Consumer Reports Says Subaru Now Scores Best Car Brand In 4 Areas

Work for Torque News, follow on Twitter, Youtube and Facebook.

How does Subaru compare with other car brands for new car shoppers checking out a 2022 Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Ascent, or other new models? In Consumer Reports Top Picks of 2022, Subaru scores the best car brand in four areas. Check out the complete report here.

Should new car shoppers consider buying a 2022 Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Ascent, or other new Subaru models? Subaru now scores the best automaker in four areas in Consumer Reports' latest new Car Brands Report Card. CR says Subaru is the best overall car brand, the best overall mainstream car brand, gets the best road test score for mainstream brands, and best road test scores overall.

What does it mean for new car shoppers?

CR says Subaru vehicles score the best overall of all luxury and mainstream brands. Subaru earns an overall score of 81, followed by Mazda (78), BMW (78), Honda (77), Lexus (77), Audi (75), Porsche (74), Mini (74), Toyota (74), and Infiniti (72), to round out the top 10 car brands.


photo credit: Timmons Subaru

Best car brand ratings

Each car brand's overall score for individual models is based on four key factors: the road test, reliability, owner satisfaction, and safety. Subaru's lineup has five recommended models and two green choices. Top picks are the 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Impreza, and Legacy.

The refreshed Forester is now a top-10 car of 2022 and the best in class. You can read the complete report here.

Road test scores

CR says, "Our road-test program looks at how vehicles perform in the real world. We run roughly 50 new cars and trucks each year through more than 50 tests at our 327-acre test facility in Colchester, CT. Those tests include acceleration, braking, emergency handling, and fuel economy, among others. We also evaluate usability, fit and finish, noise, ride, and safety systems."

Owner satisfaction

Owner Satisfaction predictions are based on whether CR members said in our surveys that they'd buy the same vehicle again if given a chance.

Eighty-four percent of 2022 Forester owners answered "definitely yes" to the question asked by the Consumer Reports Annual Auto Survey "Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had to do it all over again?". Seventy-one percent of 2022 Outback owners said they would buy the exact vehicle again.

Safety scores

Safety includes assessing any available crash-test results and extra points awarded for vehicles that come with crash-prevention systems. Green Choices reflect how many of a brand's CR-tested vehicles earned the designation for being among the cleanest, lowest emitting passenger vehicles.

The 2022 Subaru Outback, Crosstrek Hybrid, Ascent, and Legacy earn the highest IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award. The 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, Impreza, and WRX earn Top Safety Pick awards. The IIHS has not tested the 2022 Subaru Forester yet. You can read the complete safety report here.

Subaru models with EyeSight all receive a "Superior" rating in front crash prevention from the IIHS. EyeSight is now standard equipment on all 2022 Forester, Outback, Ascent, Legacy models, and all 2022 Crosstrek trims when equipped with the CVT automatic transmission.

Reliability

For the ten cars that shine for reliability, the 2022 Subaru Crosstrek scores 85 out of 100 and is the ninth-best new model. Subaru made no changes to the 2022 models, and Consumer Reports says the 2021 models have a perfect 5/5 overall reliability score.

CR says, "We expect the Subaru Crosstrek will be much more reliable than the average new car." The Crosstrek is ranked #1 of 3 in reliability among 2021 SUVs. The in-car electronics, body, and power equipment score 4/5 points for owner-reported trouble spots.

How does Subaru compare with other car brands for new car shoppers checking out a 2022 Forester compact SUV, Outback midsize SUV, Crosstrek subcompact SUV, Ascent 3-Row SUV, or other new models?

In Consumer Reports latest new Car Brands Report Card, Subaru now scores the best overall car brand, best overall mainstream car brand, gets the best road test score for mainstream brands, and best road test scores overall.

You Might Also Like: The Updated Complete New Subaru Model Guide And What’s Coming This Year

Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Subaru Report - We’ve got you covered! Check back tomorrow for more unique, informative SUBARU news, reviews, and previews you can trust.

Leave your comments below, share the article with friends and tweet it out to your followers!

Photo credit: Subaru USA

Submitted by David (not verified) on March 26, 2023 - 4:15AM

Permalink

I purchased a brand new Touring XT outback with the promise that it could tow 3500 lbs as advertised and reinforced by the dealership. When I received the Outback I immediately had a hitch installed as I needed it to tow a trailer. The factory hitch that was installed only provided a 4 pin connector but I need a seven pin connector to tow my trailer with electric brakes. The owner’s manual states the vehicle can only tow 1000 lbs with a trailer without brakes (4 pin connector) which is understandable. However a seven pin connector is needed to tow every trailer with electric brakes (standard type). When I spoke with the dealership to get a 7 pin connector installed which I would have assumed would have been installed with the 3500 lb factory hitch, I was told Subaru doesn’t provide this connector and I need to go to a 3rd party to have it installed but this installation would void the warranty. Now I’ve owned this vehicle for one week and already cannot use it as it was intended. I can either install a seven pin connector and use my trailer and potentially void the warranty or I need to find another vehicle to tow my trailer. I would not recommend this vehicle or this manufacturer to anyone. Since this manufacturer is fraudulent with this correctable issue I fear what other issues I will encounter in the future. I understand that big corporations do not care about you once they have your money but they should not be able to blatantly lie about the capabilities of a vehicle.