Consumer Reports latest 'Top' list-Infiniti owns luxury picks, Germans MIA

From the same people that lied about how they tested child seats.

It's great that everyone is commenting but no one has listed their choices of what they would pick instead...

I'll start with a few

Best luxury sedan: Lexus GS450h
Green Car: Toyota Camry Hybrid
Upscale sedan: BMW 335i



001

• Fun To Drive: BMW M Coupe

• Small SUV: Infiniti FX35/FX45

• Small Sedan: Honda Civic

• Family Sedan: 2007 Toyota Camry

• Minivan: Who Cares

• Luxury Sedan: Mercedes S-Class - Duh

• Midsized SUV: 2007 BMW X5

• Green Car: Mercedes E-Class Bluetech

• Upscale sedan: BMW M5

• Budget Car: Trek 7500

Duh hell. The LS 460 is a far better choice, especially if you do not like dealer service bays.

Not impressed with the C.R.s version of upscale luxury. But I traded a 2004 330xi for a 2007 IS350. And yes, I did try out an 07 G35. As far as I was concerned, their were only two choices, 335i or IS350. If those two were not available, it would be a harded pressed decision between the CL-S & the G35. Maybe C.R. should stick to washing machines.

FX35/45 have to got win the "Most Blind Spots in a Car" Award. They practically say, "Dude, we know you can't see overthere but trust us. Go ahead and make that change."

You have no clue about FX and you keep making the same comment in every thread.

Now that is one boring ridiculous list of cars.

Lord have mercy!

You would be raving if Buick was on that list.

You damn tootin'.

Wow, and not one German or American automanufacturer.

I hope that does not come as too much of a surprise.

guys let's take everything from where it comes. consumer reports is a great publication. and for stereos, appliances and other gizmos that we buy largely on the basis of reliability it's great. not so for cars.....just because a car is reliable doesn't mean it's good-looking or fun to drive. so a little perspective here....

enthusiastx,

You say CR are fine for electronics but not for autos? I say you are a car enthusist and not an electronic enthusiast. The whole idea of enthusiast means that one goes beyond the "normal" interest in something. Any enthusiast will not like CR's opinions because they weigh their opinions on "normal" interest people. A non-enthusiast would hate my E500 because it has been more problematic than a basic Toyota Camry. Just as CR and you might hate my $1500 speaker cables since you see no "value" in them. It all depends on your perspective. CR is not nor ever designed to be for enthusiasts. Don't let there opinion bother you.

wow, no germans.

I think it's an adequate list. Infiniti is a great brand that offers just as much sport and luxury as its top competition from Europe and Japan. I'm more surprised that there is no Lexus on this list.

Aha! You came back! I knew you would.

Was I the only one that noticed you were booted?

In fact, I submitted an article notifying the others about it... 001 never posted it.

Will, it seems Lexus' are just not good enough for Consumer reports.

They don't have one German car!!

I got booted for a friendly exchange of "Yo Momma" jokes with LeMansFan...

Lesson learned. ;)

Tsk, tsk. As one of the "representatives" from the three-brand flame war on this website, it is my duty to tell you to keep yourself in line. I try to restrain myself... occasionally. You must set an example for your Lexus followers.

I thought my work here was done and this clown comes back.

^Who are you?

these guys a morons and don't know anything about cars. Did I mention very biased.

They're only morons because they're not heralding your sentimental (emotional attachment) choice of vehicle. If BMW fared as well as you'd liked then they would be a dependable source in your eyes.

agreed, definately morons. They mentioned that the last german car on that list was back in '03 and that was an '03 BMW 530i---yes that's my car, by-the-way.
BUT Consumer Report has always LOVED and ADORED japanese cars cause they perform like microwaves.

LOL.

Did not the last Infiniti G35 take the crown from the 3 series when it first release? case close. This is what the majority of consumer want a reliable automobile. Not all auto owner want to race at the red light like alot of you adolescent here;) But to be honest I was really surprise that Lexus, BMW or Audi on the list?

correction, But to be honest I was really suprise that Lexus, BMW and Audi not on the list.

Your NAME says it all about who you are. You like driving microwaves, ha? Good job! And no, G35 did not take the crown away from the E46, you moron. It was just faster 0-60.

razzy23, when reach you reach puberty and become old enough to drive than we talk. What freaking dweeb.

Does Mindy Tracthome still rave and coo over the 3-series?

Why no Mercedes E or S-Class?

I would'nt trust them buying a digital camera!

