ежегодно Consumer Reports publishes its highly anticipated car brand report card, a comprehensive evaluation for consumers navigating the automotive market. These rankings are not arbitrary; they’re derived from a meticulous average of each automaker’s vehicles’ Overall Score. This score is a robust composite, incorporating critical factors such as rigorous road-test performance, safety ratings, and predictive reliability alongside owner satisfaction data. For car buyers seeking clarity, this report provides a definitive, data-driven perspective on which Car Makes truly shine and which might be best approached with caution.
Consumer Reports goes further, also offering distinct ratings that delve into specific aspects of brand performance. These include average road-test scores, reliability predictions for new models, and owner satisfaction levels. Furthermore, the report extends to used car reliability rankings, providing a holistic view of each brand’s quality and longevity across its vehicle lineup.
In the 2025 report, encompassing 32 car makes, the top tier largely mirrors the previous year’s standings. However, there’s a notable shift at the very summit: Subaru has ascended to the number one position, overtaking BMW. This change wasn’t a landslide victory; Subaru edged out BMW by a mere single point in the average Overall Score, demonstrating the competitive nature at the peak of car manufacturing excellence.
Lexus also demonstrated upward movement, advancing from fifth to third place. Interestingly, this wasn’t due to Lexus’s own score increase, but rather a slight dip in the rankings of Porsche and Honda, illustrating the dynamic shifts within the top contenders.
Audi made a significant leap this year, climbing six positions to secure the sixth spot. Conversely, Mini and Acura experienced a decline in their rankings, primarily attributed to lower predicted reliability scores. These movements highlight the impact of reliability on overall brand perception and ranking.
Other car makes experiencing notable shifts include Buick, which slid four places to 17th due to less impressive road-test scores. The new Envista model, in particular, received only an adequate score. Cadillac also faced a considerable drop, falling seven places to 21st. This decline was partly influenced by the below-average reliability ratings of its Lyriq EV, emphasizing the growing importance of electric vehicle performance in brand evaluations.
The annual reshuffling in rankings is a natural occurrence, especially among car makes with smaller product lines. Because these rankings are based on averages, brands with fewer models find that each individual model has a more pronounced effect on the overall brand score. This underscores the statistical sensitivity of brand rankings to individual model performance.
For prospective car buyers, the key takeaway is to look for consistent performance across the board, as exemplified by the top-performing brands. Equally important is to be aware of the lower-rated car makes. This segment of the ranking consistently includes GMC, Land Rover, Rivian, and Stellantis brands such as Alfa Romeo, Dodge, and Jeep. These brands often face challenges in reliability and overall scores, which are critical factors for consumer satisfaction and long-term ownership.
It’s crucial to remember that even within high-scoring car makes, there can be models that underperform. Therefore, always check the ratings of the specific models you are considering. This is especially pertinent for larger manufacturers like Toyota. While some Toyota models, such as the Camry, achieve high scores, others, like the Tacoma, may receive poorer ratings in road tests and predicted reliability. This model-specific variability highlights the importance of granular research beyond just brand-level rankings.
Among the 32 car makes evaluated by Consumer Reports this year, only a select few – Porsche, Infiniti, Mini, and Buick – achieved the distinction of earning recommendations for every single model tested. However, it’s important not to overinterpret this statistic. These are brands with relatively limited product lines and fewer models subjected to testing. For instance, Chrysler, ranked 16th and the highest-placed domestic brand, owes its score to its small product line, including the Pacifica, Pacifica Hybrid, and the new-for-2025 Voyager.
Conversely, there are seven car makes that did not have a single model recommended by Consumer Reports: Lincoln, Alfa Romeo, Dodge, GMC, Land Rover, Rivian, and Jeep. These brands also tend to occupy the lower rungs of the overall rankings. Consumers should exercise significant caution and conduct thorough research before considering purchasing vehicles from these manufacturers.
To qualify for inclusion in the brand rankings, Consumer Reports mandates that they must have tested at least two current models from a given company. Consequently, brands like Fiat, Jaguar, Lucid, Maserati, Polestar, and Ram were not included in this year’s report. This inclusion criterion ensures that the rankings are based on a reasonable breadth of model testing for each car make.
Consumer Reports provides an interactive chart for a deeper dive into the full brand rankings, allowing users to view the data segmented into mainstream and luxury categories. This categorization helps to refine comparisons based on price point and market positioning. It’s important to note that whether mainstream or luxury, the Overall Scores are calculated uniformly, enabling direct comparison across all car makes. This comprehensive and segmented approach empowers consumers to make informed decisions based on their specific needs and preferences within the automotive market.
