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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.

Ford, Renault have surprises in store for Le Mans

All those prototype and GT racers won't be the only attraction catching our eye at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend. Two major automakers have also confirmed that they've got new metal to unveil. And while they're not saying exactly what they'll be, we've got some pretty good ideas. First up is Ford, which has announced a "major Ford Performance news announcement" on Friday. Chairman Bill Ford, CEO Mark Fields, and product development chief Raj Nair will be on hand for the announcement set to take place on Friday at 10:00 AM Eastern. The Blue Oval isn't saying just what it has in store, but the widespread speculation has been that it will present a racing version of the new Ford GT at Le Mans a good half century since the original GT40 raced there. Meanwhile, Renault has announced that it is marking the 60th anniversary of the Alpine marque at Le Mans this Saturday. The French automaker has been working on reviving the dormant marque, and looks poised to finally reveal its new sports car at its iconic home endurance race this weekend. Tipped to be called the Alpine AS1, the new sports car will bring the marque back out of retirement in a more real way than the ELMS-winning LMP2 prototype ever could. Expect it to be based on the mid-engined chassis underpinning the Renault RS 01 spec racer, but built for the road. Related Video: FORD TO ANNOUNCE SIGNIFICANT PERFORMANCE NEWS THIS WEEK - Ford this week is making a major Ford Performance news announcement via live-streamed media conference - Bill Ford, executive chairman will host the event with Mark Fields, president and CEO; and Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development COLOGNE, Germany, June 8, 2015 – Ford this week is making a news announcement regarding Ford Performance at 14:00 UK time on Friday. Ford Executive Chairman, Bill Ford; President and CEO Mark Fields; and Group Vice President of Global Product Development Raj Nair, will be joined by special guests for an event that will be live-streamed around the world. The news conference will be available to view live at http://bit.ly/FordPerformanceSpecialEvent where an automated calendar entry for the June 12 event is now available. Broadcasters please note the conference will be available from BT Tower at 15:00-15:30 CET/13:00-13:30 GMT (HD – ref: HD/LOG/C 113) (SD – ref: ARQIVA 71). ### Save the date: 60th Anniversary of Alpine To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Alpine, we have a surprise for you at the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Ford reveals automated Fusion Hybrid

Autonomous cars may still be in their infancy, but more and more big names in the auto industry are diving in head first. Nissan is already making strides with a semi-autonomous Leaf EV and General Motors is planning to offer semi-autonomous tech by 2020. And then there's Google, doing its thing with a fleet of Toyota Prius. Now, Ford is showing off its latest automated effort, a driverless Fusion Hybrid.
Partnering with the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and State Farm Insurance, the project is part of Ford's Blueprint for Mobility, the company's plan for transportation beyond 2025. "The Ford Fusion Hybrid automated vehicle represents a vital step toward our vision for the future of mobility," Chairman Bill Ford said. "We see a future of connected cars that communicate with each other and the world around them to make driving safer, ease traffic congestion and sustain the environment."
The automated Fusion features four LiDAR infrared sensors that scan the road 2.5 million times every second, using a principle similar to the echolocation used by dolphins or bats. Using the infrared light emitted by the LiDAR, the car can draw a picture of everything within 200 feet to create a map of its surroundings. According to Ford, the sensors are able to tell the difference between a paper bag and a small animal from a football field away.