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Whenever Consumer Reports talks about vehicle reliability the one car maker that predictably almost always shines the brightest above all the rest is Toyota. It's a street cred Toyota has rightfully earned.
However, there are many other factors to consider beyond reliability if you want a car that provides the best all-around driving experience. This is especially true if you are either leasing a vehicle or will trade in your current model as it nears its earliest-ending warranty coverage.
Or, if your significant other has their heart set on choosing a specific car.
Looking at the Bigger Picture of a New Car
Earlier, I discussed how I had almost bought the wrong Toyota Rav4 despite having spent a considerable amount of time and effort studying the latest information on the model my spouse wanted. The truth of the matter is that I was not just arming myself with facts to counter the dealership salesman but also my spouse because I was not that big of a Rav4 fan at the time and wanted to present both of them with an alternative I believed to be a better vehicle for me…I mean "us".
Oh, the best laid plans of mice and men.
Ultimately, neither the sales associate nor my spouse was overly impressed by my efforts.
As a last-ditch effort to save face, I switched tactics by focusing on what I knew would be a selling point to my spouse (and from what I think I understand about women) many spouses everywhere: the bragging rights of how little they paid.
Here was something else I was prepared for―All of the tactics used by dealerships to inflate the sale of a car. My focus then turned toward not agreeing to any "weather" or "comfort" packages, sun roofing, or other features. In other words I pushed for the LE and not the XLE trim with its price-inflating features.
Until, that is, we took both an LE and an XLE model out for a test drive.
My spouse was fine with either model, and I could see that the price difference was about to seal the deal. But leave it to me to mess that up—that and my back.
The comparison between the LE trim driver seat and the XLE is like comparing one of those old, curved, colorful plastic chairs from a public library to a high-end ergonomic office chair with lumbar support in your home office. It was an LE deal-breaker for me as common sense began to kick in, and I questioned my money-saving focus while looking desperately for an Ibuprofen.
We bought the Rav4 my spouse wanted all along, and we have no regrets as we approach our first 10,000 miles in it today.
This brings me back to how Toyota lost out to 16 other brands in a recent Consumer Reports analysis and serves as a good reminder to new car shoppers―There's more to a car (and life) than reliability, fuel efficiency, and the price tag. In other words, buying a new car is like marriage in a lot of ways: You have to look at the overall road test score if your goal is satisfaction and even happiness with what you eventually wind up driving down the road with.
How CR Conducts Road Tests
In a recent Consumer Reports newsletter titled "Which Car Brands Have the Highest Road-Test Scores?" CR analysts factored in over 50 separate tests to determine which car brand offers the best all-around road test scores, which are predictive of what a car owner can expect when looking for a vehicle that guarantees the best driving experience.
Related article: "We've Learned This Lesson The Hard Way―We've Discovered Minor Damage On New Cars We've Purchased," says Consumer Reports
"The road-test score is an amalgam of a given model's driving experience, factoring in power delivery, handling agility, braking performance, ride comfort, noise isolation, seat comfort, controls' ease of use, and fuel economy if it's not an EV," says Gabe Shenhar, associate director of CR's auto test program. "For EVs, the score also reflects range, charging time, and ease of plugging and unplugging. Brands that produce well-rounded vehicles that are capable in multiple areas are ranked highly."
However, the final score tally also includes more subjective, but still measurable, factors such as customer satisfaction data gleaned from their customer surveys.
"Ultimately, the road-test score is combined with reliability and owner satisfaction survey results, along with scores for safety features and crashworthiness, to create an Overall Score—a succinct way to tell a vehicle's story."
The 16 Car Brands That Bested Toyota for Overall Road Test Ranking
Here is a portioned summary of CR's list up to where Toyota fits into the ranking. Please note that the number of models within each brand varies, so this is not a strictly statistical analysis. Rankings would be expected to change as the number of models approaches an equal figure.
Rank: Brand / Road Test Score / Number of Cars Tested
#1: BMW / 88 / 15
#2: Audi / 86 / 9
#3: Porsche / 84 / 4
#4: Subaru / 84 / 9
#5: Chrysler / 83 / 2
#6: Kia / 83 / 16
#7: Tesla / 83 / 4
#8: Hyundai / 82 / 16
#9: Honda / 82 / 11
#10: Mini / 81 / 2
#11: Lexus / 80 / 15
#12: Mercedes-Benz / 80 / 12
#13: Genesis / 80 / 6
#14: Volkswagen / 79 / 7
#15: Mazda / 79 / 8
#16: Rivian / 78 / 2
#17: Toyota / 77 / 25
For additional Toyota-related articles from this year, here are three for your consideration:
- "But It's A Toyota, Why Would I Open The Hood?"
- "I Tested The Mechanic Who Ripped Off My Subscriber" ―You Can Too With This Advice!
- "Replace This Tensioner Pulley Now, or You Will Do It Later Anyway...When The Engine Blows" ―Toyota Warning
Timothy Boyer is an automotive reporter based in Cincinnati who currently researches and works on restoring older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. He also reports on modern cars (including EVs) with a focus on DIY mechanics, buying and using tools, and other related topical automotive repair news. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites as well as on Facebook and his automotive blog "Zen and the Art of DIY Car Repair" for useful daily news and topics related to new and used cars and trucks.
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