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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.

Jaguar Land Rover to cut more U.K. jobs as it moves Discovery output to Slovakia

LONDON — Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to cut more jobs in Britain as it moves all production of its Discovery car to lower-cost Slovakia before building its new Range Rover at an English factory. Britain's biggest automaker, JLR has previously said its next-generation Discovery will be built at its Slovakia plant and on Monday announced there could be some job cuts in Britain as a result. "The potential losses of some agency employed staff in the UK is a tough one but forms part of our long-term manufacturing strategy as we transform our business globally," the company said in a statement. Moving production from Britain will slash several thousands of pounds off the cost per vehicle, the firm's Chief Finance Officer Ken Gregor said last year. The new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will however be built at the firm's central English Solihull plant on an architecture which is designed to allow for diesel, petrol, electric and hybrid models to be produced. Monday's announcement comes after the firm said this year it will cut 1,000 jobs and reduce production at two of its English factories as demand for diesel cars slumps in the face of higher taxes and a regulatory crackdown. The firm has also blamed Brexit for hitting demand in Europe's second-largest autos market, where demand fell 6 percent last year, a source told Reuters in April. JLR said in January it would decide this year whether to build electric cars in its home market after announcing all of its new cars will be available in an electric or hybrid version from 2020. The company, owned by India's Tata Motors, builds nearly one in three of Britain's 1.7 millions cars but is producing its first electric vehicle, the I-Pace, in Austria. JLR's new factory in the Slovak city of Nitra is due to begin production by the end of the year and will have a capacity of up to 300,000 vehicles. It already employs 1,400 people there as it gears up to open. In Britain, the firm built just over 530,000 vehicles last year at three production facilities and also has a separate engine site and headquarters, employing roughly 40,000 people in total. Related Video: Image Credit: Reuters/Paul Ellis Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Plants/Manufacturing Jaguar Land Rover SUV Luxury Off-Road Vehicles jaguar land rover jobs jlr slovakia

2017 Jaguar F-Type slashes $3,600 off base model

It won't be quite such a drain on the checking account to hop into a Jaguar F-Type for the 2017 model year. The 2017 F-Type Coupe will start at $62,395 (after the $995 destination charge), which is $3,600 less than the 2016. Jag will also give the convertible a $2,700 price cut to begin at $66,395. Drivers won't really be giving up amenities with either of these. Both entry models will use the company's supercharged 3.0-liter V6 making 340 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. They'll come with partially electric six-way adjustable seats and a fixed metal roof for the coupe. New standard features will include a valet mode, solar attenuating windshield glass, and the brand's EliteCare warranty with five-years/60,000 miles of complimentary scheduled maintenance. The vehicles also still pack navigation and a surround sound stereo system. The 2017 F-Types will arrive at dealers in late spring 2016. The move to cut prices follows on Jag's decision in September to slash the cost of the XF 35t by over $5,200. Related Video: THE 2017 JAGUAR F-TYPE • 2017 Model Year F-TYPE lineup to include new $61,400 1 F-TYPE Coupe and new $65,400 1 F-TYPE Convertible entry models, reducing available cost of entry to the sports car family by $3,600 and $2,700 respectively • Standard Best-in-Class Jaguar EliteCare Ownership Package 2 Featuring New Vehicle Limited Warranty, Roadside Assistance, Jaguar InControl® Protect & RemoteTM and the Longest Complimentary Scheduled Maintenance Package of any Luxury Brand in the Market (Mahwah, N.J) – November 12, 2015 – Jaguar North America today announced it will expand the price range of the F-TYPE lineup in the U.S. for the 2017 model year to include new entry-level coupe and convertible models which lower the introductory price of the F-TYPE Coupe & Convertible to $61,400 1 and $65,400 1 respectively. The 2017 line-up of Jaguar sports cars will continue to consist of the F-TYPE, F-TYPE S and the range topping F-TYPE R. The addition of a new entry price level for 2017 Jaguar F-TYPE builds upon the pricing realignment strategy announced as part of The Next Generation of Jaguar for the 2016 model year in which an improved competitive value position was brought to market through a combination of new entry priced models, increased standard equipment and lower MSRPs that all help the brand target the heart of the luxury market.