Japanese carmakers take all five top spots in Consumer Reports' list of "who makes the best cars." Those winning companies are Lexus, Subaru, Mazda, Toyota, and Acura. But not all Japanese cars earned accolades at the Consumer Reports test track.
One car that really disappointed Consumer Reports was the Acura RLX. The luxury sedan costs $55,000, but tests showed it was not very competitive. For $16,000 less, Consumer Reports says the Chevrolet Impala delivered a much more comfortable ride and handled better.
Another Japanese car that Consumer Reports did not recommend is the Honda Crosstour.
“It aims to have the comfort of a sedan, the flexibility of an SUV, and the cargo space of a station wagon. The problem is it doesn't really do any of this well," said Tom Mutchler of Consumer Reports.
Some small Nissans also scored too low for a Consumer Reports recommendation. The Nissan Sentra is good on gas, but the handling wasn’t agile, it was noisy inside and the front seats were not comfortable. The subcompact Nissan Versa had those same drawbacks, and it wasn’t very reliable.
Consumer Reports also did not recommend Toyota’s least-expensive car, the Yaris. While the Yaris was very reliable and fuel efficient, testers found it felt extremely cheap and unpleasant to drive. For the same money, about $16,000, Consumer Reports said you are better off with Hyundai Accent.
Two other Japanese carmakers, Mazda and Subaru, have an excellent record at the Consumer Reports’ test track. Almost all of their models are recommended.
