Korean automakers, Kia and Hyundai must have been enjoying strong sales lately but unfortunately have not received a satisfactory rating from a leading nonprofit consumer advocacy organization.
According to Consumer Reports’ recently released Best Cars of the year: 10 Top Picks of 2024, Japanese automakers dominated the list with seven, followed by two U.S. and one European brand, while no Korean cars made the cut.
Last year, two Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid and Kia Telluride made the list. They made the list nine times over the entire period with at least one model of two brands each time.
By model, the Telluride has been named to the list four times since 2020, followed by the Santa Fe Hybrid (2023), Kona (2019), Optima (2017), Sorento (2016), Santa Fe (2014), Elantra (2013), and Sonata (2012) listed one each time.
Over the 13 years, Korean brand vehicles made the list 11 times, accounting for 8.5% of the total, tied with European vehicles. American models made the list 22 times, representing 16.9% of the total, while Japanese cars made the list 86 times, or 66.1% of the total.
By brand, Toyota was selected the most with 39 times, followed by Subaru with 20 times and Honda with 12 times. Ford and Chevrolet were recognized eight times each, Kia, Tesla, and Audi six times, and Hyundai, Lexus, and BMW five times.
The Subaru Forester tops the most frequently named model list, with 11 consecutive nominations from 2014 to this year. It was followed by the Toyota Prius (10 times), Camry (7 times), Highlander (6 times), and Subaru Impreza (5 times).
In contrast, Consumer Reports has withdrawn six of its previous recommendations based on the latest results of its annual member car survey.
The survey examined issues over the past 12 months across 20 categories, including engine, transmission, EV battery, EV charging, hardware, paint, and trim.
The report removed six models from its list of recommended models because they had below-average reliability scores, which are Genesis GV70, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Chevrolet Blazer, Volkswagen Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, and Jetta.
Specifically, when it comes to vehicle problem rates, hybrid models were 26% lower than gasoline-powered vehicles, but 79% higher than electric vehicles and 146% higher than plug-in (PHEV) vehicles.
Some EVs, including the Genesis GV60, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and Niro EV, Toyota bZ4X, Subaru Solterra, and Volkswagen ID.4, reported problems with the driving system motor, charging system, and battery.
Among PHEVs, however, the Kia Sportage and Toyota RAV4 Prime scored above average for reliability, and the Hyundai Tucson, BMW X5, and Ford Escape also scored average.
BY NAKI PARK, HOONSIK WOOÂ [park.naki@koreadaily.com]