Are you kidding? Mercedes has been in a downward spiral when it comes to reliability for a few years now, and its not just electrical gremlins either.

I have have had many late-model MB's and I have become an expert at whipping up excuses to my neighbors on where the Benzes are at when I'm driving rentals. Hard to admit to others that the overpriced Euro darlings (the same ones that the Euro intoxicated in this forum cannot get enough of) are notoriously in the shop with one issue after another.

As a member of MBCA, our magazine articles typically feature tips on how to get dealerships to cooperate with these nagging matters and members even have a special 800 number to engage with the corporate office towards helping lessen the consumer perception damage.

I guess I'm one of the lucky "few", but none of my German cars have ever been in the shop for more than a day.

I can't even remember the last time one of them had a problem.

shrub the Mercedes hater.

The C class is not a "POS". Must I always remind people that this car was greatly improved when the refresh came? I hope not because it is getting annoying.

Like I stated above, most of the car mention above are for people looking for a reliable transportation. Except for the G35, fun and reliability as well. This what most consumer want or need. It "did "NOT" say anything about performance. Stop being insecure and grow will you.

This the most people would consider buying for their parents or grandparents, except the "G35".

razzy23, English is my second, actually third language, so if you to make fun of my English, go ahead. And please reframe from profanity, please.

Just a tip: the word is refrain, not "reframe."

why would you type in a vocal error. you could have just said "english is my third language"

which is obviously a lie

001 adding a few more picks to your list:
Midsize SUV: BMW X5
Upscale sedan: Mercedes S class
Luxury Sedan: BMW M5

Most overated: Lexus

Ok LEXUS, my bad... Where you from?

I'm French and Spanish decent, me and I my family move the U.S. not to long ago.

Lexus, welcome to the US. Im russian. Moved here when i was 11 years old. A lot older now, LOL!!

Thank you, Lexus is not the only car that I like. I like the M6, Audi RS4 as well. But if I had the money, I would get the Gallardo or Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

You know great about this website, it has all wonderful and latest new,pic and stat of cars. But on the other hand, I think it good that we have Aston Martin, Lambo, Ferrari, BMW, Lexus, MB and Audi etc...fans. Because it allowed everyone of us to express our opinion and have a little "FUN" arguing about it. Because think about, if everyone like the same thing, man, life would be really boring. And you have nothing to make fun of.

Infiniti huh? I challenge anyone from Consumer Reports to spend a year driving a QX4 before they decide.

Sorry you had problems with your QX4.

The sad fact is that the QX56, which replaced the QX4, accounts for the majority of the problems Infiniti has. If that troubled vehicle was not in the lineup, Infiniti would likely be fighting for the top spot in reliability.

Look further down the road at 3 and 5 year reliability and you'll find Infiniti generally ranked number one in reliability.

This is a report from people who were there.



Yesterday, Dan Roth and I spent the day at Consumer Reports' Auto Test Center in East Haddam, CT. The occasion was the publication's annual Press Day, during which members of the media are given a tour of their expansive (and very impressive) facilities, demonstrations of some of the tests they perform, and finally, the formal announcement of their annual top 10 car picks.

It was fun and informative, and we walked away with a real appreciation of Consumer Reports' testing methodology. Speaking as someone who was admittedly not a big believer in CR's ratings versus say, those of an enthusiast mag, I can report happily that the men and women involved with Consumer Reports' auto testing and reporting are very serious enthusiasts themselves. This is not the toaster brigade running the tests, these are real car people through and through. We'll put together a proper feature for you on our day at CR -- complete with photos and video -- in the near future.

Four Toyotas, three Hondas, a pair of Infinitis and a Mazda -- the Germans and Americans are conspicuously absent. The last German to make the list was the BMW 530i in 2003, and the last American cars to make the list were the Ford Focus Sedan and SVT Focus in 2004. (The Focus got its 2005 "Top Pick" award stripped after it came up short in crash test following that issue's publication.) In CR's overall new-car reliability rankings, Lincoln and GMC showed significant improvement. Ford stayed the same, Chevy and Buick improved slightly, while Jeep suffered a significant drop in the standings. Last place? That dubious honor belongs to Mercedes-Benz, whose new or redesigned-for-'06 cars' reliability is described as being "far below average."

i forgot to add this part:



To illustrate this, David Champion, CR's Sr. Director of Auto Testing, told us they found that the 1998 Lexus LS400 exhibited fewer problems last year than the 2006 Mercedes ML 500. Interesting tidbit, for sure. We'll talk about the CR visit in detail at a later date. For now, let's hear your opinions on the top picks in the comments.

