Wondering which car brands are the all-around best? According to the Automaker Report Cards published in Consumer Reports’, Annual Auto Issue, 4 of the top 5 brands are Japanese, with no US car makers making the list — even though there was a 4-way tie for 5th place. Ouch.

Consumer Reports’ Top 5 All-Around Car Brands

• Honda
• Subaru
• Toyota
• Mazda
• (tie) Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Volkswagen, and BMW

While it may be somewhat disheartening not to see at least one US car-maker on the list, CR says that the lack of American brands doesn’t mean that there aren’t any quality American cars. For example, new models like the Ford Flex, F-150, Chevrolet Malibu, and Cadillac CTS have done well in CR’s tests and rank near the top of their classes in its ratings.

Overall, though, the worst overall car manufacturer is Chrysler. “The company’s poor performing products and sinking reliability results have kept all Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep badged vehicles off CR’s Recommended list.”

If you want to check out the full rankings, they’re are available in the article “Who makes the best cars?” in the magazine on sale March 3 and at http://www.ConsumerReports.org (subscription). Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union, which also publishes Consumerist. (Yay!)

[Consumer Reports]

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