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Saturday, April 16, 2011
Paying more for a new car doesn't guarantee better reliability. As a group, inexpensive small cars and midsized family sedans are the most reliable. That's one of the findings of our 2009 Annual Auto Survey, based on our subscribers' experiences with 1.4 million vehicles.
Small cars stand out. Twenty of 37 small cars have above-average predicted-reliability scores. Family cars fare nearly as well, with 21 out of 41 scoring above average.
Other interesting findings from the survey include the following:
High: Honda Insight
In its first year, the Honda Insight had the
Small cars stand out. Twenty of 37 small cars have above-average predicted-reliability scores. Family cars fare nearly as well, with 21 out of 41 scoring above average.
Other interesting findings from the survey include the following:
- A wide gulf separates the best from the worst. The least reliable vehicle, the Volkswagen Touareg, is 27 times more likely to have a problem than the most reliable car, the Honda Insight.
- Ford is tops among the domestic automakers. The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan once again beat the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The upscale Lincoln MKZ beat its rivals, the Acura TL and Lexus ES.
- Even good brands falter. Among the least reliable in their respective classes are the all-wheel-drive Lexus GS, the Nissan Versa sedan, and the Subaru Impreza WRX.
- Five of the eight most reliable family cars are hybrids.
Ford still leads the domestics
Ford consolidated its position as the only Detroit automaker with world-class reliability. The Fusion and Milan led the charge; four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive V6, and hybrid versions got top marks.
Of the 51 Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln products that we surveyed, 46, or about 90 percent, were average or better, including the new Ford Flex SUV. But the Lincoln division had mixed results; some models scored below their Ford equivalents. All-wheel-drive versions of the Lincoln MKS, MKX, and MKZ, essentially high-end versions of the Ford Taurus, Edge, and Fusion, were all below average.
Following its bankruptcy filing and shedding the Hummer, Pontiac, and Saturn brands, GM now consists of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC. Of the 48 models we surveyed from those brands, 20 had average scores, and only one, the Malibu V6 sedan, was better than average.
Some newer GM products were bright spots. Besides the Malibu, the Buick Lucerne also did well in our road tests, and it scored average in reliability. The Chevrolet Traverse SUV also made the cut, as did its cousin, the Buick Enclave, but only in the all-wheel-drive version. The Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 pickups, two good performers, earned our recommendation as well. GM has a number of strong contenders either just released or in the pipeline, but we won't have reliability data on them for a while.
We recommend the Pontiac Vibe and the V8 version of the Pontiac G8, as well as the Saturn Aura, which have average or better reliability. Some of those cars can still be found on dealer lots.
In last year's survey we couldn't recommend any Chrysler products, either because of mediocre performance, poor reliability, or both. Now there is one: the four-wheel-drive version of the Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, which was redesigned for 2009. It did well in our road tests and rated average in reliability. Still, more than one-third of Chrysler products were much worse than average, including its new car-based SUV, the Dodge Journey.
In its first year, the Honda Insight had the
best new car reliability in our survey,
but scored too low in our testing to be
recommended.
Asian brands still dominate
In its first year, the Honda Insight had the best new car reliability in our survey, but scored too low in our testing to be recommended. The major Japanese brands and South Korea's Hyundai and Kia make plenty of reliable vehicles. Of the 48 models with top reliability scores, 36 were Asian. Toyota accounted for 18; Honda, eight; Nissan, four; and Hyundai/Kia and Subaru, three each.
In its first year, the Honda Insight had the best new car reliability in our survey, but scored too low in our testing to be recommended. The major Japanese brands and South Korea's Hyundai and Kia make plenty of reliable vehicles. Of the 48 models with top reliability scores, 36 were Asian. Toyota accounted for 18; Honda, eight; Nissan, four; and Hyundai/Kia and Subaru, three each.
On the whole, Japanese vehicles are consistently good. All Hondas and Acuras were average or above. Toyota, with its Lexus and Scion brands providing a broader product range, had just one vehicle that was below average in reliability, the Lexus GS AWD.
The Nissan and its Infiniti luxury division have been mostly very good despite lapses such as the subpar Nissan Quest minivan. The once problematic Infiniti QX56 and Nissan Armada SUVs are now average, and the same goes for the 4WD Nissan Titan pickup, although its RWD version is still troublesome. Over the last two surveys, the Nissan Versa hatchback has been average while the sedan has been far below average-an oddity.
Subaru has been a very reliable brand, but this year the turbocharged Impreza WRX turned up with a worse-than-average reliability score even though other versions of the Impreza have been average or better, as were all other Subarus.
Hyundai and Kia continue to make reliable cars. The Hyundai Elantra and Tucson, and the Kia Sportage got top marks. The new Genesis sedan was better than average with the V6, average with the V8. The only models that scored below average were the Kia Sedona minivan and Sorento SUV.
Good news from Europe
Low: Volkswagen Touareg
The Volkswagen Touareg had the worst new car prediction score in the survey. It is 27 times more likely to have problems than the best model, the Honda Insight.
The Volkswagen Touareg had the worst new car prediction score in the survey. It is 27 times more likely to have problems than the best model, the Honda Insight.
