One Step Further: Consumer Reports Now Says Mazda Is Best Overall Car Brand (And Also The Most Reliable)

Late last year we learned that a massive survey of hundreds of thousands of owners proved what we already knew to be true: Mazda builds the most reliable vehicles. 

That Consumer Reports study, based on reliability data from 329,000 vehicles from 2000 to 2020, remains important. But Consumer Reports is now going one step further: Mazda is the best auto brand overall.

Reliability is part of the equation. In fact, at Consumer Reports, reliability is a vital component if an automaker stands any chance of earning top consideration. But in the Best Automotive Brands listings, road-test performance, safety, and owner satisfaction also need to be top-notch if an automaker is going to secure top marks on its report card.

• So, we can check off the first box: Mazda has the reliabity part nailed down.
• In terms of safety, consider that every Mazda tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2021 is a Top Safety Pick+, the highest designation from the world's foremost automotive safety experts.
• Road-test performance? Who are we kidding – this is Mazda, where on-road behaviour has always been absolutely key to every Mazda's appeal.
• Finally, in terms of owner satisfaction, we know that loyalty rates have always been strong at Mazda, and factors such as Unlimited Mileage warranties and best-in-the-world reliability rankings are only strengthening that trend.

Consumer Reports specifically mentions the fact that earning a high overall score is impossible without a broadly successful model line. "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their lineup," CR says. Mazda is the only brand to earn a 100% Recommended rating across its entire lineup: seven models tested, seven models recommended.

You can see the full brand rankings here. Mazda ranks first ahead of BMW, Subaru, and Porsche. If you're curious about which auto brands are bringing up the rear, Alfa Romeo, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, and Jeep are at the bottom of the pack. 

As for specific models, the Mazda CX-30 won top honours in its class of subcompact SUVs. "In a class filled with joyless continuously variable transmissions, the car’s conventional six-speed automatic delivers the satisfaction of traditional shifts," Consumer Reports says. "A new turbo engine adds even more oomph to this mighty mite. Its main superpower is the winning combination of key standard safety equipment and much-better-than-average predicted reliability."