Consumer Reports (CR) named Subaru ( 7270.T ) the top brand for the second consecutive year in its 2026 overall brand report card, with BMW ( BMW.DE ) the runner-up, although the German brand scored the highest in the luxury category.
CR’s Automotive Report Card scores excellent and poor on a car’s reliability (new and used), owner satisfaction, and road-test performance, among other factors. CR tests about 50 new cars at its test center and surveys its members to collect data on reliability and owner satisfaction.
“While Subaru models offer good performance and comfort, they also excel in areas not immediately visible during a test drive,” said Jake Fisher, CR senior director of auto testing.
“BMW has built many highly desirable models over the years, and their reliability easily surpasses all of their European competitors,” added Fischer.
For the overall report card, Porsche, Honda, Toyota, Lexus, Lincoln, Hyundai, Acura and Tesla rounded out the top 10. Lincoln made the biggest jump, climbing 17 spots to become the top domestic brand.
In contrast, Audi fell the most, falling 10 places to 16th overall. Dodge, GMC, Land Rover, Rivian, and Jeep rounded out the bottom five in overall scores.
CR said this year’s survey data covers 380,000 vehicles across 25 model years, which the consumer nonprofit claims is the most vehicles it has ever covered.
“This enables us to drill down into the details when the owner has a problem,” Steven Alec, CR data analytics program leader, told reporters in a presentation.
Toyota ( TM ) took the top spot in reliability, after the Camry underwent a major redesign in its second year, and improvements to the driving comfort of the Tundra and Tacoma trucks. Subaru, as in 2025, remained in second place.
Tesla’s ( TSLA ) Model Y and Model 3 “[overcame] Build quality issues from the past” to slot in ninth place, its highest ranking ever.
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Mazda ( MZA.F ) was the biggest dropper, however, to 14th overall in reliability. The CX-90 and CX-70 SUVs “pulled Mazda down” at the brand level, Alec said.
Buick ( GM ) had the highest domestic ranking, coming in eighth in reliability, with Ford ( F ) improving to 11th place, according to CR, its best performance in 15 years.
Interestingly, Rivian ( RIVN ) was lowest in reliability scores but highest in owner satisfaction, according to the Owner CR Poll, with 85% claiming they would buy one again. CR said Rivian owners are willing to deal with the growing pains of new technologies.
