Mazda Moves To Top Spot In Consumer Reports Reliability Rankings

Mazda isn't just number one. It's ahead by a country mile.

Consumer Reports has just released its reliability ratings. Mazda was rated number one with a score of 83. Toyota was second with a score of 74 and Lexus number three with a score of 71. This is a move up for Mazda who has been among the top brands in predicted reliability for the past few years.

It is important to note that these rankings are preicitons, not results of past customer surveys. However, the predictions are based on a model's past history to some degree. Consumer Reports says its brand-level rankings are based on the average predicted reliability score for vehicles in the brand’s model lineup.The Consumer Reports predicted reliability score is calculated on a 0-to-100-point scale, with the average rating falling between 41 and 60 points. For a brand to be ranked, the group must have sufficient survey data for two or more models. CR also list whether the brand’s rank went up or down since our last surveys, and how many models are included in that calculation.

Subscribers to Consumer Reports can view model-by model reliability data. For more on this topic, please visit the Consumer Reports summary page.

John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. Following his engineering program, John also completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American newspapers and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin