Topic: Top 5 most reliable cars

[duck]

1. Buick 
1. Lexus
3. Cadillac
4. Mercury
5. Honda

http://biz.yahoo.com/brn/071011/23362.html?.v=1&.pf=insurance

[bluelines]

There's an interesting alternative take on reliability at http://www.truedelta.com, a website run by one of the automotive lead reviewers on Epinions.

1. Buick 
1. Lexus
3. Cadillac
4. Mercury
5. Honda

http://biz.yahoo.com/brn/071011/23362.html?.v=1&.pf=insurance

[Snowman]

 

[Giant Dwarf]

Did this sentence confuse anyone else:

"Joining luxury brands Lexus, Buick and Cadillac atop the reliability list were Mercury, Cadillac and Toyota -- hardly names associated with the tuxedo crowd. Hummer emerged in the report as the most improved brand, although it continues to rank below the industry average."

 

I like the part about Hummer being most improved.  When you go from absolute dead-last worst in reliability, you really can only go up from there, can't you?

[drederick]

That picture that snowman posted earlier - I remember asking what it meant because I really didn't understand it because it really doesn't tell you much unless you know exactly what is meant by 'average'

Here is what consumer reports says:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/ratings/reliability-histories-406/index.htm

"The "Average Problem Rates" chart below shows the average problem rates for all models in the survey in each trouble spot."

here is the data from the 2007 model year:

Average Problem Rates:
 
TROUBLE SPOTS
 07
Engine Major
 <1%
Engine Minor
 <1
Engine Cooling
 <1
Trans. Major
 <1
Trans. Minor
 1
Drive System
 1
Fuel System
 1
Electrical
 1
Climate System
 1
Suspension
 1
Brakes
 1
Exhaust
 <1
Paint/Trim
 1
Body Integrity
3
Body Hardware
 2
Power Equip.
2
Audio System
 2

Hardly any issues at all being reported.

So if you look at the chart from snowman and look at the mean percent at 48 percent above average compared to the worst at 153 mean percent below average your hardly talking about any difference at all!

[jcon]

Odd that when GM is lower on a rating that you would say that the difference is negligible. However when Toyota drops a little bit you say that the sky is falling.

[aquadorhj]

Honda ranked below Ford?  ..wow...

I mean, it's certainly possible, but .. 

if it's true, congrats to Mercury/Ford for improving so much.

but considering that Mercury buyers(or Buick or Cadillac) are not typical Honda buyers, it makes me question why primarily luxury brands are ranked high as ..such luxury brands are typically bought by ..  umm.. older generation.

[AVToller]

Methodology, methodology, methodology. 

[safristi]

  THEY aren't even on tha LIST............

[drederick]

Odd that when GM is lower on a rating that you would say that the difference is negligible. However when Toyota drops a little bit you say that the sky is falling.

the sky isn't falling?

GM being lower is not the point of this one, or Toyota having issues either.

Average reliability to consumer reports system is now so good for all vehicles that the difference between the best and the worst is practically nothing - so what does it really show?

Just look at the chart at the bottom of the link:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/ratings/reliability-histories-406/index.htm

look at the years that have gone by from 1998 to 2007. In 1998 there was a very large difference. Now there is hardly any.

All vehicles are getting better and better!

The worst vehicle made in 2007 is probably better built than the best one in 1998.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Always confused by this diagram.

Toyota's high is ~80, and their low is ~-70, yet the mean is 38?

Mitsubishi has a high of ~50, and a low of ~-5 and their mean is 31?

Do they actually explain the methodology anywhere?

And yes, I do realize there is a big difference between average and mean.

[safristi]

..I LIKE the GREEN Ones...........

[gottarondo]

What is the source of that diagram Snowman posted?  I hope I'm not missing something blindingly obvious, but didn't spot in on a quick visit to any of the links posted.

[ovr50]

What is the source of that diagram Snowman posted?  I hope I'm not missing something blindingly obvious, but didn't spot in on a quick visit to any of the links posted.

Consumer's Reports magazine/website.

[Mitlov]

I like my MkIV Jetta, and EVERYONE agrees that they're crap for reliability.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Always confused by this diagram.

Toyota's high is ~80, and their low is ~-70, yet the mean is 38?

Mitsubishi has a high of ~50, and a low of ~-5 and their mean is 31?

Do they actually explain the methodology anywhere?

And yes, I do realize there is a big difference between average and mean.

I took it to mean the range and average of their product. For example, Toyota's high of 80 would be for the Yaris (example) while the low of -65 may be for the Tundra (example). They have more than 2 vehicles but all the others fall between that range. The average dot shows whether the rest lean toward the lower or higher end of that range.

[ovr50]

I think the dot is the "mean" or most common placement, not the arithmatical average (they are different numbers).

EDIT - as you will see below, and as Mitlov kindly pointed out to me, I don't have my terminology correct in this post, I meant the "most common point" which is not the "mean". So forget I said "mean" above. Anyway, the dot is not (I don't think) the arith. average, but is the most common point, the "mode" then. 

Ah, forget the whole thing....blah..... Brain asleep today. 

[Mitlov]

I think the dot is the "mean" or most common placement, not the arithmatical average (they are different numbers).

Mode = most common score.
Median = the "middle number" if you arrange all the scores from lowest to highest.
Mean = the arithmetical result if you add up all the scores and divide them by the number of scores.

In the set 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 5, the mode is 1, the median is 2, and the mean is 2.111.

[safristi]

yer a meanie.......want some Pi................

[dr_spock]

Oh no, not stats again.  Run for your lives.