2009 Annual Auto Reliability Survey: A high price doesn’t mean it’s reliable

Paying more for a new car doesn’t guarantee that it will be reliable. Inexpensive small cars and midsized family sedans are the most reliable vehicles according to our 2009 Annual Auto Survey, which is based on our subscribers’ experiences with 1.4 million vehicles.

Twenty of out of 37 small cars and 21 out of 41 family cars have above-average predicted reliability. Minivans are at the bottom of the list, but there are not as many minivan options. See how the other vehicle categories fare below.

Car type	% of models rated average or better
Family cars	91%
Small cars	84%
Small SUVs	83%
Upscale cars	78%
Compact pickups	74%
Midsized SUVs	74%
Full-sized pickups	68%
Luxury cars	67%
Sporty cars	62%
Upscale/luxury SUVs	55%
Large SUVs	50%
Minivans	43%

When it comes to buying a new car, you do not need to spend top dollar. It pays to do your research and find the model that meet Consumer Reports’ stringent requirements to be recommended, as well as your budget.

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 

Just In: 2010 Volkswagen Golf

If you see the new 2010 Volkswagen Golf on the road, you might not notice any significant changes. There is a nip here, a tuck there, both inside and out. You’ll probably notice the name change from Rabbit back to Golf--supposedly once and for all. But underneath the familiar sheet metal is a freshened Golf. VW calls it the sixth generation of the car despite being far from a full redesign. By any name, it is one of Europe’s most popular models and one of our top-scoring small cars.

Our silver, five-door Golf listed for $20,314, with standard electronic stability control (ESC) and optional automatic, Bluetooth, and heated seats. In contrast, our 2008 Rabbit S automatic stickered at $19,725 with standard heated seats and optional 16-inch alloy wheels and ESC. (No Bluetooth.)

Compare photos and you’ll notice the lack of alloys on the 2010 and the relatively skinny 15-inch wheels (down from 16 inches). Inside, you might also notice the lower-grade radio head unit. Gone is the big display that listed presets, helping to make the old stereo one of the easiest in the business to use. Only a sharp eye will notice that the remote fuel and trunk releases are gone. You probably won’t notice the lack of floor mats or the missing front center armrest or that there is no CD changer or satellite radio (a deleted $375 option on our Rabbit) until you’re a few miles from the dealership. You might not even notice that the primary warranty went from 4 years/50,000 miles on our 2008 to 3 years/36,000 miles on our 2010. All of this suggests that there is some decontenting going on as VW struggles to hold somewhat firm on price, and assure a profit despite the high Euro.

Features aside, does the new Golf still have the solid feel, high-quality interior, and agile handling that made the Rabbit so impressive in our tests? We’ll see as we put break-in miles on the car.

—Tom Mutchler 

2010 Hyundai Accent gets more fuel-efficient with Blue

Hyundai recently announced a new fuel-efficient trim called “Blue” for the Elantra that boasts an EPA-rated 35 mpg in highway driving. Now the Blue concept has extended to the Accent with the full line seeing an incremental fuel economy improvement and the thrifty Blue three-door hatchback boasting a 36 mpg highway EPA rating. In addition to the reduction in fuel consumption, the Blue Accent line will be priced starting at $10,000.

All 2010 Accents will receive enhancements such as lower-friction engine components, aerodynamic improvements, lower-rolling-resistance tires, and a “smart” alternator management system. The Blue line adds a revised manual transmission gear ratio and lowered ride height for enhanced fuel efficiency. The significant work to make these improvements for a 1 mpg gain highlights the difficulties in raising fuel economy on existing models.

The Accent will be available in the base Blue line, GS hatchback, GLS sedan, and SE hatchback. The Blue line EPA-rated fuel economy is 27 mpg city/36 mpg highway. The other trims have an EPA rating of 28/34 for the manual transmission and 27/36 for the automatic.

Additional model highlights for 2010 include available air conditioning on the Blue line, standard iPod and other audio auxiliary ports, standard steering wheel controls on the SE (optional on the GLS), available ABS on the GS, and standard cruise control and sunroof on the SE.

All Accents continue to come equipped with six standard air bags, but ABS is optional and available only on the higher trims. Stability control is not available. Competitors such as the Toyota Yaris have standard stability control for the 2010 model year; ESC is available on the Honda Fit Sport models equipped with the optional navigation system.

The enhanced fuel economy will help the Accent better compete against other vehicles in its class.

—Liza Barth 

Video showdown: Honda Insight vs Toyota Prius

Some comparisons seem inevitable. Coke vs. Pepsi, Mac vs. Windows, and now, Insight vs. Prius.
 
Toyota’s Prius has become synonymous with “hybrid.” Even though the first Honda Insight and various Civic hybrids went on sale nearly a decade ago, the Prius remains the first hybrid that comes to mind for many buyers.
 
Capitalizing on the Prius’s not-exactly-low base price, Honda markets its less expensive (and rather similar looking) Insight as the hybrid “for everyone.” Honda’s Web site makes a lot of marketing hay about price, promoting their “Eco Assist” display/driving mode, “fun” paddle shifters, and the fact that you can buy an Insight EX with navigation for less than a Prius III with navigation.

But focusing on price or a few isolated features certainly doesn’t tell the whole story, as our video shows.

See the full Honda Insight and Toyota Prius road tests, along with ratings, in their model overviews (available to online subscribers.)

—Tom Mutchler

Pricing: 2010 Hyundai Elantra goes Blue

Hyundai has announced pricing for the Elantra line plus a new “Blue” model that boasts of an EPA-rated 35 mpg in highway driving. The Blue line will be priced below the GLS and SE trims, and it will receive the highest fuel economy of the lineup. Across the board, Hyundai claims a four-percent fuel economy improvement for the Elantra range.

Positioned as the entry point to the small sedan range, the Elantra Blue starts at $14,145. To boost fuel economy, this base model enhances last year’s GLS manual model with lower-friction engine components, revised transmission gear ratios, engine calibration changes, improved lock-up torque converter, and a shift indicator. The results is a claimed six-percent boost in highway mileage to reach 35 mpg and eight-percent city increase to 26 mpg. In addition, the Elantra Blue will come with six air bags, ABS, tire pressure monitoring, and active front head restraints. Other standard features include power heated mirrors, power door locks, power windows, and remote keyless entry. Air conditioning, plus the audio system and iPod connectivity can be added with the Comfort Package for $1,700.

The Elantra GLS will start at $16,895 and the SE at $17,845. Both will be fitted with the current 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine with an EPA fuel economy rating of 26/34 city/highway--a four percent increase for city and three percent highway over the 2009 model year. Our tested Elantras returned a respectable 27 mpg overall. The SE is still the only trim line that comes with standard stability control. Delivery charges will add $720 to all prices.

The Elantra SE scores at the top of the compact sedan segment in Consumer Reports tests. For Ratings, reliability and safety data, see our Elantra model overview (available to online subscribers).  

 —Liza Barth

Coming soon: 2011 Mazda2

Mazda announced plans at a dealer meeting yesterday to import its sub-compact Mazda2 to the United States in late 2010. Smaller than the Mazda3, the Mazda2 is sold overseas as a front-wheel drive three- or five-door hatchback. It is sized like the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris.

Along with the upcoming Chevrolet Spark and Ford Fiesta, the 2 will add to the competition in the subcompact segment--a category that had virtually vanished from the U.S. a few years ago. We’ll likely see a 1.5-liter double-overhead-camshaft engine version with variable induction that makes about 102 horsepower.

The Mazda2 won European Car of the Year when it was introduced there in 2008. Other small Mazdas we have tested are very competitive in their classes and enjoyable to drive. We look forward to trying the Mazda2 when it arrives to see if it lives up to its reputation.

For more on the upcoming Mazda2 and other new cars, see our New Car Preview.

—Eric Evarts

2009 Frankfurt Motor Show: Audi and Volkswagen electric cars

Electric cars gave the bi-annual Frankfurt Motor Show a jolt this year. They have run the gambit from fanciful to revolutionary, with many showcasing dramatic styling and futuristic technologies. Here, we will highlight a couple standout concepts from Audi and Volkswagen; we will follow up with examples from Lexus and Toyota.
 
Audi E-tron
Audi imagines the E-tron concept as the electric sports car of the future. It’s a little bigger than an Audi TT, but looks like the much sexier R8. The E-tron uses a lithium-ion battery pack and four electric motors, two on each axle, for an electric version of Audi’s Quattro system. Audi claims the car has 313 horsepower, will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds, and has a 150-mile range. The company doesn’t specify the technology in its 53 kwh battery pack, but says it is liquid cooled. The E-tron uses a heat pump for air conditioning. The concept car explores smart infrastructure communications with wireless car-to-car, car-to-street, and car-to-pedestrian communications technology to smooth traffic flow, take advantage of automated driving systems, and help avoid accidents.
 
Volkswagen E-Up
For several years, Volkswagen has been showing models based on its original Up concept of 2007, a rear-engined four-cylinder, four-seat hatchback the company said could replace its New Beetle as popular and cheap transportation for the masses. The E-Up takes that concept one further by making the car electric. The E-Up is a more upright design, measuring just 10-1/2 ft. (a little longer than a Smart ForTwo) with seating for three adults and one child--similar in concept to the upcoming Scion iQ.) The E-Up uses a lithium-ion battery a little more than half the size and weight of the one in the Mini-E [LINK], 18 kwh, for a range of 80 miles, which VW says is sufficient for urban driving. Top speed for the 2,400-pound car is 85 mph. The E-Up can be recharged overnight on a 220-volt outlet, or more quickly with higher amps. Volkswagen says an 80-percent charge takes just one hour.

—Eric Evarts

Learn about driving green in the Consumer Reports special fuel economy section.

