Honda Motor Co. and three other Japanese automakers swept Consumer Reports magazine's annual list of top new cars and trucks for the first time as U.S. and European companies failed to rank among the U.S. industry's "best."
Five of the autos chosen as "top picks" in 10 categories are sold by Honda, including the Civic, Accord and Acura TL sedans, the U.S. magazine said in its April issue. Toyota Motor Corp. and Subaru, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.'s auto brand, each had two models on the list. Nissan Motor Co.'s Infiniti M35 was the top luxury sedan.
The rankings were released as Toyota and Honda furthered their market-share gains against U.S. rivals General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. in February sales released Wednesday.
"Toyota and Honda's core customers are people in their 30s and 40s who really rely on Consumer Reports," said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst with industry forecaster Global Insight Inc. in Lexington, Massachusetts.
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The annual auto ranking from Yonkers, N.Y.-based Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, is among the most influential new-vehicle guides in the United States, say automakers and analysts.
Consumers Union has 4 million subscribers to the magazine. That makes it the seventh- largest U.S. magazine by circulation, based on Audit Bureau of Circulations data.
Over the past decade, Toyota, the world's second-biggest automaker behind GM, and Honda, No. 3 in Japan, have had the highest number of top picks in the magazine.
From 1997 to 2006, Toyota models held 34 top spots and Honda cars, minivans and other light trucks were selected 27 times. Ford has had eight top picks since 1997. DaimlerChrysler AG also has had eight Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz models among the top picks since 1997.
Consumer Reports conducts 50 separate tests of vehicles evaluated for the annual guide.
1. Sedan, less than $20,000: Honda Civic
2. Sedan, $20,000-$30,000: Honda Accord
3. Sedan, $30,000-$40,000: Acura TL
4. Luxury Sedan: Infiniti M35
5. SUV, less than $30,000: Subaru Forester
6. SUV, more than $30,000: Toyota Highlander Hybrid
7. Minivan: Honda Odyssey
8. Pickup Truck: Honda Ridgeline
9. Green Car: Toyota Prius
10. Fun to Drive: Subaru Impreza WRX
SOURCE: Consumer Reports
