Ford rises, but Honda still tops the Consumer Reports report card

I've been selling Honda's now for 9yrs, and other brands have come up and gone back down again, but one thing remains is Honda (and Toyota) are mainstays.
Consumer Reports said Monday that Ford made the biggest gains in its annual Automaker Report Card but that Honda and Subaru still make the best vehicles overall.

The magazine said Ford's average test score for all models rose from 66 to 70 and praised the Dearborn automaker for performing better overall than its crosstown rivals. Ford finished fifth on the report card, with an overall score of 67.

"In recent years, we have seen that Ford has really improved in reliability," said Rik Paul, automotive editor for the magazine.

The company's Mustang was the top pick for sporty cars, placing a U.S. manufacturer at the top of that segment for the first time in six years.

Top picks in other categories include Honda's Fit for the new category of budget cars, Hyundai's Elantra for small cars and Nissan's Altima for family sedans. The overall score for each automaker combines the magazine's own road tests and reliability surveys.

Consumer Reports conducts more than 50 tests on every vehicle to compile its scores and calculates predicted reliability based on subscriber surveys for 1.3 million vehicles.

The influential magazine's report card is part of its annual automotive issue, which hits newsstands next Tuesday.

But even though Ford improved, Honda, Subaru and Toyota were the top three automakers for the third year in a row. Honda finished first, with an overall score of 74, followed by Subaru at 73 and Toyota at 71.

General Motors' overall score improved to 67 from 65 last year, Consumer Reports said. Newer models such as the Buick Enclave and LaCrosse, and the Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse performed well.

However, three of its cars -- the Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Impala and Buick Lucerne -- were listed as the worst values in their segments.

"GM needs to achieve more consistent reliability in order to see a significant improvement," Paul said.

Chrysler came in last place, the magazine said, and needs to make improvements to be competitive. Newer models, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Ram, have shown improvement, Consumer Reports said.

"Customers will see 16 all-new or significantly updated vehicles at Ram, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Fiat dealers this year," Doug Betts, Chrysler's senior vice president of quality said in a statement. "These vehicles represent a new level of interior refinement, world-class fit and finish."

Source;
http://www.freep.com/article/20110301/BUSINESS01/103010343/0/BUSINESS06/Ford-rises-Honda-still-tops-Consumer-Reports-report-card?odyssey=navhead