Consumer Reports

2014 Tesla Model S innovation detailed in video

The 2014 Tesla Model S and its older siblings have been bombarded with awards. In its latest honor, The Tesla was Consumer Reports’ top pick overall among 10 categories of cars, light trucks, and SUVs. The top-10 list was selected from more than 260 vehicles the organization has recently tested. The magazine considers the Model S a “technological tour de force, while pricey, is brimming with innovation.” Consumer Reports rated the Model S with a score of 99 out of 100, becoming the magazine’s best car ever tested. “If it (the Tesla) could recharge in any gas station in three minutes, this car would score about 110,” said Jake Fisher, head of auto testing for Consumer Reports. Fisher called the

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Tesla honored again, Consumer Reports’ best overall car

For the first time in four years, Consumer Reports has named a top overall pick in its annual best vehicle list. The winner is the 2014 Tesla Model S electric car. In 2010, the last time an overall pick was selected, the Lexus LS 460L received the honor. The magazine’s 10 top picks this year included five Japanese nameplates, including Honda’s Accord and Odyssey, Subaru’s Impreza and Forester and Toyota’s Prius hybrid. German manufacturers had two vehicles on the list, the BMW 328i and the Audi A6. American manufacturers were represented by Tesla and the Chrysler Ram 1500 pickup truck. It was the first time since 1998 a Chrysler vehicle made the list. The Jeep Grand Cherokee achieved top pick

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Consumer Reports ruthless in 2013 worst cars list

Consumer Reports annually releases many car lists, best to worst, most efficient to gas guzzlers, unheralded vehicles to those to avoid. The organization’s most dubious list is its Worst of the Year collection. Consumer Reports reviewed more than 80 vehicles is 2013. Two cars from Nissan and Mitsubishi made the top-10 worst list in 2013. Consumer Reports was vicious in some descriptions of its least favorite cars in 2013. The best (worst?) example was publication’s assessment of the 2013 Chevrolet Spark. Here’s the synopsis: The Chevrolet Spark’s low price and clever connectivity features may be tempting, but for daily driving, it is painfully slow, irritatingly noisy, rides uncomfortably, and feels Spartan—and not in a mighty warrior way. We expected at

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Toyota gets top-2 spots in Consumer Reports’ reliability

Toyota has again ranked at the top of the 2014 reliability rankings of Consumer Reports, the independent testing organization. The Lexus ES 300h Hybrid is the top-ranked vehicle, followed by the Toyota Prius. Consumer Reports uses surveys returned by their subscribers and compiles reliability histories on vehicles and predicts how new cars currently on sale will hold up. Lexus is Toyota’s luxury brand. The ES 300h is reliable and safe. The hybrid earned the highest ratings in each of the government’s crash evaluations, including overall driver safety, frontal crashes and overall side impacts. Here’s the list of the top-seven most reliable cars in 2014, according to Consumer Reports. 7. Volvo XC70 Sticker Price: $34,500 – $45,650 Invoice Price: $32,430-$42,911 Fuel

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Ford slammed in Consumer Reports’ reliability study

Ford has been rocked with unreliable scores, with five of the 10 least reliable cars in the United Sates manufactured by the iconic carmaker, according to Consumer Reports. The carmaker was represented on the dubious list by the Ford C-Max Hybrid,  C-Max (Plug-in Hybrid), Escape (1.6L Ecoboost), Explorer (V6, 4WD) and Taurus (Turbo). The annual survey is conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. It considers the experiences of drivers of 1.1 million vehicles. Consumer Reports uses the survey data to compile reliability histories on vehicles. It then predicts the dependability of new models. Predicted reliability is usually based on the three most recent new model years if a model hasn’t redesigned in that time period. Models with an

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Consumer Reports: 11 Japanese cars best not to buy

Honda and Toyota make cars annually on best-of-the-year lists and perennially among the best-selling automobiles in history. Who’s to argue against the enduring success of the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry? But Consumer Reports knows plenty about cars and the respected publication has a a lot to write about Japanese cars it believes should be avoided. The Consumer Reports list is based on the company’s overall testing criteria the Japanese cars to avoid had total score below 60 and were given “F” grades. Here’s the list of the vehicles, each car’s total and comments why the vehicle is rated so poorly. Vehicle/Overall Road-Test Score/Problems 1. Scion IQ, 29, ride, noise, acceleration, steering, driving position, fit and finish, radio controls, blind

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Chevrolet Impala gets rare best sedan Consumer Reports honor

The newly designed 2014 Chevrolet Impala has received an automotive honor no other American-made car has achieved in at least 20 years. It’s been named best sedan by Consumer Reports. Dominated by models from Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai and the German cars, editors of the publication rated the Impala at 95 out of 100. The magazine called the iconic Chevy “excellent,” the reverse of the magazine’s assessment of the car’s 2013 model. Last year, Consumer Reports said the 2013 Chevy model was “woefully uncompetitive and not worthy of driving even as a free upgrade at a rental company.” The Chevy Impala, introduced in 1958, debuted its 10th generation with 2014 models. The starting MSRP is $26,725, and the Impala TLZ model

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Consumer Reports tabs hatchbacks as most reliable car segment

In addition to its yearly offering of best values in different price classes and fuel efficiency, Consumer Reports’ recent lists of best and worst cars included the category of most reliable vehicle by segments. The list makes sense for car buyers not shopping by social status or brand loyalty but in more general terms — the reliability of vehicle segments. It’s not true in every instance, but in many cases the vehicles among the country’s most fuel efficient segment is the same segment that’s the most reliable — hatchbacks. And how ironic? Consumer Reports in general terms reports the more expensive the vehicle segment, the less reliable the segment. In the new Consumer Reports listing, fuel efficient hatchbacks were overwhelmingly

