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- In Consumer Reports’ 2026 Automotive Brand Report Card, foreign brands ranked 9th out of the top 10.
- The jeep was placed last.
- Early adopters pay for innovations that come with reliability issues.
While the average price of a new car has soared to more than $50,000, some great cars are still affordable and packed with features and technology that were cutting-edge not too long ago.
These are some of the findings of Consumer Reports’ influential 2026 Automotive Brand Report Card, Jake Fisher, senior director of automotive testing, said in an interview.
CR’s top 10 brands include affordable mass-market brands such as Subaru (ranked No. 1 overall for the second year in a row), Honda at No. 4, Toyota at No. 5, and Hyundai at No. 8.
“In some ways, the cheaper vehicles are the most impressive,” Fisher said. “There’s a lot of good value if you look for it.”
Consumer Reports’ Top 10 Car Brands of 2026
- Subaru
- BMW
- porsche
- honda
- toyota
- lexus
- lincoln
- hyundai
- acura
- tesla
Tesla’s highest score ever
Tesla’s entry into the top 10 marks the first time that a full-brand electric car manufacturer has received such praise from CR, which has consistently criticized Tesla’s reliability.
“Tesla makes the most reliable electric vehicles today,” Fisher said.
He said the reason for this is that most Tesla models have been in production for a long time.
“Has anyone been making as many EVs as Tesla for as long as Tesla? No one has,” he said. “The Tesla S hasn’t been redesigned in 15 years. No one else continues to produce vehicles for this long, but they have been refined over time.” Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Teslas from five to 10 years ago rank last in terms of reliability among vehicles of that age, he noted.
Consumer Reports’ Top 10 Luxury Brands
- BMW
- porsche
- lexus
- lincoln
- acura
- mini
- Genesis
- audi
- Cadillac
- volvo
Not much good news for Detroit brands.
Ford’s luxury brand, Lincoln, was the only Detroit-based brand in the top 10. GM’s luxury brand, Cadillac, ranked 17th, one place ahead of Ford. Buick, Chevrolet, and Chrysler came in 20th, 24th, and 25th, respectively.
Three of the bottom five brands are from Stellantis, a global automaker that includes the classic Chrysler brand. Jeep was last at 31st place, and Dodge was 28th. It may be some consolation that Alfa Romeo, one of the Italian-based Stellantis brands, was 27th.
Consumer Reports Top 5 Car Brands of 2026
27. Alfa Romeo
28. Dodge
29.GMC
30. Land Rover
31. Jeep
The price of innovation
Like seagulls flocking to landfills, problems follow technological innovations.
“Reliability increases over time,” Fisher says. “New vehicles are cheaper. When you add new features, you create problems.”
Lincoln benefited from that. The brand’s two oldest models, the Aviator and Corsair, both received improved reliability. CR did not test Lincoln’s flagship Navigator because the large luxury SUV is beyond the magazine’s price range. Production of the Corsair is scheduled to end soon.
Cadillac’s line of EVs has been praised for their technology, performance and luxury, but “reliability hasn’t been very good,” Fisher said.
“There’s always a learning curve, and GM is always on that steep part,” he said. Because you move from one technology to another.
Hybrids are the rule, but plugins are not the rule
Fischer said hybrids are currently the most trouble-free powertrain because the technology has matured for decades and Toyota, the automaker that invests the most in it, is very cautious about adopting new ideas.
While hybrids are the norm, plug-in hybrids or PHEVs, which feature larger batteries and longer ranges on electric power alone, are less reliable and share issues with EVs, such as charging and cabin temperature control.
“Today’s hybrid vehicles are often quieter, smoother, and more powerful than internal combustion engines,” Fisher says. “It will improve in the future.”
Consumer Reports produces annual reports based on road tests, owner reports, new and used vehicle reliability, owner satisfaction, and maintenance and repair costs. CR road tests more than 200 new vehicles each year. This year’s rankings also reflect a survey of more than 380,000 vehicle owners, an increase of 27% from 2025.
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark ferran. read more car and sign up for our service automotive newsletter. become a subscriber.
