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Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Dodge bringing revamped Challenger, Charger to Big Apple

The 2014 New York Auto Show will be a big one for Dodge, as the brand has announced that refreshed versions of the 2015 Challenger and 2015 Charger will debut at the show. This is a particularly big deal for the two-door Challenger which, visually, has remained unchanged since is burst back onto the scene in 2008 and helped reignite the muscle car wars.
As a sort of hint, this announcement was accompanied by the picture you see above - the Super Bee logo in the Challenger's new instrument cluster. According to Dodge, the New York debut of a new "powertrain combination" - possibly with the high-output Hellcat V8 - will leave enthusiasts "abuzz."
As for the Charger, Dodge is promising a full redesign that should be a significant departure from the blunt, angry looks of the current model. At this point, there's no indication that the Challenger's new powertrain could be fitted to the Charger, although considering how mechanically similar these two vehicles have been, it doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility.

Dodge muscle cars, armored Jeep to star in Furious 7 [w/video]

We're less than a month away from the smorgasbord of speed, stunts and shooting that is Furious 7, and it arrives in theaters on April 3 as one of the first big films of the year. Starring Fast and Furious regulars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, plus Jason Statham as the big villain, this entry looks to be another exciting addition to the franchise. With such a major movie that features cars as much as the actors, it shouldn't be a surprise that an automaker is getting in on the action as a promotional partner. FCA US supplied nearly 30 vehicles for the film, including prominent roles for a 2015 Dodge Charger, Challenger R/T and armored Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. To really play up the connection, the automaker has laid out a global advertising campaign featuring its models. The marketing includes a variety of unique spots with the cars appearing online and in music videos. Among them in the US is a TV ad called Flash to the Future (embedded below) for the Challenger. Hopefully, Furious 7 can live up to all its pre-release hype. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Cars, Movies and Music Come Together as Dodge Partners with Universal Pictures and Atlantic Records on 'Furious 7' 'Furious 7' opens April 3 and features 2015 Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger R/T and 'armored' Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Dodge launches multitier marketing initiative to promote action-thriller, including 'Flash to the Future' television ads for U.S. markets and across international countries, and Furious 7 web landing page at www.dodge.com/en/furious-7 Dodge vehicles also showcased in new music videos of songs from Atlantic Records 'Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack,' available in stores and at online retailers March 17 March 9, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Dodge, which has been a part of the blockbuster Fast & Furious franchise since its inception, announced today a promotional partnership with Universal Pictures for "Furious 7," in theaters April 3, and a first-ever partnership with Atlantic Records on music videos that support the label's "Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack," available March 17 and available now for pre-order at http://smarturl.it/furious7.