What Do Audi And Chrysler Have In Common?
The new CR reliability reports are out, along with their projected reliability for 2011-model-year automobiles. Some of the results won’t be news to most of you: the Big Three from Japan are all near the top, Ford’s ahead of the other domestics, and the Koreans are climbing the charts.
If, on the other hand, you’re choosing between a Porsche and an Audi, you might want to take a moment to hear CR’s opinions…
What’s the most reliable 2010-model family sedan? The Ford Fusion Hybrid. What’s the second-most-reliable? The Ford Fusion V6. In fact, you have to go all the way to fifth place to find a Camry, and that’s the four-cylinder hybrid. The six-cylinder Camry is rated worse than average.
CR opines that GM’s restructuring helped get rid of some undesirable cars, and their press release includes helpful images of the Saturn Aura, Pontiac G6, and Hummer H2. Ford’s doing well everywhere. Sure, the Fusion’s now known for reliability, but did you expect the Flex EcoBoost to lead its class? What about the Mustang?
Some notes on European cars, straight from CR’s release:
- BMW takes a big hit -turbo-charged engines in the 1, 3 and 5 series caused a drop in reliability –Fuel system failures
- Audi A6 (supercharged) A3, Q5 and Q7 are below average
- The Jaguar XF has the worst predicted reliability rating in this year’s survey
- Almost half of Mercedes models are below average
- Volvo & Porsche –all models are average or better
And indeed, Porsche takes second place (behind Scion) in their predicted reliability ratings. If the Stuttgart crew has finally fixed their water-cooled crapwagons, color me mocha surprised… but that’s what CR is claiming.
Reliable doesn’t always mean desirable. The Acura RL tops the Luxury Sedan ratings, but would you buy one? Ditto the Toyota Yaris. The least reliable pickup truck is the Nissan Titan. Well, duh.
If nothing else, the issue is worth buying for its value as ammunition in Internet-forum wars. Next time somebody is bragging about their Mini Cooper Clubman or Nissan Cube, you can totally shut ’em down. Just make sure your closet ownership of a Mercedes-Benz GL320 (the worst SUV, of course) remains a secret.
More by Jack Baruth
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The only reliable metric I know is how many cars of a particular brand are still on the road, and the word of mouth: 1. BMWs are crap. Many people I know got burned BIG TIME, I'm not talking pocket change here. These do not seem like isolated instances. 2. No self-respecting person should buy a VW. 3. Toyotas/Lexus best in reliability. My extended family is pretty much all-Toyotas, and zero problems beyond normal wear. Mind you, we keep our cars for 10+ years at least. 4. The rest of Japanese brands are considerably worse. 5. Unfortunately, not many people I know own latest Fords, so I just don't know. (I hope they are good, because the new Focus looks quite good.)
Simple formula. reliability = engineered transportation appliance. Most and I mean 90% of the car buying public, want to get from A to B with no drama. They are intimidated by the car buying/leasing process, deathly afraid to try routine maintenance (oil/filter change out of warranty, change a bulb or wiper) and probably neglect the car for the most part under warranty and then pass on the problem to the dealer. Manufacturers in turn engineer products that cater to that type of consumer and when one of the millions of that model has issues, the owner is shocked. Is it really that devastating when a window actuator goes on the fritz under warranty? No. Yeah its a bit of a hassle to go get your loaner but by and large this stuff happens with a 20k or a 120k car. If the car offers some smiles then owners tend to be a little more tolerant. My 2008 G37s is a good car, in some magazines better than a 335i. Ive had a few trips to the dealer for SW upgrade, muffler (twice) brake squeak (ongoing) but almost three years later its been dead reliable. Is it fun to drive? NO. Do I look forward to carving up the back roads that I used to commute on daily (60 miles in total of S's along the Potomac river) NO. It s almost as if the G is a perfect reliable representation of what a good GT should be without the driving fun. Japanese brands are like diet drinks, they offer all the taste without the calories but in the end the experience is not the same. My advice, don't drink diet and don't drive what promises to be the next best thing. Life is short