Friday, March 01, 2013

Consumer Reports names the best and worst cars by brand - Yahoo! Autos

Consumer Reports names the best and worst cars by brand - Yahoo! Autos:
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Consumer Reports names the best and worst cars by brand

By Consumer Reports News | ConsumerReports.org – 7 hours ago

While car brand reputation can be a strong influence on purchase decisions, such perceptions can be misleading. The reality is, every brand offers models that perform across a spectrum, with some are clearly better than others.

As we see in our annual Car Brand Perception survey, how consumers view brands can often be a trailing indicator and not reflect the current reality. To further illustrate this point, we have compiled a list chronicling the best and worst models by brand based on our overall test scores.

The test performance variation differs from brand to brand, with some brands' worst model being still doing rather well, while others span a wide range making any generalities quite misleading. Take Acura, for example. Even its worst model, the ILX, scores a 77 (out of 100) and meets our performance standards, safety, and reliability criteria to be Recommended. Meanwhile, the best Jeep is the Grand Cherokee Laredo V6. It earns 71 points in our tests, six points less than the worst Acura. However, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited marks the low point in our current ratings, scoring only a 20.
The gap between best and worst can be even broader. Chevrolet, for instance, spans from the Corvette Z06 (92) to the Spark (34).

Check out our Annual Auto Issue special section for quick access to the latest Ratings, articles, and videos

The list below includes all brands for which Consumer Reports has tested at least three different models recently, thereby excluding Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Smart.

	Best	Worst
Acura	MDX	ILX (2.0L)
Audi	A6 3.0 Premium Plus Quattro	A5 Premium Plus (2.0T)*
BMW	135i	X5 35i Premium
Buick	Regal CXL (turbo)	Verano Leather (2.4)
Cadillac	CTS Premium (3.6)	Escalade (base)
Chevrolet	Corvette Z06	Spark 1LT
Chrysler	300 Limited (V6)	200 Limited (V6)
Dodge	Charger SXT Plus (V6)	Avenger SXT (4-cyl.)
Ford	Fusion SE Hybrid	Fiesta SE (sedan)
GMC	Acadia SLT2	Yukon Hybrid
Honda	Accord EX-L(V6)/LX (4-cyl.)	Insight EX
Hyundai	Genesis 3.8	Accent GLS (sedan)
Infiniti	G37 Journey (sedan)	QX 56
Jeep	Grand Cherokee Laredo (V6)	Wrangler Unlimited Sahara
Kia	Optima SX (2.0T)	Rio EX
Lexus	LS 460L	GX 460
Lincoln	Navigator Ultimate	MKS (base, 3.7)
Mazda	MX-5 Miata Grand Touring	2 Touring
Mercedes-Benz	E350 BlueTec	ML350
Mini	Cooper (base, hatchback)	Cooper Clubman
Mitsubishi	Lancer Evolution GSR	Galant ES (4-cyl.)
Nissan	370Z Coupe Touring	Versa SV (sedan)
Porsche	Boxster 2.7	Cayenne (base V6)
Scion	FR-S	iQ
Subaru	Impreza WRX STi	Tribeca Limited
Toyota	Camry Hybrid XLE	FJ Cruiser
Volkswagen	Golf TDI (manual)	Beetle 2.5L/Jetta SE (2.5)
Volvo	S60 T5	XC90 3.2

Even if you have models in mind when you're shopping, it is wise to look at their Ratings. You just might be steered to a better car than you would have otherwise considered, and as we often find, the smart choices often are not necessarily the most expensive.

For detailed ratings and road test on any model featured here, just click on the name to visit the appropriate model page.

More from Consumer Reports:
2013 New Car Preview
Best & worst used cars
Complete Ratings for 200 cars and trucks

Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers or sponsors on this website. Copyright © 2007-2013 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. No reproduction, in whole or in part, without written permission.

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