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Mazda Nearly Claims Title of Highest-Ranked Auto Brand by Consumer Reports

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2016 Mazda CX-5 driving on mountain road

Coming in second is nothing to sneeze at—especially when you out-rank some stiff competition.

The North American division of Mazda has been ranked the second-highest auto brand on Consumer Reports annual Car Brand Report Card, which is a substantial accomplishment for an automaker in the process of redesigning its lineup.


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Reliability and Performance Bring Mazda a Silver Medal

The final, composite scores on this year’s Car Brand Report Card average the results of two independently-administered evaluations: road tests and reliability. Road tests encompassed practical factors like fuel efficiency, driving and handling dynamics, and refinement, while the reliability factor considers reputation/product trustworthiness.

Consumer Reports pointed out in its post-evaluation summary that most redesigned models “come with teething problems,” which dramatically hurt scores for once-trusted automakers like Mercedes-Benz, Acura, and Infiniti. Many other brands suffered because of sub-par redesigned models in their lineups, including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Fiat, which all scored near the bottom.
However, Mazda exceeded expectations by having half its lineup redesigned or newly introduced in the past three years and still claiming second place. The Mazda3, Mazda6, and Mazda CX-5 all boosted the brand’s final score.

When Mazda executives were asked what clenched the company this prestigious rank, the president and CEO of Mazda North America, Jim O’Sullivan, answered that SKYACTIV Technology, efficient engineering, excellent fuel economy, standout handling, innovation prowess, and KODO designs were all winning factors.

Mazda fell short of taking the gold because of continued excellence from luxury automaker Lexus—which is, admittedly, in a class all its own.

Even though Mazdas can cost you more than other vehicles in their respective segments, it’s reassuring to know their performance and reliability far outrank their cheaper competitors.


Related: Reviewing Mazda’s 2014 sales results


News Source: Consumer Reports