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Audi tops Consumer Reports' brand rankings while Tesla leads domestics at eighth

Tesla supplanted General Motors' Buick division as the top-ranked US automaker in Consumer Reports annual brand rankings, though the electric-vehicle maker finished eighth among global automakers. Buick had finished atop CR's domestic car-brand list for three years before Tesla leapfrogged it. Scores were calculated from a combination of performance, owner satisfaction, and reliability. CR noted that Buick scored big on reliability but not so high on performance, while Tesla appeared to present the opposite case. Volkswagen's Audi division repeated as the best overall brand for the second straight year, beating out VW's Porsche unit, BMW, Toyota's Lexus division, and Subaru. Kia and Mazda followed those brands, while Honda finished ninth, between Tesla and Buick. Consumer Reports took results from 31 brands. Reliability issues related to the Toyota Tacoma helped drop that Japanese automaker out of the top 10. Take a look at CR's results for its Annual Brand Report Card here. That Tesla, Audi, and Porsche placed so high is topical, given some of the issues plaguing those automakers. Audi, Porsche, and their parent VW have been coping with the effects of the diesel-emissions scandal that broke back in 2015. The scandal has cost Europe's largest automaker billions of dollars, and forced VW to put a stop-sale on diesel-powered cars in the US in late 2015. And while the Tesla Model S improved from the "worse-than-average" label CR gave it in its 2015 Annual Auto Reliability Survey, the problematic falcon-wing doors on the Tesla Model X SUV pulled that model's reliability scores lower last year. Additionally, the Model X's climate-control system and door locks have also caused issues. Toyota and Lexus finished atop CR's reliability rankings last year. Related Video:

Junkyard Gem: 1972 Buick Centurion Four-Door Hardtop

During the mid-to-late 1960s, General Motors made flashy, semi-sporty versions of each of its full-sized B-body cars. Oldsobile had the Delta 88 Royale, for example, while Pontiac offered the Grand Prix. The rakish big Buick of that period was the Wildcat, built through the 1970 model year. Just as the Wildcat shoved aside the Invicta, the Centurion appeared in 1971 to replace the Wildcat. Named after a famous 1956 concept car, production of the Centurion continued just through 1973. Just over 100,000 were built, and here's one of those rarities in a Colorado self-service boneyard. The Centurion was available as a hardtop coupe, a convertible, and a four-door hardtop sedan. It was at heart a LeSabre with a different grille and other cosmetic touches. Instead of the usual triple-shield Buick emblems, the Centurion got Roman-soldier badges. Perhaps the world's best-known Centurion is the '72 convertible driven by Kurt Russel's slimy-car-salesman character in the 1980 film, Used Cars. Kurt ends up selling his Centurion to a customer he "baited" from the rival lot across the street. In 1974, the Centurion was replaced by the LeSabre Luxus, a trim-level designation that Buick swiped from Opel. The only engine available in the 1971 and 1972 Centurion was Buick's 455-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8, renowned for its low-rpm torque. Power numbers for 1972 dropped considerably compared to 1971, mostly due to the switch from gross to net measurements that year; the base '72 Centurion 455 was rated at 225 horsepower and 360 pound-feet, while an optional higher-compression version with dual exhaust made 270 hp and 390 pound-feet. All Centurions came off the assembly line with three-speed automatic transmissions. For 1973, a Buick 350 (5.7-liter) V8 became standard Centurion equipment, with the 455 an extra-cost option. The original buyer of this Centurion probably regretted the single-digit fuel economy of the 455 when OPEC shut off the oil taps in October of 1973. Front Range Colorado isn't particularly rusty, but this car looks like it must have spent some time in a road-salty place like Wisconsin or Iowa. There isn't much left of the padded vinyl roof, standard equipment on all Centurion sedans and coupes. It would have been prohibitively expensive to make this car nice again, so here it sits. This radio played AM and 8-track tapes and cost $363 extra on a $4,508 car (that's $2,615 and $32,485 in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars).

2018 Buick LaCrosse gets a mild hybrid model, lower price

Update: Buick provided us with horsepower and fuel economy figures. The text has been updated to reflect this. Buick is rolling out a variety of updates for the 2018 LaCrosse, including a new mild eAssist hybrid. Like the previous generation LaCrosse and Regal eAssist models, this one features a small electric motor and an equally small battery pack that together augment rather than supplant the gasoline engine. The motor, attached to a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, helps to make takeoffs smoother and provide additional torque on demand. The gasoline engine still does the majority of the work, though. Combined, the powertrain produces 194 horsepower and 187 pound-feet of torque. It will also allow the LaCrosse to get 25 mpg in the city, and 35 mpg on the highway. While the electric powertrain doesn't provide primary propulsion, it does come with other benefits. The small battery means the LaCrosse maintains a folding rear seat. The battery also provides power to accessories when the engine shuts off at a standstill. This mild hybrid powertrain will be the standard engine for all 2018 LaCrosses, and they come with a lower base price. The 2018 model will start at $31,415, which is about $1,500 less than the lowest priced 2017 V6 LaCrosse. The V6 will still be available as an option, and Buick has updated it, too. The 2018 V6 models will also all come with a new 9-speed automatic transmission. The new LaCrosses will go on sale this fall. Related Video: Image Credit: Buick Green Buick Hybrid Luxury Sedan