The 2012 Automotive Report Card: Which Brands Are The Best?

AOL Autos ^ | Feb 29, 2012 | Pete Bigelow

[Ron C.]

The results of the annual Consumer Reports automotive report card caught a lot of people by surprise when they were released Tuesday – not necessarily because of which automaker claimed top honors, but because of which automaker did not.

A wave of redesigned vehicles helped catapult Subaru into the top position for the first time. It had finished second in last year’s ranking, and buoyed by recent successes with the Outback and Impreza, it improved two points this year to finish with an overall score of 75.

Subaru’s rise to the top meant that Honda’s four-year run as the top automaker among the 13 ranked was over. Honda drifted into fourth-place overall, and the problems caused by last year’s Japanese catastrophes didn’t seem to play much of a factor.

David Champion, Consumer Reports director of research, gave a blunt assessment of the automaker’s chief problem.

“They seem to be cheapening vehicles," he told The New York Times. "It's almost like a role reversal of where the domestics were 10 to 15 years ago."

Mazda showed the most dramatic improvement in this year’s rankings, rising from seventh place to second. Toyota finished in third place.

[lentulusgracchus]

Fulgur is Latin (n., neuter, 3rd decl.) for "lightning-bolt", meaning an actual bolt rather than the thing in abstraction (fulmen), or the appearance or shine of lightning (fulgor).

Simcas were cute little toy cars brought over at the same time as the Renault Dauphine to compete with the VW Bug. A few were sold, but they didn't get much mindshare among the sudden surge of Euroskates.

[lentulusgracchus]

I’ll put my 20 year old Crown Vic up against anything you have

Last year I thought I'd better replace my last-year-of-production Furred Thunderchicken (it had a six not an eight). I was willing to consider a Crown Vic or (going the other way) a Mouse Tang (a six-cylinder Pony).

Long story made short, the market informed me in no uncertain terms that Crown Vics and Grand Marquis(es?) were not to be had near or far -- I found three within 150 miles of me on Cars.com, and none on CarMax. Mustangs abounded, but people were hanging on to their Crown Vics. The best-looking example I could find was a 2003; later cars were not to be had.

That's data, dude. The Market Speaketh.

[randita]

Re: Subaru parts. Probably depends on where you live.

We have one of the largest Subaru dealers in the country just miles away, so we see LOTS of Subarus on the road in this area. No problem here with repairs and parts.

But in our travels to other parts of the country, we have noticed little or no Subarus in certain regions.

So if you’re a road warrior for either business or pleasure, IMO, the safest bet is to buy American (GM or Ford) because you’re going to always have good access to repairs and parts.

We recently spent several weeks touring Idaho and were glad we were traveling in our Suburban because we had an issue and there was a shop in the little podunk town not far from where we were staying. No chance of that with a Subaru or any Japanese car for that matter.