Consumer Report's Top Picks for 2008

Hmmmm where are the German cars on this list??

Germans makes cars. They don't make ladies' roadgoing transport appliances. Lexus does that.

I know where two of the German cars are. Here was the OVERALL ranking of car quality by Consumer Reports:

1) Honda 78
2) Toyota 75
3) Subaru 72
4) BMW 71
4) Mazda 71
4) Nissan 71
4) VW 71

So BMW and VW are up there, tied for fourth and ahead of... Lexus. Interesting. I don't subscribe to Consumer Reports, that's as far as I could get the list.

actually VW and Audi were brought down by the fact that their reliability has been below average. They both tested well but they brought down the rankings. Mercedes tested extremely well, but finished dead last in reliability. I don't know where they finished in overall ranking.

So it's not a German sweep here or anything, there were plenty of warts. I just wanted to point out that BMW (fourth) and VW (tied for fourth due to rounding up) were still highly ranked since Richard was obviously trying to imply Japanese cars ruled all and German cars sucked.

Can someone please ban GoObama? He has nothing constructive to say. All his posts are about how great Lexus is and how other car brands are crap. Idiots like him should be banned for lack of contribution to the forum.

screw you Willis whiner boy, you wouldn't say that about EL34 or whatever this retard's name was. What a hipocrate you are son.

You have to remember that the Consumer Reports methodology is to pick the best car/truck for the money based on numerous factors, not the out and out BEST car or truck, hence why the Germans don't normally get on the list.

They have two things CR hates...premium pricing over the the others and reliability not as strong as the Asians.

001

I guess Taylor never seen a Aston Martin...lol. I would say that the LS is the best looking Top End Sedan next to the MB S.

Yeah, sure, if the Audi A8 didn't exist.

GoObama, I can say that the LS looks like a bigger version of the camry. Heck, even the interiors look similar. So stop it with your worthless posts. Get out of this site if you can't appreciate other brands.

Putting your childish comments aside, I honestly did once see an LS from a distance and think it was a Camry, and the same thing happened to me when I was seeing a Camry (thought it was an LS). They have very similar side profiles and rear end styling.

The A8? It's pretty much accepted that that car is beautiful. It's timeless and still stunning, inside and out.

was that even in the article?

I bet you've never even driven a car.

LOL! rattles? rattles?

Stoolchecker ought to troll some of the BringMoreWampum sites and read about the complaints of ENGINES and TRANNYS needing major work, if not replacement.

this list is fixed.

I have an 08 gs350 I only have 1000 miles,but I love it,and so farno dash rattles.

Congrats to Hyundai for getting not just one, but TWO cars on the list.

Underperforming, the v6 rav 4 with well over 200hp ( I think its around 250 or so) blows the doors off of all other competitors in its segment, so I wouldn't call it underperforming.

^^^ LOL! whatever became of Rosko the Klown anyway? did he get banned?

Yeah 0-60 in the low 6 seconds is slow. Sure 269hp and 246lb/ft torque with a 5 spd auto is weak and slow. Yeah the handling isn't the best but it is by no means slow. what else in that class even offers that kind of power?

This sounds like last year's choices

its not. the luxury sedan was won my the M45 infiniti last year

LS460 is just perfection. Till now it's got so many awards, good media coverage...etc. Love it.

JUGNU

Except for one thing: it elicits no passion. I try to want this car, but it's hard, when I could get an A8, M5, etc instead.

It has lots of luxury features, but this is one of those cars that is less than the sum of its parts.

jugnu:

i'm assuming you're a 62 year old woman who's semi-retired and lives somewhere in suburbia. she certainly loves her LS. can hardly tell she's driving. ahhh perfection.

i'm sure the expensive german sedans stir a LOT OF PASSION every time some electronic gizmo or other craps out, and another unscheduled visit to the dealer becomes necessary.

i once had a neighbor whose car stirred SO MUCH PASSION, his steering wheel and dash were beat up! in frustration and anger.

LOL! i'd take a 'boring' reliable car every time.

"i'm sure the expensive german sedans stir a LOT OF PASSION every time some electronic gizmo or other craps out, and another unscheduled visit to the dealer becomes necessary."

Well, let's see.

I have a friend. We both had 2000 A6 2.7T's. When the 2004 A8L came out, he picked up a three-year lease on it. When the honeymoon was over, he realized that like most first-year A8s, the car was not reliable. His was worse than most, and he was very close to getting it lemon-lawed.

