Couple of comments here about consumer reports, and some misconceptions:
1. CR buys cars off the lot, anonymously. They don't ask manufacturers to send cars to them for testing. This way they get the car that is publically availble.
2. CR data is self reported by members who own the cars, it is probably the single most reliable provider of data on reliability.
Concerning the Japanese vs German manufacturers, the Japanese do produce a much more reliable car but at the expense of driving feel and excitement. They do it by not really putting any thing cutting edge into their best sellers. The Germans on the other hand are focused on performance, sacrificing reliability at that altar. You just have to figure out what is more important to you.
|