Originally Posted by CNNMoney

Japanese carmakers -- or, more specifically, Honda followed by Toyota and Subaru -- took all ten spots in this year's Consumer Reports magazine top picks.

No American or European nameplates are represented in this year's list, which is published in the April issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

The lone American model on last year's list, the Ford Focus, was replaced this year by the new, redesigned Honda Civic

Of the five Honda vehicles on Consumer Reports' Top Picks, four are manufactured in the U.S. The remaining vehicle, the Honda Ridgeline, was designed and engineered in the U.S. but is built in Canada.

Of the five other vehicles in the list, two are Toyotas, two are Subarus and one is from Nissan's Infiniti luxury division. Those remaining five are all are produced in Japan.

Consumer Reports buys vehicles anonymously for its test fleet through ordinary retail dealerships and tests them at a specially built facility in Connecticut. Among the tests performed are acceleration, handling, braking, ride quality and visibility.

In addition to track tests, test engineers also drive the vehicles in ordinary day-to-day situations.

To gauge reliability, the magazine surveys subscribers to both the magazine and its related Web site. Each respondent can supply data on up to two vehicles and the magazine received survey data on about a million individual vehicles this year, Consumer Reports said.

In order to be considered for a Top Pick a vehicle must have at least average predicted reliability, based on survey results, and good scores in crash tests by the government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Originally Posted by Consumer Reports

SEDAN Less than $20,000
Honda Civic
Redesigned for 2006, the new Civic ($17,000 to $20,000) has a roomy
interior, a comfortable ride, and good handling and fuel economy. Manual- and automatic-transmission versions get 31 and 28 mpg overall. The hybrid gets 37 mpg overall. Curtain air bags are standard and crash-test results are impressive.

SEDAN $20,000-$30,000
Honda Accord
The Accord provides an excellent balance of comfort, roominess, and handling. Each model provides good fuel economy for its class, with the four-cylinder and V6 models getting 23 and 24 mpg overall. The Hybrid delivers quicker acceleration and moderately better gas mileage of 25 mpg overall.

SEDAN $30,000-$40,000
Acura TL
The TL is among the highest-scoring sedans we’ve tested. It provides a near-ideal blend of comfort, convenience, and sportiness--all at a reasonable $33,700. It handles well and delivers a controlled, quiet ride. The interior has excellent fit and finish. The TL is quick, while still getting a commendable 23 mpg.

LUXURY SEDAN
Infiniti M35
The M35 provides an excellent balance of performance, comfort, and handling. Available in rear- or all-wheel drive, the V6-powered M35x (about $50,000) is as capable threading a twisty road as it is cruising on the highway. A $69,000 V8-powered M45 model is also available.

SUV Less than $30,000
Subaru Forester
The Forester is a good vehicle and a good value--about $23,000 for the 2.5X. This car-based, all-wheel-drive SUV handles nimbly and rides comfortably. The $24,000 Honda CR-V is a very good runner-up, with more room and standard electronic stability control (ESC).

SUV More than $30,000
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
The Highlander Hybrid ($35,000 to $40,000) is a well-rounded SUV with quick acceleration, a comfortable ride, and a third-row seat. Its 22 overall mpg is impressive for a midsized SUV. This hybrid and its near twin, the 23-mpg Lexus RX400h ($50,000), are the only SUVs to achieve an excellent overall score in our testing. Another excellent choice, with a better third-row seat, is the Honda Pilot ($29,000 to $35,000).

PICKUP TRUCK
Honda Ridgeline
The Honda Ridgeline ($28,000-$35,000) redefines the pickup, combining the comfortable ride and agile handling of a car-based chassis with a good payload capacity. The roomy cab features nice details and is easy to access. It even offers a weather-tight trunk in the bed. If you want a longer bed and more towing capacity, we suggest the Toyota Tundra.

MINIVAN
Honda Odyssey
The Honda Odyssey ($26,000 to $37,000) leads the minivan class with agility, refinement, and interior flexibility. ESC and curtain air bags are standard. The interior is well crafted and comfortable. The Toyota Sienna ($25,000 to $39,000), another high scorer, is quieter, rides more comfortably, and offers all-wheel drive, but is less agile.

GREEN CAR
Toyota Prius
For the third year, this $23,000 gasoline/electric hybrid is our pick, thanks to its excellent 44-mpg overall fuel economy. It is certified by the California Air Resources Board as a near-zero-emission vehicle. With a roomy interior, reasonable performance, and the versatility of a hatchback, the Prius is a good alternative to a midsized sedan.

FUN TO DRIVE
Subaru Impreza WRX / STi
The Impreza WRX and its high-performance STi variant ($25,000 and $33,000, respectively) prove that you don’t have to spend a lot of money or give up practicality to get a fun-to-drive sports car. They blend quick acceleration and very agile handling with the versatility of a four-door sedan or wagon (WRX only).

Originally Posted by Consumers Reports

Vehicle reliability no longer improving - Japanese brands still do best in most recent reliability surveys. Mercury makes top ten.
March 1, 2006: 6:11 PM EST NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com)
In Consumer Reports' most recent survey of vehicle reliability, the top of the list is, once again, dominated by Japanese manufacturers.

Lexus, Toyota's luxury brand, is ranked as the most reliable nameplate, followed by Honda and Toyota's Toyota brand. Of the top ten brands ranked by predicted reliability, according to Consumer Reports, nine are Japanese.

Only one U.S.-based brand, Ford Motor Co.'s Mercury, made the top 10. Mercury ranked eighth. In last year's survey, Mercury had ranked 16th.

Not all Japanese manufacturers did so well, however. Infiniti, Nissan's luxury division, dropped from eighth place last year down to 28th place in Consumer Reports' reliability rankings this year. The Infiniti QX45 was the most unreliable vehicle among all new cars.

Among overall brands, Porsche ranked as the least reliable based entirely on problems with the Cayenne SUV.

Consumer Reports' reliability predictions are based on an annual survey the magazine conducts of subscribers to its magazine and Web site, ConsumerReports.org. This year, Consumer Reports said, the magazine collected survey data on more than one million vehicles. Each survey respondent can supply data on one or two vehicles.

The survey asks owners to report major problems -- meaning problems that cost a significant amount to repair or that took the vehicle out of service or caused a safety risk -- within the past 12 months. The survey covered 1998 to 2005 model-year vehicles.

In recent surveys, reliability has not been improving as quickly as it had in the past, Consumer Reports said. While Japanese brands still do best and U.S. brands are improving, all have seen the rate of problems per 100 vehicles stay relatively flat since 2003.

Reliability: Top-ten ranked brands
1. Lexus
2. Honda
3. Toyota
4. Mitsubishi
5. Subaru
6. Acura
8. Mercury
9. Mazda
10. Suzuki