Subaru finished first in Consumer Reports’ 2025 Auto Brand Report Card, outscoring heavy hitters like Toyota, Honda, Porsche — and BMW. On the surface, this looks like a straightforward upset: a mainstream brand taking the crown over luxury manufacturers. But there’s a second story inside the data, and BMW sits right at the center of it.
While Subaru took the overall No. 1 spot for the second year in a row, BMW placed second overall and first among luxury brands. Consumer Reports blends road-test results, reliability forecasts, owner satisfaction, and safety data. BMW excelled in nearly every measurable category, held back primarily by reliability rates that still lag behind Toyota and Subaru — though not by as much as in the past.
Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ head of auto testing, put it plainly: “BMW has made very highly desirable models for years, and their reliability easily outshines all of their European rivals.”
For a premium automaker known for heavy tech integration, complex drivetrains, and electronics-packed cabins, ranking ahead of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Audi is a great achievement. It suggests BMW has managed to add technology without suffering the reliability penalties that often come with it.
Reliability Scores Tell the Split
Toyota led the reliability rankings this year, followed by Subaru, Lexus, Honda, and then BMW. Porsche finished behind BMW overall, Mercedes didn’t reach the top ten, and Audi dropped ten spots down to 16th.
This year’s results were based on 380,000 vehicles from 25 model years. A few brands stood out:
- Lincoln jumped 17 places, becoming the top-ranked U.S. manufacturer.
- Tesla reached the top ten for the first time, due to improved reliability from Model 3 and Model Y.
- Rivian ranked last in reliability, but first in owner satisfaction — 85% of owners said they would buy one again.
- BMW posted a 71% buy-again rate, second only to Rivian among major manufacturers with full data.
The bottom of the reliability list included Dodge, GMC, Land Rover, Rivian, and Jeep.
