Consumer Reports Says Subaru Is The Best Overall Car Brand

Most automakers are jealous of Subaru. It seems like every year, another major publication lists the Japanese auto manufacturer as the best overall car brand or one of the top safest brands in the auto industry. When it comes to how owners feel about their cars, the incredible levels of safety, reliability, usability, and how journalists feel, Subaru continues to take top trumps over other brands because they understand the formula that their buyers want and need in a car.  

Consumer Reports Rates the Best Car Brands 

Consumer Reports, the renowned publication that buys all of its own products for rigorous and strict testing, has ranked nearly every automotive brand. In order to be considered for their best brand review, they had to have tested at least two different vehicles from that brand throughout the year. In the hands of CR, Subaru beat out a whole host of major automakers, including BMW, Porsche, Audi, Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Kia, Hyundai, and the like.  

A Word from Consumer Reports 

“Among the 32 brands featured in the 2025 report card, the top five remain unchanged from last year’s results, aside from one significant shift: Subaru claims the top spot from BMW, edging out last year’s highest-ranked brand by a single point in its average Overall Score.” 

How CR Ranks Car Brands 

The way the scoring works to become the best brand, CR rates each brand’s average road test, reliability (including used car reliability), and owner satisfaction. All of those are key strong suits for Subaru on any given day anyway, especially since they have the highest retention score in the auto industry at 61.1% of owners buying another Subaru.  

A Brand That Doesn’t Overprice Their Cars 

Rounding out the top five were BMW, Lexus, Porsche, and Honda, four of the most recognizable and beloved brands. Three of them are major luxury brands, but they were unable to beat Subaru, a brand where only two of its nine vehicles break the $50,000 price barrier, the 7-passenger Ascent and the Solterra EV.  

The Most Reliable New Car Brand 

When it came to ranking brands in terms of reliability, Subaru had the highest score, 68 out of 100, easily beating Lexus, Toyota, Honda, and Acura by 3, 6, 9, and 13 points, respectively. Every Subaru model produced ranked well according to Consumer Reports. The Forester and Impreza ranked “well above average,” while the Crosstrek, Legacy, Outback, and Ascent ranked above average and average.  

How Are Subaru Vehicles So Reliable? 

“Subaru’s cars share many reliable components,” says Steven Elek, who oversees auto data analytics at Consumer Reports. “This commonality means that when Subaru redesigns a vehicle, it can make fewer incremental changes by carrying over dependable systems. This reduces the risk of new problems.” 

Road Test Scores 

Even in the “Road-Test Score” rankings, Subaru was the top non-luxury brand, with 84 points out of 100 and in fourth place. BMW, Audi, and Porsche took the top three spots. This is an excellent showing for Subaru as it proves that a car doesn’t have to be a sports car to make people happy when behind the wheel. It isn’t always about speed or performance. Instead, Subaru wins people over with its reasonably priced luxury and top-quality features and amenities.  

Why Choose Subaru of Rochester 

At Subaru of Rochester, we are happy to offer our customers more than a hundred new and used vehicles. Our fantastic sales team and finance department will work hard to find the best car that fits your needs. And our dedicated service department will always ensure that your vehicle is taken care of in the best way possible.