2007 Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie Extended Crew Cab Pickup 4-door 5.9l on 2040-cars

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BMW tops Consumer Reports 2023 Brand Report Card

Feels like we wrote about Consumer Reports' 2022 Brand Report Car and 10 Top Picks a few weeks ago, but it was last April. So the mag is back with a ranked roster of 32 brands and 10 vehicles in four categories for your debating pleasure. Starting with the brands, last year's top three were Subaru, Mazda and BMW. This year, the Munich crew climbed two spots to win the prize thanks to "Superb road test scores and solid results in CR’s reliability and owner satisfaction surveys." Subaru narrowly fell to second, maintaining its four-year run in the top three. Mini, eighth last year, jumped five spots to get the last step on the podium. The rest of the top 10 were Lexus (up one spot from last year), Honda (down one spot from last year), Toyota (up three), Genesis (up 12), Mazda (down six), Audi (down three) and Kia (up eight). The magazine and testing outfit says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CRÂ’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." Last year's top 10 had six automakers from Japan, three from Germany (giving Mini credit for England), none from the U.S. or South Korea, and five luxury brands. This year's list counts five makes from Japan, two from Germany because Porsche fell out of the top ten, two from South Korea, still none from the U.S., and four luxury brands. Buick again ranked as the best domestic, dropping to 12th after being 11th last year. The big mover was Lincoln, its 10-place jump up to 16th attributed to better reliability from the Corsair and Nautilus. Tesla's improved overall reliability saw it climb six spots to 17th. Dodge climbed one spot to 15th. Jeep got out of the penalty box in last to come second-to-last. Land Rover fell three places into the penalty spot.  CR's top 10 vehicle models The 10 Top Picks list is practically a new list. Only two holdovers made it to 2023, those being the Subaru Forester and Kia Telluride.

2015 Dodge Charger Pursuit is ready to serve and protect

Okay speed freaks, it's time to update your cheat sheet of police headlights, as Dodge has just unveiled the new 2015 Charger sedan's police variant, the Pursuit.
Like previous Charger Pursuits, the 2015 model is based on a modified version of the civilian sedan, featuring the same basic batch of mechanicals and sheetmetal, while adding a number of items specific to the five-oh.
For 2015, cops can select from the same 3.6-ltier V6 and 5.7-liter Hemi V8 available to the civilian population, with former turning out 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque and the latter packing 370 ponies and 390 lb-ft. Even loaded down with equipment, Dodge claims the Hemi-powered cop car can hit 60 miles per hour in under six seconds, while both engines are expected return 26 miles per gallon on the highway (thanks to the V8's four-cylinder mode). Rear-wheel drive is standard with both engines, while V8 Pursuits can be fitted with all-wheel drive.

MotorWeek remembers a better time for Mitsubishi performance

Dodge still knows how to create an capable performance car – look at the Hellcats, for example – but the same isn't true for Mitsubishi. With the Lancer Evo's demise, we don't expect driving enthusiasts to clamor for any of the Japanese automaker's other products. Things used to be different, though. As MotorWeek found in its new Retro Review, the 1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 and its sibling, the Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo, were impressive sports coupes in their day. Dodge and Mitsubishi packed a bevy of cutting-edge tech into the coupes. In these trims, both sported all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, an adjustable suspension, active exhaust, and automatic climate control. The 3000GT VR4 upped the ante even more with active aero parts at the front and rear. Their 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 was good for 300 horsepower and 307 pound-feet, which were good numbers at the time. This pair put all their gizmos to good use, too. MotorWeek compares the all-wheel-drive system's grip levels to a Porsche 911 Carrera 4. When was the last time you heard any favorable similarity between a Mitsubishi and a Porsche? The Stealth R/T Turbo and 3000GT VR4 came from a special time for Japanese sports coupes, when every brand had a halo model. Whether you were looking at Nissan 300ZX, Mazda RX-7, Toyota Supra, or even the Acura NSX, there was a lot to like on the market. MotorWeek's latest Retro Review offers a great reminder of that period.