2011 Annual Car Reliability Survey: Best and worst vehicles by brand

2011 Annual Car Reliability Survey: Best and worst vehicles by brand:

If you are looking for a reliable car, don’t assume that certain brands are always shoe-ins. Each manufacturer has models that have a range of reliability in Consumer Reports’ annual car reliability survey.

When shopping for a car, it’s best to look at individual models and not make assumptions based on brand perceptions. In addition, just because a vehicle scored well in our reliability survey doesn’t mean it's recommended by CR or a good vehicle to buy.

Some models are reliable, but don’t do well in our testing. One example is the Jeep Patriot, which had the best reliability for Jeep, but scores too low in our testing to be recommended. Alternatively, the Audi Q5 scores very high in our tests, but its reliability is well below average, so we cannot recommend it.

There are also disparities within brands. Some manufacturers have very good reliability within all its models across the board, but we’ve seen that list drop from seven consistent brands last year to only two this year. Only Scion, Acura, and Mazda do not have any models that have below-average reliability. Others like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have some that score very high and others that are well below average.

Below is a list of the best and worst vehicles by brand based on predicted reliability. Models with an asterisk (“*”) are based on data for one model year only.

Make	Worst model	Best model
Scion	xB	xD
Lexus	IS Convertible*	CT 200h*
Acura	TSX	TL (FWD)
Mazda	CX-9	MX-5 Miata
Honda	Odyssey*	CR-Z*
Toyota	Sienna (AWD)*	Highlander (4-cyl.)
Infiniti	G Convertible	QX56*
Subaru	Tribeca*	Forester (non-turbo)
Nissan	Z	Titan*
Volvo	XC90*	C70*
Hyundai	Santa Fe (V6)	Elantra Wagon
Kia	Sedona	Optima*
Jeep	Wrangler (4-door)	Patriot
Lincoln	MKX (FWD)*	MKZ Hybrid*
Chrysler	Town & Country	200*
Volkswagen	Routan	Golf TDI
Chevrolet	Silverado 2500*	Volt*
Mercedes-Benz	GL-Class	C-Class (RWD)
BMW	550i*	X3*
Ford	Edge (AWD)*	Fusion Hybrid
Dodge	Ram 2500 (turbodiesel)	Caliber
GMC	Sierra 2500*	Sierra 1500 (V6, 2WD)
Mini	Cooper Clubman S	Cooper Hatchback
Buick	LaCrosse (AWD)*	Enclave (FWD)
Cadillac	Escalade*	CTS (V6, RWD)
Audi	Q5 (V6)	A4 (4-cyl.)
Porsche	Cayenne*	911*
Jaguar	XF	XJ*

*Based on one model year; redesigned or introduced for 2011

As these results show, it is unwise to judge a book by its cover. Avoid assumptions based on past history or anecdotal experience. Instead, do your research before you buy your next vehicle. It takes just a few minutes to browse the model overview pages, or use the interactive new car selector tool, which sorts and filters by the parameters that matter most to you.

Either path will reveal Consumer Reports recommended models that did well in our road tests, score average or better in reliability, and perform at least adequately if included in government or insurance industry safety tests.

For more details on our 2011 Annual Car Survey, including the full list of most and least reliable new cars by vehicle type, see our new car reliability report. Also, check out our guide to car reliability for more details on new and used car reliability as well as owner satisfaction.

Source: Google Reader