Gas-pedal inspection shows most do not pivot

Preliminary federal investigation into a highly publicized unintended-acceleration crash involving a Lexus ES 350 crash this past August is pointing toward incorrect floor mats as a significant factor. The cause of the crash is described as “very excessive speed” linked to the accelerator being fully depressed. (Read "More than floor mats: NHTSA report gives more details on Lexus crash.")
 
Toyota issued a recall on 3.8 million cars to have owners remove the floor mats from the vehicles. But the other part of the equation in the investigation is the accelerator pedal itself. An initial investigation of the crashed car found the rubberized plastic all-weather floor mat was fused to the rubberized plastic accelerator pedal in the fire that followed the crash (pdf). That mat wasn’t intended for the ES; rather it was a mat from an RX 400h.
 
The report also noted that the Lexus’s accelerator “is not hinged and has no means for relieving forces caused by interferences.” All gas pedals move up and down to control the engine speed, and most are hinged either at the top or the bottom. Some pedals also tilt relative to the arm they’re mounted on (though this has no effect on the throttle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seems to imply that if the pedal had a second hinge, it might have been easier for the driver to get it unstuck from the floor mat.
 
We checked our Auto Test Center parking lot to find how many cars had such a double-hinged pedal. Of 45 cars we checked, we found only the Kia Optima LX four-cylinder had a double-hinged pedal (show right)—our Optima EX V6 did not. In the LX sedan, the pedal was so high off the floor that it seems unlikely that an unsecured floor mat could reach it, as investigators suggest may have been the case in the Lexus crash. All other pedals checked in our lot were rigid, one-piece designs (see above), some hinged at the top, and some at the bottom.
 
We’re not sure whether the double-hinged design would help or not. But it seems an answer not many automakers are pursuing. For its part, Toyota says it is working on solutions that prevent the throttle from sticking, rather than those that would mitigate the effects of a stuck throttle.

 —Eric Evarts

Related:
More than floor mats: NHTSA report gives more details on Lexus crash
Putting a car in Neutral might save your life
Putting stuck floor mat survival strategies to the test
Floor mat survey reveals problem with all-weather mats
Toyota and Lexus floor mat recall is official
Toyota advises 3.8 million Lexus and Toyota owners to remove floor mats
Misaligned floor mat may have caused calamity

2009 Annual Auto Reliability Survey: Best and worst models by car maker

It is easy to assume that certain automakers build only reliable cars and others don’t, however, nearly every manufacturer have their share of winners and losers in our annual reliability survey. Each company and even brand product portfolio runs a spectrum of reliability performance, with its own best and worst examples. For some, the range can span from much better than average to much worse than average, whereas other may be centered around average. The key lesson from scanning the data within an automaker is not to make assumptions.

For example, the best Toyota Motor Company model in our reliability survey is the Lexus SC—its predicted reliability score is the second highest out of over 300 vehicles, but the worst is the Lexus GS (AWD), which scores in the bottom 10 percent, and receives a much worse than average rating, and is not recommended in our testing. While it is true that Lexus models tend to be reliable and test well, this is not the case for all Lexus vehicles.

The greatest disparity comes from Volkswagen. The VW Golf (aka Rabbit) is one of the most reliable small cars you can buy, but the Volkswagen Touareg has the lowest predicted reliability score in our 2009 Annual Auto Survey.

In most cases, the best model for reliability is a recommended model and the worst is not. However, Honda’s top reliable vehicle in our survey, the Honda Insight, is not recommended due to low scores in our testing. The least reliable Honda vehicle is the Acura RL, but it has an average reliability score and is recommended. Honda is one of the more consistent manufacturers and has no model that scored below average in reliability.

The two more reliable General Motors products are from two brands that are leaving the GM umbrella. The Saturn Aura (4-cyl.) is newly recommended this year and the Pontiac Vibe will be phased out in the coming months.

Below are the best and worst models in reliability. Models with an * are based on data of one model year only.

BMW
Best: BMW 328i (RWD)
Worst: BMW 535i (AWD)*

Chrysler
Best: Jeep Patriot
Worst: Chrysler Town & Country/Dodge Grand Caravan

Ford
Best: Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan (4-cyl.)
Worst: Ford F-250 (turbodiesel, 4WD)*

General Motors
Best: Chevrolet Malibu (V6)
Worst: Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon (4WD)

Honda
Best: Honda Insight*
Worst: Acura RL

Hyundai/Kia
Best: Hyundai Tucson
Worst: Kia Sedona

Mazda
Best: Mazda3 sedan
Worst: Mazda CX-7

Mercedes-Benz
Best: Mercedes-Benz GLK*
Worst: Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (turbodiesel)*

Nissan
Best: Infiniti M35 (RWD)
Worst: Nissan Versa sedan*

Subaru
Best: Subaru Impreza Outback Sport
Worst: Subaru Impreza WRX*

Toyota
Best: Lexus SC*
Worst: Lexus GS (AWD)

Volkswagen
Best: Volkswagen Golf (Rabbit)
Worst: Volkswagen Touareg*

Volvo
Best: Volvo S40 (FWD)*
Worst: Volvo XC90 (V8)*

The main take away from this information is don’t judge a book by its cover. Avoid assumptions and do your research before you buy your next vehicle. It takes just a few minutes to browse the model overview pages, or use the interactive new car selector tool, which sorts and filters by the parameters that matter most to you.

