Vehicles from Asian automakers including Acura, Honda and Toyota are predicted by US consumers to be the most reliable and safe, according to a recent Consumer Reports survey.
Toyota Models Top 5 Categories
Despite recent safety recalls, Toyota models, including those from Scion and Lexus, remained among the most reliable and earned top scores in five vehicle categories: small cars (Yaris), midsized SUVs (FJ Cruiser), luxury SUVs (Lexus LX), minivans (Sienna V6, FWD), and full-size pickups (Tundra V6).
Only the all-wheel-drive Lexus GS and the new Lexus IS 250 convertible are below average. The redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius, hurt by antilock brake problems on early vehicles, scored only average, a significant drop from previous years.
Honda, Acura, Porsche among Other Top Brands
Honda and Acura are among the top four brands along with Porsche and Scion, with their models topping five vehicle categories: upscale cars (Acura TL, FWD), luxury cars (Acura RL), small SUVs (CR-V), upscale compact SUVs (Acura RDX) and compact pickups (Ridgeline). Problems with rear brake pads helped drop the four-cylinder Accord and Acura TSX to average.
Hyundai and Kia continued to do well, with only one model, the Kia Sedona minivan, rated below average. All six new models for 2010 (Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Sonata, and Tucson; Kia Forte, Sorento, and Soul) had average or better reliability, which Consumer Reports terms an impressive first-year showing.
Nissan’s mainstream models scored well. The Altima and Maxima sedans; the Murano and Pathfinder SUVs all rated average or better in predicted reliability. The Titan had shown improvement in the last year or two, but both 2WD and 4WD versions have once again dropped to below average reliability. The small Nissan Cube had a below average score in its first appearance in Consumer Reports survey. The Infiniti models were all average or better.
Subaru had a good record overall, with a top rating going to the four-cylinder Legacy sedan and the non-turbo version of the Forester SUV. The WRX was the only model that rated below average.
GM Leading US Brand
While some GM nameplates had been among the least reliable brands in past years, they now rank above some major European competitors such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Two factors are aiding GM’s reliability improvements, according to Consumer Reports analysis.
First, GM’s recent introductions, such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Equinox, Buick LaCrosse V6 (FWD), and Cadillac SRX, are proving reliable from the time they were launched. In addition, GM shed many models with subpar reliability when it shut down the Saturn, Pontiac, and Hummer brands. Even some older models, such as the Chevrolet Avalanche, Corvette, and Suburban have improved to average.
Across GM brands (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC), 69% of models had average or better reliability. Cadillac improved the most, rising seven places from last year’s ranking. Chevrolet had its best showing in years; 83% of models had average or better scores in predicted reliability, up from 50%.
Ford, Chrysler Travel Different Roads
Ninety percent of Fords, including Lincoln models, have at least average reliability. As a brand, Ford now outranks Mazda and Nissan and ranks just below Lexus. Consumer Reports says the Ford quality renaissance has been led by the Fusion, a design that has been very reliable since its debut five years ago. Ford vehicles are tops for reliability in two categories: family cars (Fusion Hybrid) and large SUVs (Ford Flex EcoBoost).
In contrast, 12 of the 20 Chrysler models covered rate below average in reliability. None of Chrysler Corporation’s models score above average.
Audi, BMW, Benz Score Low in Reliability
Looking at European brands, all Porsche and Volvo models are rated average or better. But Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are among the worst automakers overall in terms of reliability.
BMW had a bad year, with five of its 11 models scoring below average. While the BMW M3 topped the sporty cars category, the 1-, 3-, and 5-Series models with the 3.0-liter turbocharged (N54) engine had high problem rates related to the fuel system, among other gripes.
Six of Mercedes-Benz’s 13 models were below average, and the GLK SUV was far below average. However, the redesigned E350 sedan was above average.
Nearly three-quarters of the Audi models Consumer Reports analyzed were below average. The A6 with the new supercharged 3.0-liter V6 was tied with the Jaguar XF for the worst new car prediction score. Volkswagen did better, with its Golf, formerly the Rabbit, doing very well and the various Jetta models scoring average or better.
The Porsche Boxster has the best predicted reliability score in the survey, while the Audi A6 3.0T and Jaguar XF have the worst.
Treatment Trumps Price for New Vehicle Buyers
The manner in which customers are treated by the dealership is more important to overall new vehicle buyer satisfaction than the actual transaction price, according to a recent J.D. Power and Associates study.
The study finds that more than half (52%) of new vehicle buyers cite dealer treatment as a reason to purchase their new vehicle from a specific dealer. In comparison, 38% of buyers cite vehicle price or the deal offered as the reason for selecting their dealer.
Furthermore, once the dealer is selected, the ease of coming to an agreement on the final vehicle price has the single-greatest influence on buyer satisfaction, surpassing the importance of fairness of the actual price paid. With the exception of selecting a vehicle, negotiating the deal is the aspect of the new-vehicle buying process that takes the longest time (53 minutes, on average).
About the Data: The survey was conducted online in spring 2010 by Consumer Reports’ National Survey Research Center among subscribers and covered 1.3 million vehicles owned or leased by subscribers of model years 2001 to 2010.
