- Subaru overtook BMW for the top spot in the overall Consumer Reports rankings after two years.
- Subaru also claimed the highest reliability score, surpassing Toyota and Lexus for the first time ever.
- Jeep and Rivian filled the last two spots, continuing to struggle with unresolved reliability issues.
In an industry constantly chasing the next big thing, sometimes the real winners are the ones who stick to what works. Consumer Reports published its annual brand rankings a bit earlier this year, with Subaru taking the top spot, followed closely by BMW and Lexus. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the spectrum, Jeep came in dead last, joined by Rivian and Land Rover at the bottom of the list.
More: Stellantis And Tesla Hit Rock Bottom In CR’s Used Car Brand Reliability Rankings
The 2025 Automotive Report Card includes rankings for new and used cars. In order to recommend the best options for consumers, the nonprofit organization considers key factors like reliability, owner satisfaction, maintenance costs, safety, and road test performance for each model and automaker.
Subaru’s Steal of the Top Spot
For the first time ever, Subaru has usurped BMW, which had held the No. 1 position for the past two years. The Japanese brand not only clinched the top spot but also triumphed in Consumer Reports’ reliability rankings, surpassing even long-time reliability stalwarts Toyota and Lexus.
Less surprisingly, Asian manufacturers dominated the top 10 this year, filling seven of the coveted spots. Subaru leads the pack (1), followed by Lexus (3), Honda (5), Kia (7), Hyundai (8), Toyota (9), and Infiniti (10). The Germans had a solid showing as well, with BMW (2), Porsche (4), and Audi (6) claiming spots in the upper ranks. Yet conspicuously absent from the list of automotive excellence were any American brands.
2025 CONSUMER REPORTS OVERALL BRAND RANKINGS
Detroit’s Struggles Continue
Domestic manufacturers, for the most part, struggled to make a mark. Chrysler, which made an eight-spot jump to 16th, was the highest-ranked domestic brand, but it still pales in comparison to its foreign competitors. Tesla (18), Ford (19), Cadillac (21), Lincoln (24), Chevrolet (24), Dodge (28), GMC (29), Rivian (31), and Jeep (32) round out the rest of the domestic contingent, with none breaking into the top 10.
According to Consumer Reports, Detroit’s Big Three were held back due to reliability issues, particularly with popular models like the Ford F-150 Hybrid, F-150 Lightning, and the Chevrolet Blazer EV—hardly the kind of performance you expect from brands that have been in the game for over a century.
Jeep & Rivian’s Troubles
Jeep (32), a perennial underperformer, remains firmly in last place for the second consecutive year. While the brand still shines in rugged appeal, its reliability and road test scores continue to disappoint.
Rivian, a newcomer in the EV scene, sits just above Jeep in 31st place, largely due to a troubling reliability score. Despite excelling in overall customer satisfaction—particularly in areas like comfort, driving enjoyment, cabin storage, usability, and ownership costs—Rivian’s struggles with reliability remain a significant hurdle. To make matters worse, we’ve come across numerous owner complaints in forums and threads about long wait times and difficult service appointments, which certainly aren’t helping the brand’s case.
The Asterisk About Small Lineups, Big Scores
From the 32 brands rated this year, only Porsche, Infiniti, Mini, and Buick earned recommendations for every model. However, CR pointed out that these brands have small product lines, making it easier to maintain consistent scores. For example, Chrysler ranks 16th, but its high score is driven by a single model: the Pacifica, along with its Hybrid and Voyager variants.
Seven brands failed to earn a single recommended model from CR this year: Lincoln, Alfa Romeo, Dodge, GMC, Land Rover, Rivian, and Jeep. All of these brands rank at the bottom of the list, with CR advising buyers to “consider carefully before buying from those manufacturers.” If you’re wondering why Fiat, Jaguar, Lucid, Maserati, Polestar, and Ram aren’t on the list, it’s because CR didn’t test at least two of their current models.
The Reliability Lesson
Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ senior director of auto testing, offered a rather blunt assessment of the rankings. Speaking to Auto News , he noted:
“The more you change, the more errors can crop up. When you look at an automaker like Toyota or Subaru – which really stays the course, makes incremental changes and already has good competitive products – they’re really poised to do quite well. Other automakers swing quite widely – there’s a new platform, new powertrains – and that’s where you wind up having reliability problems.”
