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Contributor: Carl Svenson In an unusual move, Consumers Union has yanked the "recommended" rating for the Ford Focus and six other vehicles in the April issue of Consumer Reports magazine because of "poor" ratings in side-impact crash tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The six were: Honda Element, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Altima and Suzuki Grand Vitara/XL-7. The Focus had been a top-10 pick in the magazine, which was sent to subscribers last week and is currently on newsstands. The magazine was distributed before the release of the institute's latest crash test report late Sunday. Consumers Union's policy is that vehicles must perform adequately if they are included in government or insurance-industry crash tests. The nine remaining top picks are: Toyota's Prius and Lexus LS430 and RX330; Subaru Forester and Impreza WRX; and Honda's Pilot, Odyssey, Accord and Acura TL. The reversal of the recommendations isn't the only surprise. In the same issue, the magazine reports conclusions about automotive reliability that run counter to popular perception - and, in some cases, counter to other research. Based on information from its readers about more than 800,000 vehicles, the prestigious magazine says that General Motors, Ford and Chrysler Group continue to close in on Asian automakers and move further ahead of European carmakers, whose own quality seems to be slipping. The magazine also concluded, based on its survey, that: Subaru made the most reliable cars in 2004, with an average of eight problems per 100 vehicles, half the industry average of 16 problems. The Hyundai Sonata, starting at under $14,000, was the most reliable '04 model, with only two problems per 100 vehicles. Several luxury makes, including Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, Lincoln and Land Rover, performed poorly. The Lincoln Navigator, a full-size SUV, was tied with the Nissan Quest minivan as the "least reliable vehicle." The magazine said the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, which begins at about $76,000, was "poor" in reliability. While, as a group, they lag behind Asian models in reliability, a few domestic models were named good bets. The Ford Focus small car and Ford Escape SUV, for example, were deemed among the most reliable domestic products, as were the Cadillac CTS and Chrysler PT Cruiser. Not all Asian products are good bets. Nissan's overall performance was poor, the magazine said, because new models like the Quest and the Armada SUV have been troublesome. A Mercedes-Benz U.S. spokesman, Rob Moran, said by e-mail, "The data utilized by Consumer Reports is volunteered by CR readers, not verified, and does not correlate to our own data or that of other surveys." BMW spokesman Dave Buchko in New Jersey said the Consumer Reports conclusions do not reflect recent improvements in quality. Further, he added, BMWs often include brand new and complex technology. "There's always a risk when you're charting new territory," he said. There was no immediate comment from Nissan. Lincoln-Mercury division spokeswoman Sara Tatchio in Michigan said Ford was aware of quality issues in the Navigator and has given the vehicle a new engine and transmission for 2005 to help address them. "We're committed to this vehicle and to improving its quality," she said. HIGHLIGHTS OF ANNUAL SURVEY Apart from the crash test results, here's what Consumer Reports concluded on mechanical durability. MOST RELIABLE Small: Toyota Echo, Corolla; Scion xB Sedans: Lexus IS 300, LS43; Toyota Camry (4-cylinder) SUV: Mitsubishi Endeavor, Toyota Land Cruiser and Highlander. LEAST RELIABLE Small: Volkswagen Golf (turbo), new Beetle Sedan: Mercedes S-Class, Jaguar S-Type, BMW 7-Series For more information relating to "Car recommendations", please visit our car insurance Car recommendations page. |
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