Tesla Again Tops Consumer Reports’ Best-Car Ranking

Three U.S. models cracked Consumer Reports’ list of its 10 top car picks this year, and Buick became the first domestic brand to land in the magazine’s annual ranking of the best auto manufacturers.

Tesla Motors’ electric Model S sport sedan won top honors in Consumer Reports’ selection of the best car models. This was the second consecutive year Tesla was atop the list.

Although there were many “impressive” new models this year, the magazine said, “none was able to eclipse the innovation of the Tesla.” The $89,650 Tesla that Consumer Reports tested is “a technological tour de force, a high-performance electric vehicle with usable real-world range, wrapped in a luxury package.”

Tesla’s achievement is tempered by the fact that it only has one model, compared to the full vehicle lineups offered by other automakers, said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ director of automotive testing. But the test director said he expects the Model X sport-utility Tesla plans to start selling later this year to also be good because it shares many of the components in the Model S.

“The question is whether Tesla can keep its reliability together as it expands with the Model X this year and later the planned Model 3,” Fisher said. “Their reliability is average now, and it doesn’t take much to sink below the line.”

The Buick Regal is another U.S. model joining the best list, taking the sports sedan crown. The magazine called it a “surprisingly agile” car that combines a “Europhile driving experience” with a “strong” value-for-the-money equation.

Buick needs cars like the Regal to overcome the brand’s reputation as “an old person’s car,” Fisher said. “It is small, tight and agile. It is like a German sports sedan, not a floaty American barge.”

Another General Motors car, the Chevrolet Impala, was named best large car. The venerable Chevrolet nameplate has been reborn with a “true luxury car” ride, the magazine said.

“For years, domestic automakers built lower-priced and lower-quality alternatives to imports, but those days are behind us,” Fisher said. “Today, many domestic models can go toe-to-toe with the best imports.”

Subaru landed three of the top 10 places: its Legacy as midsize sedan, the Impreza as compact car and the Forester as small sport-utility vehicle.

Toyota had two: the Highlander as midsize SUV, and the Prius as green car.

The Audi A6 was the top luxury car, and the Honda Odyssey was the top minivan.

Asian-branded cars, which have dominated the magazine’s best-cars list over the years, still have six of the top 10 cars.

But this year’s results show a leveling of the global automotive playing field, Fisher said.

“Not too long ago, all 10 were Japanese,” he said.

Consumer Reports’ Top Picks are chosen from 270 vehicles the organization has recently tested. They must rank at or near the top of their category on overall road-test scores; they must have earned an average or better predicted-reliability rating, based on problems Consumer Reports’ subscribers reported on 1.1 million vehicles in the latest survey; and they must perform adequately if included in crash or rollover tests by the government or the insurance industry.

This article appeared in print in the February 25th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.