Subaru tops Consumer Reports Annual Survey, ahead of BMW and Lexus

• Jeep finishes last in 2025.

• Rivian is first in Owner satisfaction study.

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Every year, Consumer Reports publishes its annual car brand report, an overall score where consumers can find out how a manufacturer performs in reliability, driving and owner satisfaction tests. Consumer Reports also goes one step further by publishing a used-model reliability ranking, another highly relevant tool for consumers.

As CR points out, the top 5 best-rated brands in this annual assessment have not changed. They still include Honda (5th place), Porsche (4th place), Lexus (3rd place), BMW (2nd place) and Subaru, which has snatched the top step of the podium from the Bavarian manufacturer, which remains strong with a second-place result for 2025.

At the other end of the spectrum, three brands from the Stellantis giant – Jeep (32nd place). Dodge (28th) and Alfa Romeo (27th) – aren’t exactly helping the automaker’s case, which has been shaken up in recent weeks. Rivian (31st), Land Rover (30th) and GMC (29th) complete the reverse list.

Among the biggest losers of 2025, Cadillac division lost the most positions, dropping from 14th to 21st place, mainly due to the poor reliability of its Lyriq electric crossover.

The position of small American manufacturer Rivian, on the other hand, is a sobering one, as it topped the Consumer Reports list for owner satisfaction, a feat it repeated for a second consecutive year. Rivian was also the only brand to score five out of five in this annual survey, ahead of BMW, Tesla and Porsche, the three that received a four out of five result.

As Consumer Reports also reminds us, we shouldn’t rely solely on the overall list, which is also based on averages. CR recommends digging a little deeper, by ensuring that the model you want is recommended by the organization. The firm cites Toyota as an example, with its Camry sedan achieving very high marks, which is not the case for the more recent Tacoma.

The annual rankings don’t tell the whole story either. CR also pointed out that, within this list, only four brands had managed to rank each of their models among the organization’s recommendations: Porsche, Infiniti, Mini and Buick. And let’s not forget that these four names don’t offer very extensive ranges, like Chevrolet or Nissan, to name but two.

But since there are winners, there must also be losers. And in this respect, Lincoln, Alfa Romeo, Dodge, GMC, Land Rover, Rivian and Jeep don’t even have a single model recommended by CR.

Consumer Reports’ interactive table also allows for a separation of car brands by their level of luxury. Thus, if we omit the plusher divisions, the top 5 is now occupied by Subaru (1st place), Honda (2nd place), Kia (3rd place), Hyundai (4th place) and Toyota (5th place). On the luxury side, the top 5 is different, with BMW (1st place), Lexus (2nd place), Porsche (3rd place), Audi (4th place) and Infiniti (5th place).

Of course, these numerous statistics don’t tell the whole story, but they certainly can’t detract from the consumer’s decision-making process.