Consumer Reports Says Subaru Now Scores Best Car Brand In 4 Areas

Should new car shoppers consider buying a 2022 Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Ascent, or other new Subaru models? Subaru now scores the best automaker in four areas in Consumer Reports' latest new Car Brands Report Card. CR says Subaru is the best overall car brand, the best overall mainstream car brand, gets the best road test score for mainstream brands, and best road test scores overall.

What does it mean for new car shoppers?

CR says Subaru vehicles score the best overall of all luxury and mainstream brands. Subaru earns an overall score of 81, followed by Mazda (78), BMW (78), Honda (77), Lexus (77), Audi (75), Porsche (74), Mini (74), Toyota (74), and Infiniti (72), to round out the top 10 car brands.

photo credit: Timmons Subaru

Best car brand ratings

Each car brand's overall score for individual models is based on four key factors: the road test, reliability, owner satisfaction, and safety. Subaru's lineup has five recommended models and two green choices. Top picks are the 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Impreza, and Legacy.

The refreshed Forester is now a top-10 car of 2022 and the best in class. You can read the complete report here.

Road test scores

CR says, "Our road-test program looks at how vehicles perform in the real world. We run roughly 50 new cars and trucks each year through more than 50 tests at our 327-acre test facility in Colchester, CT. Those tests include acceleration, braking, emergency handling, and fuel economy, among others. We also evaluate usability, fit and finish, noise, ride, and safety systems."

Owner satisfaction

Owner Satisfaction predictions are based on whether CR members said in our surveys that they'd buy the same vehicle again if given a chance.

Eighty-four percent of 2022 Forester owners answered "definitely yes" to the question asked by the Consumer Reports Annual Auto Survey "Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had to do it all over again?". Seventy-one percent of 2022 Outback owners said they would buy the exact vehicle again.

Safety scores

Safety includes assessing any available crash-test results and extra points awarded for vehicles that come with crash-prevention systems. Green Choices reflect how many of a brand's CR-tested vehicles earned the designation for being among the cleanest, lowest emitting passenger vehicles.

The 2022 Subaru Outback, Crosstrek Hybrid, Ascent, and Legacy earn the highest IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award. The 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, Impreza, and WRX earn Top Safety Pick awards. The IIHS has not tested the 2022 Subaru Forester yet. You can read the complete safety report here.

Subaru models with EyeSight all receive a "Superior" rating in front crash prevention from the IIHS. EyeSight is now standard equipment on all 2022 Forester, Outback, Ascent, Legacy models, and all 2022 Crosstrek trims when equipped with the CVT automatic transmission.

Reliability

For the ten cars that shine for reliability, the 2022 Subaru Crosstrek scores 85 out of 100 and is the ninth-best new model. Subaru made no changes to the 2022 models, and Consumer Reports says the 2021 models have a perfect 5/5 overall reliability score.

CR says, "We expect the Subaru Crosstrek will be much more reliable than the average new car." The Crosstrek is ranked #1 of 3 in reliability among 2021 SUVs. The in-car electronics, body, and power equipment score 4/5 points for owner-reported trouble spots.

How does Subaru compare with other car brands for new car shoppers checking out a 2022 Forester compact SUV, Outback midsize SUV, Crosstrek subcompact SUV, Ascent 3-Row SUV, or other new models?

In Consumer Reports latest new Car Brands Report Card, Subaru now scores the best overall car brand, best overall mainstream car brand, gets the best road test score for mainstream brands, and best road test scores overall.

You Might Also Like: The Updated Complete New Subaru Model Guide And What’s Coming This Year

Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Subaru USA