BMW tops Consumer Reports 2023 Brand Report Card

Looks like we wrote about Consumer Reports‘ 2022 Brand Report Automotive and 10 Top Picks a couple of weeks ago, nevertheless it was last April. So the mag is back with a ranked roster of 32 brands and 10 vehicles in 4 categories in your debating pleasure.

Starting with the brands, last yr’s top three were Subaru, Mazda and BMW. This yr, the Munich crew climbed two spots to win the prize due to “Superb road test scores and solid ends in CR’s reliability and owner satisfaction surveys.” Subaru narrowly fell to second, maintaining its four-year run in the highest three. Mini, eighth last yr, jumped five spots to get the last step on the rostrum. The remainder of the highest 10 were Lexus (up one spot from last yr), Honda (down one spot from last yr), Toyota (up three), Genesis (up 12), Mazda (down six), Audi (down three) and Kia (up eight).

The magazine and testing outfit says its Brand Report Card “[reveals] which automakers are producing probably the most well-performing, secure, and reliable vehicles based on CR’s independent testing and member surveys,” and that “Brands that rise to the highest are inclined to have probably the most consistent performance across their model lineups.”

Last yr’s top 10 had six automakers from Japan, three from Germany (giving Mini credit for England), none from the U.S. or South Korea, and five luxury brands. This yr’s list counts five makes from Japan, two from Germany because Porsche fell out of the highest ten, two from South Korea, still none from the U.S., and 4 luxury brands.

Buick again ranked as the very best domestic, dropping to twelfth after being eleventh last yr. The large mover was Lincoln, its 10-place jump as much as sixteenth attributed to raised reliability from the Corsair and Nautilus. Tesla’s improved overall reliability saw it climb six spots to seventeenth. Dodge climbed one spot to fifteenth. Jeep got out of the penalty box in last to come back second-to-last. Land Rover fell three places into the penalty spot. 

CR’s top 10 vehicle models

The ten Top Picks list is practically a brand new list. Only two holdovers made it to 2023, those being the Subaru Forester and Kia Telluride. For every vehicle segment and buy price, the outlet crediting the chosen models for being “the very best of the very best in CR’s rankings: they perform well in road tests; they arrive standard with key safety features; and owners say they’re reliable and satisfying to drive.” The Ford Mustang Mach-E, Honda Accord and Ridgeline, Lexus RX, Nissan Sentra and Rogue Sport, Toyota Prius and RAV4 Prime were all ushered off the stage. The carryovers from last yr’s Top 10 Picks are the

• Kia Telluride: The three-row midsize SUV made this list from launch in 2020 and hasn’t left it. Once more lauded for doing all the things well, having a “cavernous cabin and good outward visibility … nice creature comforts… a refined, powerful V6,” and a “smooth, responsive eight-speed automatic transmission.”
• Subaru Forester: On the list for a tenth straight time, it’s appeal arises from features like “the essential design, crafted to offer solid crash protection, a spacious cabin, generous cargo area, and terrific outward visibility,” plus responsive handling, a supple ride and 28 miles per gallon overall in CR‘s testing.

The brand new inductees to the list are:

• Toyota Corolla Hybrid: Called “a rolling masterclass on what is feasible with a low-priced model” that also returned 48 mpg overall in CR‘s tests.
• Toyota Corolla Cross: It’s “the Corolla of subcompact SUVs, with all of the practicality, value, and virtue the familiar moniker implies.”
• Toyota Camry Hybrid: Chosen as probably the most compelling trim within the lineup, delivers on the
  Camry promise of “comfort, convenience, reliability, and value,” has a “comfortable ride, athletic handling, accommodating seats,” and sipped at 47 mpg overall within the magazine’s trials.

• Ford Maverick Hybrid: This ingot of nostalgia “reminds
  CR testers of a time when small, basic trucks roamed the land,” making it “a fun alternative to small SUVs.” The 37 mpg overall in
  CR’s tests didn’t hurt, either.

• Nissan Leaf: The small electric hatchback, in either battery size, came with a cushy ride and whisper-quiet cabin. 

• Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid: Continuing the hybrid assault on the list, the Hyundai ”
  cabin is roomy, with a spacious, comfortable rear seat, and a generous roster of ordinary safety features include BSW, LKA, and LDW.” 

• Lexus NX350h: Can we interest you in one other hybrid? This one “hit a sweet spot with the NX” due to 38 mpg overall in
  CR‘s tests, ”
  quick steering and a well isolated ride,” and its “pampering and practicality.”

• Tesla Model 3: A basket of accolades including “blistering acceleration,” “tenacious grip and precise steering,” “feels very very similar to piloting a sports automotive,” and kudos for the Supercharger network.

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