Foreign brands snagged 9 of top 10 spots on Consumer Reports magazine's 2026 Automotive Brand Report Card.

Jeep placed last.

Early adopters pay for innovation with reliability issues.

The average price of a new vehicle has soared past $50,000, but some outstanding vehicles are affordable and packed with features and technology that was cutting edge not long ago.

Those are among the findings of Consumer Reports magazine’s influential 2026 Automotive Brand Report Card, senior director of automotive testing Jake Fisher told me in an interview.

CR’s top 10 brands include affordable, mass market names like Subaru — No. 1 overall for the second straight year — No. 4 Honda, No. 5 Toyota and No. 8 Hyundai.

“In some ways, less expensive vehicles are the most impressive,” Fisher said. “There a

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