesigned off a GM-dervied stretched Grand Vitara frame.

 

i remember when hyundais used to be absolute junk and unreliable, now they are immensely improved and their reliability and bang for the buck is increasing very fast

 

It's kind of a shame the reliabilty of a manufacturer can suffer so badly based on one vehicle. Porsche has always (as long as I can remember) been in the top 5 of just about every reliabilty article I've ever read, and they were ranked worst in this one almost entirely due to the Cayenne.