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Lexus, Mazda and Subaru top Consumer Reports Brand Report Cards

A revised methodology in devising its annual Car Brand Report Cards has seen Consumer Reports award Lexus its top overall ranking for 2013. For the first time ever, the institute broke out individual brands from their larger corporate umbrellas, meaning car makers like Lexus and Scion were judged independently from parent company Toyota. That strategy worked out well for Lexus, as the luxury brand earned a top report card score of 79 for the 2013 model year.
The institute has recommended every one of the Lexus models it has tested to date, and said that the company's products won out thanks to "a foundation of plush and very reliable vehicles."
Meanwhile, Mazda and Subaru tied for the second-highest scoring report cars, with scores of 76. Subaru earned praised for sporting models like the BRZ, which CR testers apparently had a lot of fun driving (naturally), while the Mazda products were lauded for their blend of practicality, sportiness and efficiency. Both of the Japanese brands offered good handling, fuel economy and versatility, said Consumer Reports.

2015 Subaru BRZ tS First Drive [w/video]

The Subaru BRZ is a brilliant driver's car: lightweight, rear-wheel-drive, tactile, nimble and fluid at speed. In terms of qualities that allow for dazzling point-to-point performance, it lacks only power and intense mechanical grip. In the US, options for tuning the BRZ to amplify its strengths or diminish its weaknesses are mostly found in the aftermarket. In Japan, meanwhile, driving enthusiasts can start with the factory-tuned model you see above: the BRZ tS. Designed and built with the engineering prowess of Subaru Tecnica International, the limited-edition tS is tuned for track competence over and above that of the base model. The intent of the tS wasn't lost on me as I stared over the front fender towards Turn 1 at Japan's Suzuka Circuit. Not just a proper place to test STI's claims of increased handling brilliance for its BRZ tune, but a perfect one. Suzuka is challenging – fast and technical in equal measure – and a playground for sorting out the margin of improvement from the standard that BRZ I know so well. Wait, Why Am I Here? Of course, Subaru didn't invite me and a half-dozen other motoring journalists to Japan for an academic exercise in JDM hotness. We were there at the behest of STI, as a first step in what will undoubtedly be a deliciously drawn-out expansion of the performance brand in North America. STI started life as the motorsports division for Subaru-parent Fuji Heavy Industries. But chances are good that you, like me, first encountered the three-letter-logo as a Cherry Blossom Red punctuation mark at the end of a WRX road or rally car. The world came to know STI through Subaru's 1990s WRC dominance and prominence in the Gran Turismo franchise. But outside of Japan the significance of the initials was known more as the designation of the top-dog Impreza, rather than a motorsport and performance engineering unit. The company is set on changing that and building STI into a performance brand that's as easily recognizable in America as M and AMG are today. That message was delivered a body in the STI Concept car at the New York Auto Show earlier this week, but as I mentioned then, we don't expect Subaru to turn up with a production-ready BRZ STI next year. First STI will deploy its parts catalog to the US, removing the half-hearted Subaru Performance Tuning parts business in the process. Next, according to a vague timeline presented in Japan, Subaru will offer a car like the tS to US customers in approximately 18 months.

Next-generation Subaru Forester spotted with minimal camouflage

Though the Subaru Forester received a slight refresh last year, the crossover is due for a full redesign, since its bones date back to the 2014 model year. That redesign is coming soon though, as revealed by these spy shots. The crossover looks relatively similar to the current one, but it's completely new underneath. As for the outside, it's definitely an evolutionary design. The boxy shape and signature grille clearly derive from the current model. But there are changes. The prow doesn't slope back as much as the current one. Instead, it's nearly upright, and the corners are pushed forward, too. It gives the Forester a more truck-like appearance. The headlights also look as though they sit higher and wrap around more. The lower vents that were integrated in bumper creases on the current one appear to have disappeared, as well, perhaps for a more conventional front bumper. Moving to the side and the back, we can just make out some slightly more complicated surfaces on the flanks. They look a bit like the subtle creases found on the Impreza and the Crosstrek. The taillights also appear to be inspired by the new Impreza and Crosstrek. Rather than the small units in the body of the current Forester, the new lights extend into the rear hatch. Not only does this bring the crossover's styling in line with Subaru's other offerings, this may improve the size of the hatch opening, as Subaru says the Impreza's new lights did. Underneath the modest redesign should be Subaru's global architecture, which currently underpins the Impreza and Crosstrek. Our experience with both of those cars showed that the platform has yielded agile handling and solid ride quality. And if the Forester continues to offer a turbocharged engine, it should rectify the power (or rather, lack thereof) in the Impreza pair. The platform will also underpin the upcoming three-row Ascent SUV, which is expected to be released next year. With that in mind, and the near production-ready body, we'd say we'll see the new Forester revealed either at the end of this year, or early next year. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Subaru Forester View 9 Photos Image Credit: KGP Photography Spy Photos Subaru Crossover