When his lease was up in 2007, he bought a Lexus LS460.

As reliable as the car is, he's unhappy with his decision. I asked him how he liked it, because I've toyed with the idea of getting a luxo cruiser, and all he could say was that it "bored him to death." I'm not making this up. He wishes he could've gotten an S-Class, or another A8, instead.

how did VW make it to the top of the list for reliability. I would have put them at the bottom.

It's not reliability....it's initial ratings.

If that was the only cars I could buy I would quit driving and ride a bicycle.

Excellent...hitting you would be how many points?

Depends on if you give bonus points for training wheels.

LOL, touche!

Except for the G35 and the Miata.

Great list? What's so great about the Hyundai Elantra? LOL!

Being a Poser is one thing but standing behind B.S cars?

I'd rather be a Poser. At least they have decent cars.

I'll see you in your Hyundai. I'll make sure to beep my horn in acknowledgment of your superior machinery.

My personal List

Luxury Sedan: Mercedes C saloon
Family Sedan: Nissan Altima
Upscale Sedan: Lexus IS350
Fun To Drive: Subaru WRX
Minivan: Honda Odyssey
Small SUV: Saturn VUE
Green Car: Toyota Prius

I guess you cannot argue with the Prius as VW does not have it's new diesels here yet, and it is still the #1 selling hybrid of all the others.

I know there has been controversy over CRs Top 10. I would like to get more insight on their pool of new car buyers. First you have to be a CR subscriber and if that pool of subscribers are majority of Japanese car drivers then the list is biased. Results also come from less than 2,000 adults!!! Simply rubbish.

For sometime CR would simply recommend Toyotas without any supporting evidence and if that is not bias then what is? Of course this has changed recently, most likely due to Toyotas quick expansion resulting in more cars being built and greater chance of failures.

"For sometime CR would simply recommend Toyotas without any supporting evidence..."


the evidence was merely A FEW DECADES of toyotas always scoring high on their annual reliability and frequency of repair records.
compare that with the long term record of Silverados.

Good to see my Chevy Silverado on there "surprising" for CR. Def the best truck out there. Not nearly as fun as my Porsche but has the best ride of any truck I have tested (all fo them). Tundra edges it in looks.

I'll never understand why what's on somebody else's list causes such an uproar.

If you like it and it's not on the list, you can still buy it. And if it is on the list and you think it sucks, you still don't have to buy it if you don't want to.

A lot of you people here seem to give way to much concern over what others think.

The top ten cars, brought to you by the people who review toasters, refrigerator, and garbage disposals.

exactly. i'd trust the toaster testers more than the failed wanna be racers.

btw, there was an article once about the actual people doing the CR tests. they are real auto engineers. even own sports cars. (unlike the auto rag journos, they do park their juvenile writing styles before writing up the road tests.)

I trust the Automotive writers more, because I am a driving enthusiast. I want a car thats fun to drive, not a rolling appliance

i see all the german fan boys are debosting as usual please give credit where credit is due. the LS460 is an awesome car and its ahead at the moment and until the next s class or the next 7 series comes out just take your beating like men. Not children!

How is the LS ahead of the S class or A8? These three cars are about all on the same level here. Cut the fanboy talk.

while CR acknowledges the lux appts. and electronic toys ALL the luxury makers offer, it seems only the asian brands can provide RELIABLE electronics.

due to bad RELIABILITY, not only the S-class but ALL MBs get a "fail" from CR.

Didn't JD Power recently recommend the S class and not the LS? Or was that Consumer Reports? Because I am confused now...

Yes, the S-Class and A8 were rated by J.D. Power as having the best quality of any sedans.

POINT IS THIS: MOST SATISFYING CAR BUILT IN THE WORLD IN GENERAL TERM: NO OTHERS COMES NEAR JAPANES PRODUCT EITHER IN TERMS OF ELECTRONICS OR CARS, PERIOD. If you disagree go googling and stop whining you cry babies.

Don't you wish that were true. LOL!

The Hyundai Elantra SE? Now that's a true display of Automotive Excellence at its very best. HAHAHAHAHAH

nicehomer is totally right, esp. with regard to electronics. my primary stereo receiver (Japanese of course) is nearly 30 years old now. the AM band died, but i rarely used it anyway.

otherwise, it's fine. it is on just about EVERY DAY. only times it wasn't on daily, was when i've been on vacation.

