LAT: Subaru at Top in Quality Survey (Japanese, S. Korean cars lead)

Subaru at Top in Quality Survey
It is most reliable among brands, Consumer Reports says. Hyundai Sonata heads the car list.

By John O'Dell, Times Staff Writer


Subaru, the Japanese automaker known for its all-wheel-drive vehicles, won the top spot for the highest-quality brand among new cars in Consumer Reports' annual automotive issue.

The magazine's annual survey of product quality and performance, which hits newsstands Tuesday but has already gone to subscribers, ranks Japanese and South Korean automakers tops for quality. U.S. brands are second but fall below the industry average, and Europeans rank a distant third....

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Subaru owners reported eight problems per 100 cars and SUVs sold — an 8% problem rate. Honda was the second-highest-rated brand at 9%, and Toyota took third at 10%. Lexus, last year's leader, fell to fourth with an 11% rate.

In another surprise, the magazine found South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Co.'s mid-size Sonata sedan to be the most reliable car in the U.S. last year, with just two problems reported for every 100 cars sold....

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Last year's reliability champ was Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus GS sedan....


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cars5mar05,0,5658976.story?coll=la-home-business

For the last 5 years best car for the price hands down. I can afford Totota's but why pay 5 k more for a car with less stuff, and that goes straight across the product line

though I do not know if I will be able to afford one.

In a separate satisfaction survey, Consumer Reports asked subscribers whether they would buy the same car or truck again. The magazine said it received more than 250,000 responses.

In this category, the Toyota Prius gas-electric hybrid topped the list — a first for a hybrid — with 94% of owners saying they would repeat. Last year's leader, the Lexus LS430 sedan, dropped into second place with a 92% positive response....

In another first for hybrids, Consumer Reports named the 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid as its best pick for a family sedan. The hybrid uses a V-6 engine and an electric drive system to provide enhanced performance with the fuel economy of a four-cylinder car.

which has surprised me. I would think this is something they'd be ahead of the curve on... sure matches well with their demographics.

Hopefully by the time my current Subaru is a goner, hybrids and extremely high mpg cars will be totally common.

We've owned 3 Subarus and they've been, on the whole, very dependable cars indeed. My husband has far more problems with his (newer) Chrysler than I do with the Subaru.

Maybe that has something to do with it.

The front-page lead was all about the return of $2.00 gasoline - lots of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth from independent truckers (very understandably so) and from SUV drivers (much less understandably so).

And in the automotive section? Well, there was the cover story about the new Land Rover which gets 14 mpg in town, but that wasn't the feature attraction.

No, top honors went to (once again) GM!! You see, they've held top secret auditions with celebrities (no list has yet been released, but it apparently includes rappers, pro basketball and football players, musicians, actors/actresses and TV stars) for the purpose of market testing their new version of the Cadillac Escalade.

The process was involved. The celebrities threaded their way one by one through a labyrinth of black velvet curtains to view different mockups of different models of the new Escalade. Hidden cameras recorded their facial reactions, including which parts of the clay models their eyes went to first.

So, with oil hovering at $55 a barrel, with gas rising 25 or 30 cents a gallon overnight across America, and with OPEC warning of the potential for $80 oil within two years, what did GM's tireless researchers discover?

Well, the secret celebrities came out strongly in favor of the big Escalade logo - you know, that sort of wreath-looking thingie - going on all the wheel covers and door locks. Oh, and they thought it should be made bigger.

:eyes:

:eyes:

In 1994, I bought a used 1982 Subaru 1600DL. It now has 224K miles on it and runs like a champ. I hope it passes smog again this year.

I swear, if I forget where I parked, I have a hard time finding my car -- soooo many Subarus!

Love the 4 wheel drive. It's basic, it's hassle free. Wonder why US cars can't do same? I thought we were "the best" in the world?

Anyway... not surprised at Subaru's status. And, if anyone has info on a future Subaru hybrid, fork it over!

A hybrid w/4wheel drive will be our next vehicle.

which isn't near that yet, as this car is only going on 6 years old, I could have written your post.

I love that car in all the stupid snow and ice this year! Just drive right over it.

But I want to see some movement on hybrids or other means of really, really high mpg coming from Subaru. Hope that happens soon!

1994, and I bought it used, 5 or 6 years ago. Seems like half the people in this town drive Subarus. They are excellent for snow and icy conditions on mountain roads and on the highways.

Traditionally, Hyundai's and Kia's made even Ford automobiles look reliable.

What is WRONG with our manufacturers, that we are STILL can't seem to manufacture quality, dependable cars?

but the rental Kia I drove felt like a kid's toy. Very cheap, plasticky, no pick up... ick. I'll stick with my Subarus.