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Scion shines again, Ford plummets sharply again in Consumer Reports' survey

Toyota Motor Corp.’s Scion, Toyota and Lexus remain in the top three positions, while Ford continued its abrupt plunge for the second straight year in Consumer Reports’ survey of auto reliability. On the list of 28 brands, Scion remained first, followed by Toyota and Lexus; Ford fell to 27th position in 2012 after dropping from 10th to 20th in 2011. The top-seven brands on the list are Japanese. “Ford‘s bumpy road can be seen in the numbers,” Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ new director of automotive testing, said. “Sixty percent of Ford-branded models and half of Lincolns were below average in predicted reliability, and none placed above average.”In June, the Ford brand placed 27th in the annual Initial Quality Study by

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Lexus tops Consumer Reports 2012 best list, Jeep gets top two worst spots

The Lexus 460L luxury sedan has been awarded top honors for best road test, while Jeep has dubious honors with vehicles receiving the worst two scores in Consumer Reports best and worst lists for 2012. Consumer Reports ranked the Lexus LS 460L at the top with a road test score of 99, followed by BMW 135i at 97; Infiniti G37 sedan at 95; Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE; Audi A6 (3.0T); Infiniti M37 and Nissan Altima 3.5 SR at 93. The Audi A8 L, Lexus ES 350 and Nissan Altima 2.5 S all appeared on the list as well with a score of 91 each. The magazine’s list is determined by 50 individualized tests and evaluations. Scores reflect how well a

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Scion tops Japan's reliability dominance in Consumer Reports annual survey; Ford stumbles

Scion lead the dominance of nine Japanese car manufacturers among the top 10, while Ford dramatically stumbled in the annual most reliable survey conducted by Consumer Reports magazine. The best and worst-performing brands is based on feedback from 1.3 million subscribers to the United States-based publication. The Scion xD was identified as the best model, followed by Lexus (CT 200h) as the next highest-rated model. Acura came in third place, followed by Mazda, Honda, Toyota, Infiniti, Subaru and Nissan. Volvo was the best-performing non-Japanese brand in 10th place. Hyundai and Kia, both of South Korea, took the next two spots, with Jeep in 13th place, was the top U.S. brand. Ford fell from 10th to 20th place. Among 27 brands

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Six tips for better gas mileage from Consumer Reports

With high gas prices, Consumer Reports has released its latest compilation of fuel efficient (and least efficient) cars as well as six tips to saving gas before and after hitting the road. Before you leave: Check your tires. Underinflated tires require more energy to roll along, which eats up more fuel.  Make sure your tires’ air pressure is set to the automaker’s recommended level (see the owner’s manual, not the maximum pressure printed on the tires’ side. Get the right rental. If you plan on renting a car, try to reserve one with good gas mileage. For about the same rate, for example, you could get a 26-mpg Nissan Altima instead of a 20-mpg Chevrolet Impala. Or you could get

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Jeep Wrangler worst ranked in Consumer Reports’ 2011 list

Consumer Reports buys the vehicles it tests, and through the years, the publication’s editors and testers have refined their assessment approach. It’s arguably the most detailed and respected evaluation of new cars and trucks in the automotive industry. As the publication’s editors like to say: “Not all cars are created equal, and we have the data to prove it.” Lexus has been at or near the top of the list of best cars for years, and like Jeep has been been in the dubious position among the lowest scoring vehicles. Vehicle are rated in categories — family cars to sports cars — and there’s an overall list based on 100 points and via more than 50 testing areas. Here’s the

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Lexus LS 460L tops Consumer Reports' 2011 best cars list

Consumer Reports buys the cars it tests, and the publication arguably provides the most detailed and respected evaluation of new cars and trucks in the automotive industry. As the publication’s editors like to say: “Not all cars are created equal, and we have the data to prove it.” Vehicle are rated in categories — family cars to sports cars — and there’s an overall list based on 100 points and via more than 50 testing areas. Here’s the Consumer Reports list of the top 10 best overall 2011 cars (with points totals) as published in the magazine’s April print and online editions: Lexus LS 460L, 99 BMW 135i (manual), 97 Porsche 911 Carrera S (manual), 96 Mazda5 Grand Touring, 95

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Toyota shines in Consumer Reports' 2011 Top Picks list

The Ford Mustang (Sporty Cars) and Kia Sorento (Family SUV) are among six new models named to the Consumer Reports annual Top Picks car list for 2011. The diverse selections include eight brands from six manufactures, with Toyota models claiming three categories. The redesigned Hyundai Elantra, which now comes standard with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), also tops the list in the Small Car category. The previous Hyundai Elantra SE was Top Pick for Small Sedan for the past three years. The Honda Fit, Toyota RAV4, Toyota Sienna and Chevrolet Avalanche are new additions to the list. The Infiniti G37, Toyota Prius and Nissan Altima are returning selections from the 2010 list. Consumer Reports’ Top Picks are the best all-around models

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Honda, Ford surpass Toyota as most reliable cars in 2010

Massive recalls severely hurt Toyota sales in the past 18 months and  thus relinquished the country’s former most reliable automaker to third place behind Honda and Ford, according to Consumer Reports. Honda rank in first place with 25 percent of car owners participating in the magazine’s survey naming the manufacturer with the best quality. Ford finished second with 23 percent, while Toyota finished third at 19 percent, 11 percent less than last year. Toyota‘s reputation plummeted in 2009 and 2010 and it paid nearly $50 million in fines last year to federal safety regulators for failing to promptly inform regulators of defects in its vehicles and delaying recalls. Chevrolet (19 percent) placed fourth in reliability while Mercedes-Benz (15 percent) was

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