95% of japanese cars are about as satisfying to drive as a shoebox. get a clue. and stop drinking the kool aid.

willis the LS is ahead of the consumer report in the luxury segment it got 99 out of 100 did you read the article!thats what this whole column is about. you just proved my aboue comment thanks.

The LS460, Miata, and G35 are the only cars that are worth anything on that list imo.

The majority of vehicles on that list are cars, that are designed and engineered for people who don't care about cars. Cars for people who are looking to just get from point-a-to-point-b (read:basic transportation). It amazes me that people are actually standing-up and defending these automotive appliances. Wow!

Anyone who puts any value into CR's car reports, would be the last person I would ask for car advice.

consumer reports reviews: toaster ovens, washing machines, health insurance, dvd players, TVs, etc. oh, and cars.

nice data point, but certainly not who i'd look to for advice on what to buy. notice how boring most of the cars are?

Too bad your mother didn't use one and abort you.

ok, from the CR site itself. this is the background for their tests. the MOST COMPREHENSIVE of any product testing.

"To supplement laboratory testing, the survey research department gathers the experiences that hundreds of thousands of our subscribers have had with products and services through an annual questionnaire. Those results are the basis of our well-known auto Frequency-of-Repair index and other product-reliability reports.

More than 100 testing experts work in seven major technical departments--appliances, auto test, baby & child, electronics, foods, health & family, and recreation & home improvement, while more than 25 research experts work in three departments--product acquisition, product information, and statistics & quality management. In addition, we have more than 150 anonymous shoppers throughout the country. (Pay a virtual visit to our auto-test track.)

State-of-the-art testing equipment is always used and is sometimes complemented by equipment designed by our engineers. The actual tests are based not only on government and industry standards but also on standards our specialists think should apply.

Consumer Reports has been testing products since 1936. Visit our online gallery to see a selection of vintage testing photographs from our archives."



personally, the ONLY gripe i have about CR's results, is that they are OVERLY safety oriented. the ONLY reasons the hyundai and the silverado got selected over the better handling civic and tundra, was the fact that those vehicles had Vehicle Dynamic Control as standard eqpt.

at least, they DO SPECIFY which cars rate better in handling and the other overall automotive virtues. IF you retards actually bother to read the articles.

their strongest bias just happens to be toward SAFETY.

you're right. nobody offers more comprehensive toaster oven testing.

who follows CR? I have a passion for cars but a guide from those who review appliances, etc isn't gonna cut it. I buy what I think is best for me. This list doesn't mean anything unless you try out the cars here.

Loser spellchecker001, Toy Sienna = 3.5 V6 fastest in class, can be had w/ HID's, AWD, Laser Cruise...

RAV 4 is ugly, but V6 is faster than all, as fast as an X5 4.8.

I don't think the speed of the Sienna means a whole lot, if fast minivans were important the MB R-class wouldn't be such a sales disaster.

R 63 is very limited, the R 350 is very slow.

It's a pity then that the E430cdi doesn't exist, and never has, and the fact that the E320cdi emits 194 g/km Co2, just 8 more than the Lexus.
And you lie once again, the current 116i (not the terrible old model) emits 139g/km CO2, far less than the Lexus, and the 118d emits just 119g/km, which will make it FREE for the congestion charge in London.
All the large German 3.0 diesels emit less than 225g/km, as do some 3.0 petrols (in BMWs mainly), but not Lexus's cars. No, the IS250 manual, GS300/350/430/460, RX300/350, SC430 and LS460 are all over that limit...

There should be a BMW somewhere on that list.

yes, it is you. that is the moron.

Maybee the new 7 series will get higer on that list?

Pics of it here:

http://www.carpoint.com.au/car-review/2900122.aspx

Is this a site for 12 year olds?

Hey Obama,

I have a question for ya.

Where in US you can buy new 116i and 120d… (was it) from BMW, so you comparing them. BMW USA has 2 models, brand spanking new and they as follow are 128i and 135i. I have not driven them as there is a line. Shouldn’t you be comparing them instead 116i that is nowhere to be found around here, fairness brother.

PS. Problem with the “European crap” that breaks easy, (by words of my friend) lay in American “grease monkeys” and their incompetence. End of quote. VW is much more reliable then an Opel in Germany, should I mention who owns that company. Apropos… we will start having more Opels here in US and pretty cheap as well, I’m curious to see how they would be as reliability.