Either path will reveal Consumer Reports recommended models that did well in our road tests, score average or better in reliability, and performs at least adequately if included in government or insurance industry safety tests.

For more details on our 2009 Annual Auto Survey including the full list of most and least reliable new cars by vehicle type, see our reliability report. Also, check out our guide to car reliability for more details on new and used car reliability as well as owner satisfaction.

—Liza Barth 

Sneak peek: 2011 Kia Sorento

With the next-generation redesign, the 2011 Kia Sorento makes the transition to a car-based platform. The size increases in the process, making it longer and roomier than the previous version with seating up to seven passengers. This will allow it to better compete against other crossover designs such as the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4. The Sorento’s length grows to 184.4 inches, up from 181 inches and the width expands over an inch to 74.2. Cargo capacity also increases nearly five cubic feet.

The Sorento will have two engine choices—a 2.4-liter four-cylinder producing 172 hp and a 3.5-liter V6 producing 273 hp. Both engines are matched to a six-speed automatic transmission and are available in either front- or all-wheel drive.

Standard features include a AM/FM/Sirius/CD/MP3 audio system with a USB input and Bluetooth connectivity. Also available is a push-button start, voice-activated navigation, and back-up camera. Pricing information has not yet been revealed.

The new unibody design may help address the stiff ride and clumsy handling problems we found in our tests of the current Sorento, which scores too low to be recommended.

The Sorento is the first Kia produced at the newly built West Point, Georgia, plant, and it will hit showrooms in January 2010.

For more on the Kia Sorento and other new vehicles coming soon, see our New Car Preview section.

—Liza Barth

Kia Sorento first to be built in U.S. plant

The Sorento will be completely redesigned for the 2011 model year and Kia claims it will offer improved fuel economy, and more passenger and seating room than the outgoing model. Two- and four-wheel-drive versions will be available. The new model will be unveiled at the Frankfurt show in September.

In our tests, we found the current Sorento to be roomy with good fit and finish and quite competent off-road. However, the ride is very stiff and handling is clumsy, even though standard stability control helps keep it secure in emergency maneuvers. In the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) side-crash-tests, results are poor despite the standard curtain air bags. Overall, the Sorento scores too low to be recommended. The new Sorrento, based on the Hyundai Santa Fe SUV will get a third-row seat, but the transition to the car-based platform means the Sorento may lose some off-road prowess.

We hope some of the most important safety issues will be fixed with the new model.  We’ll put the U.S. built Sorento through our tests when it hits the market.

—Liza Barth 

Crash tests: IIHS tests Honda Insight, Kia Soul, Toyota Prius

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has rated three new 2010 models for crash safety and the results are good. The new Honda Insight hybrid, Kia Soul, and redesigned Toyota Prius earn the Institute’s Top Safety Pick award. The criteria for that award: cars must offer Good protection to front occupants in front, side, and rear collisions, as well as offering electronic stability control (ESC).

The Soul and Prius have standard stability control and standard front and rear curtain airbags and seat-mounted torso airbags. While the Insight also has standard curtain and torso airbags, its stability control comes only on uplevel versions. And that exposes a problem.

In Consumer Reports’ extensive testing, the Insight proved to be a handful in emergency situations, even with our uplevel EX’s stability control helping out. Given that the base Insight LX lacks stability control, the most basic Insight is likely to handle even worse in emergency situations. Omitting this important safety feature blunts the appeal of the Insight’s $20,510 base price.

We wish that the IIHS Top Safety Pick award required standard stability control, rather than bestowing it on cars where it remains optional. Although more and more cars now have standard ESC, some cases remain where a buyer may think they’re getting all of the safety of a Top Safety Pick, but then they miss out because they bought a version without ESC. Other 2010 cars that are IIHS Top Safety Picks with optional ESC include the Honda Fit and Civic and Mitsubishi Lancer.

IIHS rates cars in an offset frontal crash that mimics real-world accidents when hitting a car in the same weight class. Side crash tests are conducted to simulate a vehicle being hit in the side by a tall, heavy SUV. Vehicles are rated on a scale of Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor.

To see how the Insight and Soul perform in our tests, check out our Ratings, including fuel economy and safety in our model overviews (available to online subscribers). Also, read our initial impressions of the Toyota Prius.

Learn more about crash tests in our guide to car safety. View more than 300 crash tests performed by the IIHS in our crash test video player.

—Liza Barth and Tom Mutchler

Test complete: 2009 Kia Optima

Sensible and well-rounded, the 2009 Kia Optima ranks among the better family sedans. We tested both the 2.4-liter four-cylinder LX model and 2.7-liter V6 EX with individual reports on each variant now available on the model overview at ConsumerReports.org. Prices as tested were $20,365 for the LX and $24,640 for the EX.

Admittedly, the Optima is not very exciting to drive, but it's roomy, rides well, and handles securely. Fit and finish is very good and the rear seat is very accommodating. Standard equipment includes ABS, side-curtain air bags, and stability control.

