Consumer Reports Rates the Most Reliable Cars for 2011

March 3, 2011

Consumer Reports has released their annual Automaker Report Cards where they rank the most reliable vehicles based on their comprehensive testing program.

Honda, Subaru and Toyota remain the most well-regarded brands, but Ford and Volvo are coming on strong.

Honda is the most reliable, with Subaru close behind. The Acura MDX, Honda Fit and the Subaru Legacy scored near the top of the their individual vehicle segments with above-average reliability.

Ford was the biggest mover of the year — last year it ranked 11th out of 14 — and is now ranked fifth, ahead of Hyundai but behind Volvo.

That's mainly the result of continued improvements in reliability and road-test scores.

While General Motors saw its score improve, it still has a long way to catch up with Ford, let alone the top Asian automakers.

Chrysler remains the lowest-ranked manufacturer in the survey, with only the four-wheel-drive Ram 1500 being recommended by Consumer Reports.

Mercedes-Benz had the least reliable vehicles in three vehicle categories, and six of its 13 vehicles have below-average reliability. BMW also suffers from poor reliability which might come as a surprise to most readers.

(Overall score out of a possible 100)

Honda (74)
Subaru (73)
Toyota (71)
Volvo (68)
Ford (67)
Hyundai (66)
Mazda (65)
Nissan (65)
Volkswagen (63)
Mercedes-Benz (57)
BMW (57)
General Motors (56)
Chrysler (43)

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- Gregg Fidan

About: Gregg Fidan

Gregg Fidan + is the founder of RealCarTips. After being ripped off on his first car purchase, he devoted several years to figuring out the best ways to avoid scams and negotiate the best car deals. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject of car buying and taught thousands of car shoppers how to get the best deals.

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