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Consumer Reports releases its annual auto reliability report
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The Scion xD was CR's top reliability pick.
The Scion xD subcompact hatchback is the most reliable new car, Consumer Reports magazine said today, releasing the results of its annual reliability study.
The magazine surveyed its large subscriber base, which responded with information about what defects 1.4 million of their cars suffered in the previous year.
Compared to last year, CR noted a significant improvement from Mercedes-Benz, whose owners have long been reporting glitches in their cars laden with complex electronics, but many basic economy cars -- including the Scion xD -- continue to have fewer problems, the report said.
Toyota, which saw versions of its Camry sedan, Tundra pickup, and Lexus GS luxury car slip below the acceptable level of 20% worse than average in last year's CR survey, saw an improvement this year. The three are now considered "average" in terms of reliability, bringing them up to the threshold at which the magazine will "recommend" the products.
Ford was another winner; not only was it judged to have the most reliable products of the Big Three domestic automakers, but CR also said it was "on par with good Japanese automakers" except for a few of its trucks. The Fusion family sedan has continued to be one of the automaker's standouts, beating all but the Toyota Prius among what CR calls "family cars," including the best-selling Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. (Furthermore, the Prius is typically considered a compact car.)
A big loser was Chrysler, whose Sebring convertible was the least reliable car in the survey. (Many Sebring convertibles use a new-to-Chrysler retractable hardtop system that may be responsible for some of the glitches.) Eight other Chrysler products also earned the lowest reliability rating, including the company's best-selling minivans and its iconic Jeep Wrangler SUV.
Browse around the free information CR offers on its web site about the latest in reliability. If you're interested in how CR ranked a car that you would need to be a subscriber to find out about, shoot me an e-mail.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
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