That often reduces quality problems, Fisher said. The Japanese brands tend to follow a slower product change cadence and share many platforms and powertrains across vehicles. Likewise, according to Fisher, the Ram half-ton pickup truck also did well because the current version has been in the market longer than rivals such as the Chevrolet Silverado or Ford F-150.

Buick and Chrysler both scored above average because they have older vehicles, which provided time to work out the kinks. Fordĭomestic manufacturers generally scored lower because their latest models aren’t as reliable as previous vehicles.

The exception is brands with older cars that have the bugs ironed out. car to be a Consumer Reports Top Pick (best in class) is the Ford Mustang Mach-E. All this new technology creates an unreliable vehicle, which is strange because the electric vehicle on its own should be a very reliable system,” Fisher said.

“The control systems and things like the door handles are often different than previous gasoline models. Moreover, packing a car with the latest technology features often hurts reliability because it typically takes a year to identify and correct glitches.Ī similar problem is showing up in electric vehicles. If you accidentally brush a button while turning the steering wheel, suddenly the radio station has changed,” Fisher said. That turns and adjusting the radio or climate systems into a multistep task. Mercedes-Benz, for example, relies on capacitive controls for many functions. But as often as not, those turn out to be “tech gimmicks that complicate the driving experience rather than making it better,” Fisher said. Luxury auto brands typically attempt to differentiate themselves by offering the latest technology features. “Just like other luxury goods, sometimes you are paying for the brand as opposed to getting more substance for the dollar,” said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ senior director of automotive testing. Other low scorers included Mercedes-Benz, Genesis, Volvo, Cadillac and Jaguar. Luxury brands mainly were relegated below average. Despite its consumer chic, sport electric car manufacturer Tesla ranked 23rd of the 32 brands, well below average.

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