The magazine credits Toyota’s habit of avoiding complete redesigns as a contributing factor, allowing new vehicles to provide “good reliability out of the box.” The most reliable new car is said to be the Scion xB, while the Tundra topped the pickup-truck quality list, however both models are said to be behind their segment rivals in terms of fuel efficiency, design and other features.
Notably, General Motors is now the most reliable domestic car company for the second year in a row. The Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Corvette and Impala have all earned high scores in their first year.
“Buick is the top domestic brand, with every one of their models being reliable,” the report notes.
Ford also wins praise for working out design bugs in many of its core products. Revisions to the MyFord Touch infotainment system also provided a significant boost to the latest quality ratings.
Chrysler brands hold the bottom positions on the list, with the Jeep Cherokee four-cylinder representing the least-reliable SUV. The Fiat 500L is said to be the least-reliable new car, and the smaller 500 is not much better.
Acura and Infiniti both received lower scores for the latest survey, mostly due to trouble with infotainment systems. The Mercedes-Benz CLA and S-Class also received relatively low scores in their respective segments.
“Just as a brain surgeon isn’t the best person to do a heart transplant, it turns out automakers aren’t the ideal source for sophisticated, cutting-edge infotainment electronics,” CR concluded. “As evidence, these systems remain the leading source of trouble among new cars, especially if it is a brand-new design.”
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