LS 400 or ML...not sure which is more boring. reliabilty is nice. but i wouldn't give up styling or performance for a bit more of it.

with M35/45, Infiniti having too much attention
thay must done something right

• Fun To Drive: Mazda MX-5 Miata (YES)

• Small SUV: Toyota RAV4 (NO. Poor offroading qualities and ground clearance don't make this an SUV. The Rav4 has always been a "fun weekend car", not an SUV. Wrong choice here.)

• Small Sedan: Honda Civic (YES. Value, quality and a sports factor make this an appealing car for both sporty drivers and regular Joe's.)

• Family Sedan: Honda Accord (I would have picked the Hyundai Sonata. Glad the overrated Camry didn't make it.)

• Minivan: Toyota Sienna (Yes. The perfect car for large families.)

• Luxury Sedan: Infiniti M45 (YES-NO. Good value for money but this is more of a sports-luxury sedan than pure luxury sedan. E-Class or GS would have been better choices in my book.)

• Midsized SUV: Toyota Highlander Hybrid (NO. Take this car outside of the city and it becomes a gas-guzzler. Seems to me CR subscribers think that just because it is a hybrid, it is fuel efficient. Wrong.)

• Green Car: Toyota Prius (YES-NO. I personally find the Prius overrated but I guess it qualifies as "green" in terms of emissions. Still pollutes during the construction process though, like every car.)

• Upscale sedan: Infiniti G35 (My God CR is so sports biased all of a sudden? The G35 is a nice car for the money, but that's it. From what I gather, the BMW 3-Series is still the benchmark and more fun.)

• Budget Car: Honda Fit (YES)

you need to realize CR factors in reliability. to get a "Recommended" rating, a car must be AT LEAST average. which is NOT a high bar.

no german car makes the list because nearly all of them are BELOW AVERAGE.

apparently you missed Car & Driver naming the 3-series in the 10 best cars for 16 years in a row. Better than anyother car in the market. Or the fact that the 3-series is " The Benchmark for Performance Luxury Sedans" ... Last time I checked, no one is building a car to compete with the Lexus IS models. Didnt Lexus build the IS to compete with the BMW 3-series?

agreed. The actual car enthusiast magazines all say the same thing: the 3-series remains supreme.

reply to razzy's microwave comment above:

and microwaves are THE best new appliance of the past 100 years!

cars have also been around for over 100 years now. but until the JAPANESE cars of the past 30 - 40 years, cars have NEVER been as RELIABLE as appliances.

you use a term that's actually COMPLIMENTARY as an insult. being obviously, brainwashed by the car rag spindoctors.

damn, i have gotten SO SPOILED for reliability!

above comment should've been directly under razzy's, but the crappy spies software seems to have acquired "german reliability" lately. it will NOT allow insert comments dependably.

My '06 C230 has been flawless. I love this car.

The only reason I didn't buy the '07 G35 instead of the Lexus IS250 was the fuel mileage. The G35 is a great car but a GAS HOG.

didn't you sort of expect lower fuel economy in a car with an engine 40% larger and with 100 more hp? The G35 is a performance car, the IS250 isn't. I'm not knocking the IS250, it is a very nice car, just not the same car. I'd imagine the IS350, which has the same size engine and similar performance, has similar fuel economy to the G35.

My main problem with their road test ratings is that they never provide the formula used to calculate scores. I asked one of their road test engineers why. His only response: "it's policy."

Without knowing this formula, their ratings aren't all that useful, as it's not possible to tell how closely their priorities match your own.

It is always nice to see the ability of autospies users to spin whatever story into whatever meaning they see fit.

And then they have the nerve to try to justify their responses...LOL.

Here are my choices:


• Fun To Drive: Mini Cooper
• Minivan: Honda Odyssey
• Luxury Sedan: BMW 3-Series
• Midsized SUV: 2007 X5
• Green Car: Honda Civic NGV
• Upscale sedan: MB S Class

Ahh ya, Mini Cooper is a great call too, forgot about that one.

I always have an opinion, so here goes...(for the record our family cars are a 2004 Honda Pilot EX-L, a 2006 VW Rabbit and a 2006 A4 3.2 Quattro S-line)...this, however, is totally objective and based on experience (I've driven pretty much everything)...

