As anticipated, CR magazine has unveiled its 2026 rankings of the top automotive brands. This list reflects the overall quality of each brand, based on the average scores of their new models. The scores are derived from CR’s road tests, safety evaluations, predicted reliability, and owner satisfaction surveys.
The top 10 is dominated by Japanese tech-company-like car parks, with a few notable exceptions. Subaru, a brand less prominent in Vietnam, claims the top spot for the second consecutive year, followed by BMW, Porsche, Honda, Toyota, Lexus, Lincoln, Hyundai, Acura, and Tesla.
Interestingly, only one traditional American brand made it into CR’s top 10. Another American brand is also featured but doesn’t qualify as a “legacy” name.
| Rank | Brand | Score |
| 1 | Subaru | 82 |
| 2 | BMW | 82 |
| 3 | Porsche | 79 |
| 4 | Honda | 76 |
| 5 | Toyota | 75 |
| 6 | Lexus | 75 |
| 7 | Lincoln | 75 |
| 8 | Hyundai | 74 |
| 9 | Acura | 73 |
| 10 | Tesla | 72 |
Top 10 Best Car Brands of 2026
Among Detroit’s Big Three, Lincoln stands out as the sole brand with reason to celebrate, soaring 17 spots to secure 7th place, thanks to its significantly improved reliability. This indicates that Ford’s luxury vehicles are on the right track, even as its mainstream models continue to face recalls.
Beyond Lincoln’s remarkable turnaround, the overall picture is rather bleak. Based on tests, predicted reliability, and owner satisfaction surveys of 380,000 vehicles, many American brands are slipping.
Cadillac ranks 17th, Chevrolet drops to 24th, while GMC and Jeep languish near the bottom, vying for the lowest position. Jeep holds the last spot for the third consecutive year, barely edging out GMC, which is only surpassed by Land Rover, known for its “unreliable reliability.”
Not only traditional American brands but also newcomers like Rivian are struggling. The young electric vehicle brand remains near the bottom, just one spot above Alfa Romeo.
A surprising bright spot is Tesla. Defying the trend, Tesla climbs from 18th to 10th place—its highest ranking ever. This means Tesla has surpassed Mini, Kia, Nissan, Mazda, Genesis, and Audi in reliability.
CR also released a separate ranking based solely on predicted reliability, compiled from member surveys on vehicle issues. This list shows significant shifts.
| Rank | Brand | Predicted Reliability Score |
| 1 | Toyota | 66 |
| 2 | Subaru | 63 |
| 3 | Lexus | 60 |
| 4 | Honda | 59 |
| 5 | BMW | 58 |
| 6 | Nissan | 57 |
| 7 | Acura | 54 |
| 8 | Buick | 51 |
| 9 | Tesla | 50 |
| 10 | Kia | 49 |
Top 10 Brands with Highest Predicted Reliability in 2026
While Subaru leads the overall rankings, Toyota tops the reliability chart, followed by Subaru, Lexus, and Honda. BMW and Buick also make the top 10 for reliability, despite not being traditionally associated with durability. Lincoln, which ranks 7th overall, only manages 20th in predicted reliability.
Other notable positions include Nissan and Acura, which rank higher in reliability despite lower overall scores. Kia also makes the list, while Tesla secures 9th place.
At the bottom, Ram, Rivian, Jeep, and GMC occupy the last spots, with Rivian at the very end. This highlights the growing pains of new electric vehicle manufacturers.
CR emphasizes the widening reliability gap between electrified and traditional powertrains. Hybrid vehicles like the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid remain the gold standard, with 15% fewer issues than gasoline models. In contrast, pure electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) face up to 80% more problems.
“With numerous new electric and PHEV models launching, and the technology still relatively new, initial challenges are inevitable,” said Jake Fisher, Senior Director of Automotive Testing at CR. “However, our surveys show some EVs are improving over time, and there are now reliable electric models.”
Reliability varies even within brands, as seen with Hyundai. While the Korean brand generally scores well with hybrids and EVs, the Sonata Hybrid falls below average. Toyota and Lexus remain standout performers, while many new PHEV models from other brands continue to face issues.
In summary, simpler systems mean fewer problems. Hybrids avoid the complexities of charging and use familiar components, resulting in superior reliability.
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