Recently, Consumer Reports announced its best cars list for 2021. But in a move that's handy for those of us who may not be wowed by any of the models on that list, the company has also just released its automaker brand report card for 2021, showing which brands are building the best cars based on a score built around four factors: road-test score, predicted reliability, owner satisfaction and safety.
Admittedly, consume this data with some caution: not all lineups are alike. Toyota earned the same score as Chrysler, even though the former had 19 vehicles tested and 15 earning a CR recommendation and the latter had just two models tested, with only one earning a high score. Reliability scoring will benefit manufacturers who aren't rolling out new products or the latest tech, and yearly volatility may suggest an issue with the methodology.
That said: Honda made the biggest jump for 2021, climbing 10 places into the top five. Lincoln (-15), Genesis (-13) and Kia (-10) experienced the biggest declines. Indeed, Lincoln, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Land Rover and Alfa Romeo rounded about the bottom five. And Tesla fell five places to 16th.
