Tesla Only US Manufacturer In Consumer Reports Top 10

Tesla and Consumer Reports have a love/hate relationship. The testing and ratings agency has slapped Tesla around for being slow to roll out updates to its Autopilot software, and the Model X has come in for some pointed criticism as well. On the other hand, Consumer Reports had to revise its rating system to accommodate the Model S, which otherwise would have scored 105 points on a 100 point scale. Tesla customers report they are more satisfied with their cars than the drivers of vehicles made by any other. They also give Tesla’s service centers high marks — better than any other manufacturer, in fact.

Consumer Reports begins its 2018 survey with these words, “Our rankings reveal the automakers that produce reliable, high-performing models and those that need to try harder. Most brands manage to make at least one great car, but not many have what it takes to deliver consistent quality across several models. Our annual brand rankings recognize the ones that do.”

Here is the full list. (Note: If you have trouble viewing it, right click on the graphic or open it in a new tab.)

There are a few surprises on the list. Genesis, which is a relatively new premium brand from Hyundai, outscores all other brands in the world to claim top honors. Tesla slots into 8th — the only US brand in the Top 10. This despite CR rating the Model 3 as only so-so, something that got Tesla officials pretty riled up, especially since CR had not actually tested a Model 3 at the time.

Consumer Reports says its Model 3 rating was a composite of the scores for the Model S (terrific) and the Model X (not so terrific). The Model 3 was not considered in this year’s rankings as there were only about twelve of them actually on the road at the time the report was created. (Back off, Model 3 groupies! That remark is meant satirically. Your love for all things Model 3 is safe with us.)

Oddly enough, Chrysler is in 11th place while its Jeep division is next to last. CR says better reliability ratings for the new Pacifica minivan are largely responsible for Chrysler’s move up in the rankings. Here’s what the testing agency has to say about its rankings. All these rankings have to be taken with a grain of salt.

“Our brand rankings by Overall Score are based on CR’s exhaustive vehicle testing, as well as owner feedback on more than 640,000 cars to determine the predicted reliability and owner satisfaction ratings. Brands are ranked based on the average Overall Score for all of their current tested models. The Overall Score is a composite of the road-test score and the predicted reliability and owner satisfaction ratings from our Annual Auto Survey.

“Safety features, such as standard forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking, are also factored into the score.A brand must have at least two current models that have been tested by CR to be included in our rankings. Maserati and Smart lacked sufficient data to be included.”