European brands continue to improve. Mercedes-Benz has made great strides, with most models average, and the GLK did exceptionally well in its first year. Scores from rival BMW were more mixed. The 535i sedan and X3 SUV declined in reliability, and the 135i, debuting in this survey, scored below-average. Some BMW models had average or better reliability, but the 328i versions are the only ones that we've tested and can recommend.
Volkswagen and Audi are staging a nice recovery. The Volkswagen Rabbit (Golf for 2010), and its new CC got top scores. The VW Jetta's recommendation now extends to the diesel version, making it the only diesel we currently recommend. Both the Passat and Audi A3 have improved to average. The new VW Tiguan SUV was average. The Audi Q7 SUV continues to be much worse than average, while the VW Touareg, which had the worst new car prediction score in the survey, is 27 times more likely to have a problem than the best, the Honda Insight.
All of Volvo's sedans were average or better, but Volvo's XC90 SUV was below average. Porsche, which has been doing quite well in our survey of late, had one serious hiccup this year: The Boxster dropped to below average, which strikes it from our recommended list. But the Cayenne SUV improved to average.
A consumer-driven rating
Our reliability data are based on an annual survey of Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org subscribers and are not derived from our vehicle testing.
From the survey, we create a reliability history for each model over the course of 10 model years, 2000 to 2009. We use the data, in part, to help readers determine which used cars to buy or avoid. We also use them to forecast how 2010 models will hold up. This predicted-reliability score is based on a model's overall reliability for the latest three model years, provided that the 2010 version hasn't changed significantly. If a model was new or redesigned in that period, we might use one or two years of data. In rare instances, we make a prediction for a newly redesigned model if previous versions had outstanding reliability.
Detailed Reliability data pinpoints problems
ConsumerReports.org Cars Best Deals Plus subscribers have access to a new feature that gives more details about specific trouble areas on thousands of cars one to 10 years old. Now both owners and prospective purchasers can delve deeper.
Each of the 17 problem areas we survey covers a host of possible faults. For instance, "Power Equipment" includes keyless entry, dashboard warning lights, tire-pressure monitor, and other things. "Body integrity" includes squeaks and rattles, seals and weather stripping, and air or water leaks, among other things. "Major Engine" problems include cylinder head and timing belt besides replacing the engine itself, while "Minor Engine" includes oil leaks, accessory belts and engine mounts.
To access the finer level of detail, choose any car, new or used, and go to its model-overview page. Click on the tab labeled "Reliability" and that will call up the reliability history, a grid of our familiar red and black scoring icons covering 17 trouble areas and however many model years we have data for.
Some of those individual colored "blobs" are flagged with a gold corner triangle with a "+" sign that indicate when more specific details are available. Click on that triangular corner tab to see more information on the problems owners have experienced.
As an example, looking at the Ford F-150 pickup, we can see multiple years of brake problems. However, in some years the problems were mainly attributed to pulsation or vibration, while in other years it was premature wear. Further, we note that the 2008 model had climate system problems. Now subscribers can see that the major gripe was the automatic climate system control rather than, say, a problem with the air conditioner itself.
Not all trouble spots are flagged. That's because either no or very few specific problems were reported, or because nothing stood out enough in the sub-categories to warrant special mention.
Our reliability data are based on an annual survey of Consumer Reports and ConsumerReports.org subscribers and are not derived from our vehicle testing.
From the survey, we create a reliability history for each model over the course of 10 model years, 2000 to 2009. We use the data, in part, to help readers determine which used cars to buy or avoid. We also use them to forecast how 2010 models will hold up. This predicted-reliability score is based on a model's overall reliability for the latest three model years, provided that the 2010 version hasn't changed significantly. If a model was new or redesigned in that period, we might use one or two years of data. In rare instances, we make a prediction for a newly redesigned model if previous versions had outstanding reliability.
Detailed Reliability data pinpoints problems
ConsumerReports.org Cars Best Deals Plus subscribers have access to a new feature that gives more details about specific trouble areas on thousands of cars one to 10 years old. Now both owners and prospective purchasers can delve deeper.
Each of the 17 problem areas we survey covers a host of possible faults. For instance, "Power Equipment" includes keyless entry, dashboard warning lights, tire-pressure monitor, and other things. "Body integrity" includes squeaks and rattles, seals and weather stripping, and air or water leaks, among other things. "Major Engine" problems include cylinder head and timing belt besides replacing the engine itself, while "Minor Engine" includes oil leaks, accessory belts and engine mounts.
To access the finer level of detail, choose any car, new or used, and go to its model-overview page. Click on the tab labeled "Reliability" and that will call up the reliability history, a grid of our familiar red and black scoring icons covering 17 trouble areas and however many model years we have data for.
Some of those individual colored "blobs" are flagged with a gold corner triangle with a "+" sign that indicate when more specific details are available. Click on that triangular corner tab to see more information on the problems owners have experienced.
As an example, looking at the Ford F-150 pickup, we can see multiple years of brake problems. However, in some years the problems were mainly attributed to pulsation or vibration, while in other years it was premature wear. Further, we note that the 2008 model had climate system problems. Now subscribers can see that the major gripe was the automatic climate system control rather than, say, a problem with the air conditioner itself.
Not all trouble spots are flagged. That's because either no or very few specific problems were reported, or because nothing stood out enough in the sub-categories to warrant special mention.
source by consumerreports..
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