Cars and Drivers

America's Best Car Brand

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: February 29, 2024 7:15 am

Consumer Reports is out with its latest car brand ranking. The study is influential, widely read, and likely affects many car purchasing decisions. BMW was at the top of the 34 brands that Consumer Reports evaluated.

The results were based on a survey of Consumer Reports. Among those things evaluated was reliability, which was based on its tests. It also tests cars for customer satisfaction and safety. Another category is “green,” which is based on engine admissions. (This is the least dependable car brand in America.)

Brands could score between zero and 100. The firm divided brands into two categories: luxury and mainstream. BMW won the luxury category and had the best score among all brands at 82. Subaru was the top mainstream brand with a score of 80, which tied it with luxury brand Porsche. Jeep finished last with a score of 46.

The Best Car Brand

BMW is among the top-selling luxury car brands in America. BMWs first graced American roads in the late 1950s. They started to sell well in the 1970s and 1980s. At that point, BMW and Mercedes began to challenge the sales leadership of American brands Lincoln and Cadillac. Today, cars from countries outside the United States dominate the luxury car market. Several brands from Japan have joined BMW and Mercedes, led in sales by Lexus, which is part of Toyota.

BMW is the primary brand of publicly traded Bayerische Motoren Werke. It sells 20 U.S. models, including sport utility vehicles, coupes, sedans, and convertibles. It has several electric vehicles and a high-performance division brand, the M series. BMW has several “low-priced” cars, including the 2-Series line, with a base price below $40,000. It also has several models that sell for over $150,000.

BMW has long been considered a gold standard of luxury cars. Consumer Reports has helped it uphold that image.