August car sales: Top sellers by category

The strong August car sales numbers helped by the cash for clunkers program provided some summer relief for the auto industry in what has been a rough year so far. While we have posted the list of the top cash for clunkers trade-ins, we decided to look at the month’s top three sales winners in the most popular and fuel-efficient vehicle categories to see which manufacturers came out on top.

Looking at the list, it seems car buyers have made some good choices. All vehicles featured, except the Chevrolet Aveo and the Nissan Versa sedan (not the hatchback), are recommended by Consumer Reports. Further, we were struck that they are all fuel efficient and have better than average owner costs. To highlight this, we included the owner cost scores for each model, which factors depreciation, interest, sales tax, insurance, fuel, and maintenance and repair costs to predict how expensive vehicles may be over the long term.

Make & model	Sales	Owner costs
BUDGET CARS
Nissan Versa	18,580
Honda Fit	13,593
Chevrolet Aveo	12,733
SMALL CARS
Honda Civic	42,294
Toyota Corolla	42,061
Ford Focus	25,547
FAMILY SEDANS
Toyota Camry	54,396
Honda Accord	39,726
Nissan Altima	26,833
SMALL SUVs
Honda CR-V	30,284
Ford Escape	20,933
Toyota RAV4 (4-cyl.)	18,312

The Toyota Camry was the top-selling vehicle overall last month by a huge margin. Most of the top models were from foreign manufacturers with Ford making the list twice and GM once.

On the other side of the spectrum from the fuel-efficient cash for clunker sales, we looked at pickup sales for August and found that the Ford F-Series outsold the Silverado with sales of 45,590 compared to 32,421 for the Silverado--an increase of 12.8 percent over August 2008. The Silverado was down almost 42 percent over last year. A new study by the Consumer Reports National Research Center has found that more consumers would consider buying a Ford more than a GM or Chrysler.

The huge spike in sales caused by cash for clunkers and year-end clearance sales may mean diminished dealer inventories for the best-selling models. If you didn’t take advantage of the clunkers program or didn’t qualify, it may make sense to wait a few months before purchasing a new car for dealerships to restock. Selection will increase, as may the incentives. The end of the year is another good time to buy as manufacturers are looking to achieve year-end quotas.

For more information on buying a new car, see our buying guide. Also, before you buy, check out our new car selector to find Ratings, reliability, fuel economy and more.

—Liza Barth 

IIHS roof strength test: Smart ForTwo tops list of minicars

The Smart ForTwo has the strongest roof among small cars. The Smart earned the highest rating of Good in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) roof strength test of micro and minicars. The Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mini Cooper and Toyota Yaris all earned Acceptable scores and the Chevrolet Aveo, a marginal rating. (Follow the links in this paragraph for complete crash test and safety ratings, available to online subscribers.)

The Institute’s test rates a vehicle’s ability to protect passengers in rollover crashes. In the test, a metal plate is pressed down against one side of the roof at an angle. Vehicles that rate Good can withstand a force on the plate of more than four times the weight of the vehicle before the roof crushes five inches. That is more than twice the current legal minimum. The Smart was able to withstand a force of 5.4 times its weight. The Aveo just over 3 times its weight.

A revised regulation enacted this year requires vehicle roofs to withstand 3 times the vehicle's weight in that test. It also requires, for the first time, that vehicles over 6,000 pounds meet a roof-crush standard, although the standard for those heaviest of passenger vehicles will remain at 1.5 times the vehicle's weight. The revised roof-crush standard starts phasing in September 2012 and applies to all new vehicles by September 2016.

A roof strength rating of Good will now be a requirement for vehicles to earn the Institute’s Top Safety Pick award, which goes to vehicles that score Good in front, side, and rear crashes as well as have available electronic stability control. The tightening of the criteria means that for the 2010 model year we will see fewer winners of this award.

About 10,000 people die each year from rollover accidents. The best protection against a rollover accident is having a vehicle equipped with electronic stability control as well as side curtain air bags and all passengers need to always buckle up.

See our related reports for more information on preventing rollovers and the government roof crush standard.

—Liza Barth 

User forums: What are car buyers and owners talking about?

This summer has been a busy one in the automotive world with the Cash for Clunkers program in full swing, new model year announcements, and deals that have sparked new and used car buying. There are a number of active discussions in our forums. Check out the conversation and add in your opinion. In addition, online subscribers can interact with our test team in our The right car for you, John’s Toolbox and TireTalk forums.

Here is what our readers are talking about.

New car buying & leasing
Readers share their experience with the Cash for clunkers program and seek advice on which new cars to purchase. 

Used car buying & selling
Is a used car extended warranty worth it? Join the discussion.

Small cars
Which small cars are good for winter driving? Our readers weigh in. 

SUVs
Headed off the beaten path this summer?  Find out which SUVs are secure and sturdy for off-roading.

GPS navigation
Need direction?  Learn about features, brands and upgrades.

Also, check out some of our recent blog entries that have people talking.

Reality check: 230 mpg in the Chevrolet Volt?

GM & eBay: Is online buying a good idea?
 
Cash for clunkers: How CARS could have helped me