The authoritative publication Consumer Reports publishes its traditional ranking of the most reliable used cars, pickups and SUVs. And this year there are no sensations. Out of 36 winners in various classes and categories, 16 are Toyota and Lexus models. Almost half of the entire list!
Consumer Reports' research is known for its authority and integrity, but some consider it a sort of advertisement for Japanese brands. Experts say the latest generation Corolla is “one of the best used cars on the market” and the Camry is “the smartest choice among used sedans”.
Other Asian brands fare quite a bit worse. Among the winners are eight models from Honda and Acura, three from Mazda, three from the Hyundai/Kia concern and two from Subaru. Overall, 32 of the 36 models have Japanese or Korean citizenship.
From the Europeans, two BMWs and one Volvo are among the recommended ones. American brands have similar representation - two places for Ford/Lincoln and one GMC model. And where are Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche? Apparently in the same place as Nissan and Infiniti - they participated in the ranking but remained far behind.