The average price of a new vehicle has soared past $50,000, but some outstanding vehicles are affordable and packed with features and technology that was cutting edge not long ago.
Those are among the findings of Consumer Reports magazine’s influential 2026 Automotive Brand Report Card, senior director of automotive testing Jake Fisher told me in an interview.
Jake Fisher, director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, stands beside a Chevy Camaro in July 2019 at the Consumer Reports Auto Test Center in Colchester, Connecticut. The site is 327 acres, operates year-round, and has about 30 full-time staff.
CR’s top 10 brands include affordable, mass market names like Subaru — No. 1 overall for the second straight year — No. 4 Honda, No. 5 Toyota and No. 8 Hyundai.
“In some ways, less expensive vehicles are the most impressive,” Fisher said. “There are good values out there if you look for them.”
Consumer Reports' 2026 top 10 auto brands
- Subaru
- BMW
- Porsche
- Honda
- Toyota
- Lexus
- Lincoln
- Hyundai
- Acura
- Tesla
2026 Subaru Outback prices start at $34,995.
Tesla’s best score ever
Tesla rounds out the top 10, the first time the EV specialist’s full brand has won such praise from CR, which had consistently criticized Tesla's reliability.
“Tesla makes the most reliable electric vehicles now,” Fisher said.
He attributes that to the fact that most Tesla models have been in production for a long time.
“Who’s been making EVs as long and as many as Tesla? Nobody,” he said. “The Tesla S hasn’t been redesigned in 15 years. Nobody else leaves a vehicle in production that long, but it’s been refined over time.” Despite, or perhaps because of, that, he pointed out that 5- to 10-year-old Teslas rank last in reliability for vehicles that age.
Consumer Reports found Tesla now makes the most reliable EVs now, after years of quality struggles.
Consumer Reports' top 10 luxury brands
- BMW
- Porsche
- Lexus
- Lincoln
- Acura
- Mini
- Genesis
- Audi
- Cadillac
- Volvo
Scant good news for Detroit brands
Ford’s luxury brand, Lincoln, was the only Detroit-based brand to crack the top 10. GM’s Cadillac luxury brand came in at 17, one spot ahead of Ford itself. Buick, Chevrolet and Chrysler placed 20, 24 and 25, respectively.
Three of the five bottom brands hailed from Stellantis, the global automaker that includes the traditional Chrysler brands. Jeep was dead last at 31, Dodge placed 28. Alfa Romeo, one of Stellantis’ Italian based brands, was 27, if that’s any consolation.
Visitors take rides at the Jeep off-road experience area at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, in Los Angeles.
Consumer Reports 2026 bottom 5 auto brands
27. Alfa Romeo
28. Dodge
29. GMC
30. Land Rover
31. Jeep
The price of innovation
Problems follow technical innovations like seagulls flock to landfills.
“Reliability increases with age,” Fisher said. “New vehicles dip. When you add new features, you will have problems.”
Lincoln benefited from that. The brand’s two oldest models, the Aviator and Corsair, both saw their reliability increase. CR didn’t test Lincoln’s flagship Navigator because the luxurious big SUVs have exceeded the magazine’s price range. The Corsair is scheduled to go out of production shortly.
Cadillac’s fleet of EVs have been praised for their technology, performance and luxury, but “reliability has not been good,” Fisher said.
“There’s always a learning curve, and GM’s always in the steep part of it,” because it moves from one technology to another, he said.
The 2026 Hyundai Palisade hybrid's new drivetrain produces 329 hp and 339 pound-feet of torque.
Hybrids rule, but not plug-in
Hybrids are now the most trouble-free powertrain, Fisher said, because the technology has been maturing for decades and the automaker most invested in it, Toyota, is a very cautious adopter of new ideas.
While hybrids rule, plug-in hybrids or PHEVs, which feature bigger batteries and longer ranges on electricity alone, are less reliable, sharing issues including charging and cabin climate control with EVs.
“Today’s hybrids are often quieter, smoother and more powerful than internal combustion engines,” Fisher said. "Going forward that’s going to improve.”
Consumer Reports compiles the annual report card based on road tests, owner reports, new and used car reliability, owner satisfaction and maintenance and repair costs. CR road tests more than 200 new vehicles annually. This year’s rankings also reflect owner surveys of more than 380,000 vehicles, up 27% from 2025.