In our testing, the four-cylinder powertrain got a commendable 25 mpg overall. The six-cylinder returned 22 mpg overall. Since the underwhelming six-cylinder offers little more power than the four-cylinder, yet significantly drops fuel economy, we suggest sticking with the cheaper four.

Learn more about the Optima line, with road tests, pricing, and more, in the model overview (available to online subscribers).

—Liza Barth

August issue road tests: Wagons & hatchbacks

For our August issue test group, we tested hatchbacks and wagons. These vehicles are good alternatives to small SUVs. They offer better fuel economy, have a sedan-like ride, and flexible cargo-carrying capabilities.

The full road tests from the magazine (available to subscribers), have been posted online, along with videos of some of the models hosted by our automotive experts. These videos highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the vehicles, bringing the road tests to life.

For this month’s group, we looked at the Chevrolet HHR, Hyundai Elantra Touring, Kia Soul, Mazda3, Pontiac Vibe, and Volkswagen Jetta. Plus, we also feature the newly introduced Honda Insight hybrid, which gets 38 mpg overall.

In the September issue we’ll report on family sedans, including the Kia Optima and Ford Fusion and Fusion hybrid.

Ratings for all of the hatchbacks and wagons we have tested can be found with our dynamic New Car Selector tool.

Car brands: Who owns what?

The auto industry is very complicated these days, with constant change across all corners of the globe. The worldwide economic slowdown dictates widespread cost reductions, inspiring partnerships and changes in ownership. Further confusing the scene are past commitments between companies: For example, the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is based on a Mercedes-Benz platform–even though Chrysler and Mercedes are no longer joined at the hip.

To help clear up some of the confusion, here is a road map to navigate who owns what brands among the major companies that sell in the U.S. car market.

BMW owns: BMW, Mini, and Rolls Royce

Fiat owns: Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lancia, Maserati; Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep–20-percent stake

Ford Motor Company owns: Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo (for now), and still owns 13.4 percent of Mazda

General Motors owns: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC. Also owns a controlling interest in Daewoo, as well as Opel and Vauxhall in Europe and Holden in Australia. (Pontiac to be discontinued)

Honda owns: Honda, Acura

Hyundai owns: Hyundai, Kia

Tata Motors (India) owns: Jaguar and Land Rover

Mazda (partially owned by Ford)

Mitsubishi

Daimler AG owns: Mercedes-Benz and Smart

Nissan owns: Nissan and Infiniti (Nissan is owned by Renault--France)

Porsche owns: Porsche and a majority share in Volkswagen

Subaru (A controlling interest of Subaru is owned by Toyota)

Suzuki

Toyota Motor Company owns: Lexus, Toyota, Scion, Daihatsu and Hino Motors, with a stake in Fuji Industries (Subaru’s parent company) and Isuzu

Volkswagen owns: Audi, Volkswagen, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and overseas SEAT and Skoda.

In formal negotiations to be sold:
Hummer: Tengzhong (China)
Saturn: Penske Automotive Group
Saab: Koenigsegg (Sweden)

--Liza Barth

Pricing: 2010 Kia Forte sedan

Kia has announced pricing for the new Forte small sedan. Available in three trim lines, the Forte will start at $13,695 for the LX trim, $15,795 for the EX, and $17,195 for the top-of-the-line SX.

Sized similarly to a Honda Civic, the base model LX does away with typical standard features such as power windows and door locks, cup holders, and air conditioning. They become standard on the EX and SX along with remote keyless entry, and steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls. The SX adds a leather-wrapped telescoping steering wheel.

The LX and EX are powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine producing 156 horsepower and returning an EPA-rated 25 city/34 highway mpg with either the five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. There is also a $600 fuel economy package available on the EX model that includes the five-speed automatic transmission, electric power steering, low rolling resistance tires, and aerodynamic enhancements for a return of 27 city/36 highway mpg, calculated at 30 mpg combined.

The SX model has a 173-horsepower, 2.4-liter engine with fuel economy of 22 city/32 highway mpg with the six-speed manual or 23 city/31 highway mpg with the five-speed automatic.

Standard safety features include front active headrests, front seat-mounted side air bags, curtain air bags, antilock brakes, electronic stability control, and traction control.

The Forte hits dealerships in early summer, with the two-door Koup following later in the season.

—Liza Barth  

Unveiled: 48-mpg Kia Soul Hybrid

Kia took the wraps off its Soul Hybrid at the Shanghai Auto Show (shown here). The car shown is said to look much the same as the concept unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, which had a 1.6-liter gasoline engine matched with a 20-horsepower electric motor and continuously-variable (CVT) transmission. A conventional hood replaces the transparent one shown in Paris, leading some to speculate the Shanghai car might be production-ready, or close to it. Kia claims fuel mileage will be in the 48 mpg range, aided by regenerative braking, automatic engine shut down, and restart at traffic lights. Despite online rumors to the contrary, a Kia spokesman said there are no current plans to sell the Soul Hybrid in the United States.

Read our Kia Soul preview.

—Jim Travers