• Fun To Drive: Madza Miata
• Small SUV: Honda CR-V
• Small Sedan: Honda Civic
• Family Sedan: Honda Accord
• Minivan: Honda Odyssey
• Luxury Sedan: BMW 5-Series
• Midsized SUV: Honda Pilot
• Green Car: Toyota Camry Hybrid
• Upscale sedan: Infiniti G35
• Budget Car: VW Rabbit

It's amazing that most of you can say that Consumer Reports isn't qualified to rate cars. And you are?
I don't understand why everyone takes is so personally. It's just an opinion. If you don't agree, don't purchase their magazine and don't pay attention to any of their lists. So many people value their opinion, that's why they always have one. I'm not saying I agree. I'm just not a freaking little baby who cares if you clowns like what kind of cars I drive.

Also, the article above doesn't show the criteria it used from the three non-listed 3 key areas

The bottom line is that you really can not trust what CR prints because a lot of it is just there opinion.

nice speech ryaajus
im 6'4 so me in small cars DO NOT GET ALONG so here's mines off of experience

• Fun To Drive: i luv my 745li
• Small SUV: imma change that to Fullsize SUV: Yukon/Surburban z71
• Small Sedan: never drove 1 in 7 yrs
• Family Sedan: imma change that to Fullsize: Toyota Avalon/Nissan Maxima/Dodge Charger
• Luxury Sedan: BMW 5/Lexus GS/Infinti M
• Midsized SUV: imma change that to Luxury SUV: Range Rover Sport
• Green Car: never drove 1
• Upscale sedan: BMW 745il until i upgrade

WOW! They went up fifteen spots!

If they can keep their cars fabulous (Audi) and maintain the reliability...

• Fun To Drive: BMW 335i Coupe
• Small Sedan: Honda Civic
• Family Sedan: Lexus GS
• Luxury Sedan: Mercedes Benz S-Class
• Midsized SUV: BMW X5 SAV
• Green Car: Lexus LS600hl/GS 450h/ Mercedes E320 BLUETEC
• Upscale sedan: BMW 3-Series
• Budget Car: Renualt Clio

Fun to drive: Porsche 997 Carrera S
Best entry-level luxury sedan: BMW 335i
Best luxury sedan: Mercedes-Benz S550
Midsized SUV: BMW X5 4.8i
Green Car: Lexus GS450H
Upscale Sedan: Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG
Budget Car: Honda Accord Hybrid

European's cry

As Infiniti's aren't sold in this country this list means little to me.

Fun-to-drive: Honda S2000
Entry-luxury sedan: BMW 3 Series
Luxuy sedan: Mercedes S550
Midsized SUV: Audi Q7
Green car: Lexus GS450h
Upscale sedan: Audi S8
Budget vehicle: VW GTI

what all the critics of CR seem NOT to know:

1) CR's auto testing facility and (anonymous) purchasing of test vehicles is one of the largest parts of CR's budget. and likely far exceeds ANY enthusiast magazine's.

2) their test facility is more comprehensive than what ANY auto enthusiast magazine has access to.

3) they have real auto ENGINEERS as full time employees. as opposed to mere SCRIBES. (the closest any rag gets, are the bike magazines with former real RACERS on staff.)

4) they thoroughly test ALL mechanical performance aspects, INCLUDING handling and ride (where they consistently give the germans top marks).

5) their final evaluations of ALL vehicles include at least THREE major factors: a) how the cars rate AS CARS, with all the mechanical attributes and faults. b) the brand's RELIABILITY history, constantly updated (they pass NO judgement on new models for at least a year), and c) SAFETY, primarily on a pass/fail basis.

the euro brands, DESPITE tending to get high mechanical ratings, tend to plummet in ratings due to their reliability issues.

japanese brands, and the big T and H in particular, consistently get high ratings due to HIGH RELIABILITY findings.

american vehicles generally rate HIGHER than the euro brands too. anyone claiming CR is biased toward the japanese and therefore WRONG, will have to allow they must be "wrong" too, about domestics outdoing the euro brands.

bottom line: the CR tests and recommendations may seem sterile compared to road test reports in the auto rags. that does NOT make them less valid. (even enthusiasts need OBJECTIVE knowledge.) it does make their views MORE objective.

enthusiast rags may write in more flowery --even juvenile-- styles. that does not make them more accurate. if anything, it just reveals their relative SUBJECTIVITY.

you don't CARE about reliability. fine. you're free to ignore those parts of CR evaluations. there ARE people --INCLUDING enthusiasts-- who DO factor that in.

Infiniti is on the up and up fix the NVH issues with the G35. The piece of junk that is the QX56 and the flop the Q45 and it will be a respectable luxury make.