Japanese cars

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Buick, Jaguar dethrone Lexus in J.D. Power reliability survey

For the past 15 years, Lexus had been the most reliable brand in the Vehicle Dependability Study. The  study measures problems experienced by original owners of three-year-old (2006 model year) vehicles. The study was redesigned this  to include 202 different problem symptoms across all areas of the vehicle. Buick was ranked sixth last year; Jaguar placed 10th in 2008. Lexus followed the Jaguar-Buick tie, with Toyota and Mercury following closely. The J.D. Power research details owners of Buick and Jaguar models reported an average of 122 problems per 100 vehicles, compared to 126 problems per 100 vehicle for Lexus owners. Lexus can, however, still lay claim to the most reliable vehicle, the LS430, with the fewest problems reported – just

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Suzuki Reno, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Average price or luxury price, it makes little different. A new vehicle approaching $30,000 still far exceeds many budgets. But what if the benefits of a new warranty are appealing and a consumer has less than half of the average new car price available? One decent option is the Suzuki Reno. It’s  not as well known as most of its competitors, most notably the Chevrolet Cobalt, Ford Focus and Honda Civic. But during my weekly test drive, the South Korean manufacturer’s four-door compact not only provided solid transportation, but it did so with surprising responsiveness, good comfort and good overall functionality. The Reno is a basic vehicle, and I don’t want to give the wrong impression. There are reasons the

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Honda Accord, 2004: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The trunk was open when one friend walked past and the hood was popped open when two other friends meandered by my 2004 Honda Accord. “If I took off my front wheel, OK maybe both wheels, I could my bike in the trunk, no problem,” one friend said. “That’s a spacious trunk for a mid-sized car.”My two other friends were more impressed with the powerful and efficiently designed engine. “Look where everything is; It’s good access, for sure,” he said. “Even if you know nothing about cars, you can find everything. It would be hard to put the oil where the transmission fluid goes. And it’s like what we used to call a ‘Muscle Car’ engine when we were growing

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