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Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

2019 Jaguar F-Pace adds technology, gets to keep all its engines

Jaguar recently revealed a lightly refreshed XE sports sedan with a more modern interior and technology, but it also lost its V6 and diesel engine options. That led us to believe the same might happen to the updated 2019 Jaguar F-Pace, but instead, it gets a lighter update inside and both the diesel four-cylinder and supercharged V6 engines stick around for another model year. While styling stays the same, the technology updates for the 2019 F-Pace are welcome. All F-Paces get a bigger 10-inch infotainment display, and the system itself has updated graphics from the I-Pace electric car. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now available, too, but as an optional extra. The tech updates aren't just limited to infotainment, though. The blind-spot monitoring system will now apply a counter-steering force if it detects an object when the driver begins to merge. The optional adaptive cruise control now has an active steering feature that will keep the car centered in its lane on the highway. With the added technology updates comes higher prices. The base 25t four-cylinder F-Pace price goes up by $2,735 for a total of $45,825 with destination. The diesel-powered 20d jumps $2,475 for a total of $49,775. The 30t with the more powerful four-cylinder engine increases $2,475 to $51,275. The V6-equipped S has the smallest increase of $2,025 bringing its final base price to $62,825. The new SVR wasn't around last year, so it doesn't see an increase, but for reference it starts at $81,015 with destination.

Jaguar re-releases the toolkit the E-Type came with when it was new

Finding a complete, original toolkit is a rare treat for vintage car collectors. Jaguar's Classic division has its finger on the hobby's pulse, so it launched a reproduction of the toolkit placed in every new E-Type between 1961 and 1971. It lets owners put the final, factory-correct touch on their restoration. The British firm rummaged through its archives to find the toolkit's engineering records in order to make it to the exact same specifications as the original. The list of tools included in the bundle includes pliers, a three-piece screwdriver, a screwdriver used to adjust the ignition points, a feeler gauge, a grease gun, a valve timing gun, and an assortment of wrenches. They're all Jaguar-branded, and they come in a leatherette pouch that's just like the one buyers got when they purchased a new E-Type. It fits neatly in a corner of the E's trunk; the only thing missing is a rag to wipe your hands with when you're done wrenching. Jaguar doesn't offer one -- yet. Jaguar noted that only Series I and Series II variants of the E-Type came with the toolkit, and it went out of production nearly 50 years ago. This is a classic British car we're talking about, so you can safely bet the cost of a full, in-house restoration that the tools saw plenty of use. They inevitably ended up in mix-and-match toolboxes over the years. Sourcing a complete kit in good condition is consequently difficult, and expensive; some trade hands for nearly $6,500. Available online from Jaguar - Land Rover's classic shop, the reproduction is priced at 732 British pounds (about $950), so it's a bargain in comparison. Still, we wouldn't blame owners who decide to keep the toolkit for decorative purposes, and use much cheaper tools when wrenching gets serious.