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Consumer Reports says Toyota, Ford, Honda and Chevy are big winners in brand perception survey

According to Consumer Reports, the automotive brands that stand out in the minds of car buyers are, in order: Toyota, Ford, Honda and Chevrolet. This news comes after the magazine polled its readers, asking them to take into account vehicle quality, safety, performance, value, fuel economy, design/style, and technology/innovation - which are the factors that car shoppers are most influenced by.
It's important to note that this award is only about perception. In other words, it's perceived quality, not actual quality. "Often, perception can be a trailing indicator, reflecting years of good or bad performance in a category, and it can also be influenced by headlines in the media," said Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports deputy automotive editor.
The brand that made the biggest jump in perception amongst Consumer Reports readers is Tesla, which posted an impressive 47-point gain to finish in fifth place. Subaru is also notable for finishing in the top 10, despite being one of the smaller manufacturers doing business in the US. Scroll down below for all the details from Consumer Reports, if you're so inclined.

The 2017 Honda Ridgeline's innovative bed

Today most truck makers put their emphasis on high-zoot comfy interiors, towing bragging rights, and macho styling (aka my grille's bigger than yours). The "work area," aka the "bed," for the most part, is often an afterthought. Yeah, there have been improvements, but they've come slowly; and frankly most to date have not been very innovative and/or have been poorly executed. A thinking man's truck Since the very first Ridgeline was introduced, and now with the new 2017 model, Honda has done a lot of serious thinking when it comes to the bed – how it's used, and how to make it even more user-friendly. For the most part great ideas abound, while some like the in-bed audio system seem really silly. The two-way tailgate is flat-out brilliant, even if the idea was borrowed from 1970s Detroit station wagons. Other trucks offer optional bumper steps, fold-out steps, or a tailgate step to aid bed access. Good ideas for sure, but Honda's swing-out tailgate solution is so simple and so elegant it hurts; plus it's standard. The Ridgeline's ability to lay 4x8 building material flat on the floor of the bed is a no-brainer, especially for someone who likes to do home projects; yet Honda is the only mid-size truck to offer that capability. The storage trunk in the bed is another super idea – most of the time. Is it perfect? Nope. Some say accessing the bed trunk with a load of mulch is a problem. No argument there, so you plan ahead. Same with accessing the spare tire; it could be a BIG problem with a loaded bed. Then again, how often do you see a Harry Homeowner truck with a loaded bed? The odds are, if you're going to get a flat tire, most likely the bed will be empty. If not, well then you must have angered the gods. Speaking of flat tires, Honda blew it big time here by giving the Ridgeline a temporary spare tire. no truck should ever have a temp tire; full-size spare all the way, baby! No way do I want to have to use a temp tire while carrying a load or towing a trailer. Hopefully they will offer a full-service spare as an option. The funny thing is, the previous model sold in Mexico came with a full-size spare standard. From what I've heard, the reason the American-spec model comes with a temp tire is to save weight; and Honda will do anything to save weight, to improve EPA mileage ratings, even if it's unwise for real-world conditions.

Five automakers now being investigated by NHTSA for airbag woes

It appears that Toyota's renotification to owners of recalled vehicles from last year is just the tip of the iceberg for what could potentially be a much larger industry-wide recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening a preliminary evaluation investigation into roughly 1.1 million vehicles from Chrysler, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota and parts supplier Takata regarding faulty airbag inflators in several models.
NHTSA has received six reports - three directly, two from Takata and one from Toyota - of vehicles with ruptured airbag inflators from 2002-2006, which resulted in three injuries. So far, all six incidents have occurred in high humidity areas like Florida and Puerto Rico. According to Toyota's latest recall announcement, the inflators may have an improper propellant that could cause it to rupture in a crash and the bag to deploy abnormally.
This new investigation follows a previous recall from April 2013 of about 3.4 million vehicles worldwide for the airbag inflators from Takata. As Autoblog reported, Toyota jumpstarted the new situation when it found that the original list of serial numbers for the faulty part was incomplete and discovered more cars in need of replacement. Honda and Nissan told us that they were investigating whether further models would need called in again as well. Mazda told Autoblog: "Regarding the current Takata situation, we're working closely with NHTSA and investigating the situation, but nothing else to report at this time." Chrysler Group responded to us with the statement: "Chrysler Group engineers are conducting the appropriate analysis. The Company will cooperate fully with the National Highway Traffic Administration."