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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.

UPDATE: 2003 Acura NSX-T in Long Beach Blue hammers at Cars & Bids

UPDATE: This NSX-T sold today (Wednesday) for $72,500. Previous story appears below.   OK, we get it: There's really no such thing as "reasonable" Acura NSX ownership anymore, but around here, we're fans of cars that can be appreciated, and this 66K-mile automatic NSX-T finished in Long Beach Blue Pearl with a week to go at Cars & Bids has "driver" written all over it.  "But Byron, how can you call it a 'driver' when it has an automatic?" Honestly, we can't defend that particular choice on the original buyer's behalf, but what we mean is that this car isn't begging to be garaged for eternity. Between the visible signs of use on both the interior and exterior and the grunge present on the underbody, it's clear this car has spent its life being driven, meaning you won't have to feel guilty about doing the same.  This NSX is almost entirely original (the factory radio is included in case you want to eliminate the "almost") and its interior shows very little wear considering its mileage. The tan seat leather looks excellent, even on the bolsters, and all of the plastic and metal bits appear to be where they should. Outside, the paint shows signs of normal wear and tear, but certainly nothing that couldn't easily be corrected.  It may not be the best NSX to drive – or the one with the lowest miles or the least exposure to the elements – but that's why it might also be the right NSX for you. Why, you ask? Because it probably won't break the bank. But we'll see what a week of bidding says about that. Related video:

Acura ILX Hybrid discontinued for 2015

Earlier today, Acura issued a press release detailing its entry-level 2015 ILX range, but something was missing. Honda's luxury arm listed all of the information about the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter ILX models, but nothing was said about the Hybrid - a model that, when we reviewed it in 2013, left us utterly cold. But now we know why: Acura has confirmed to Autoblog that the ILX Hybrid will be discontinued for the 2015 model year.
The company issued the following statement to us regarding the hybrid's demise:
The 2015 ILX remains a standout choice in the entry premium segment with its combination of performance, luxury, refinement and value and is the top-selling luxury vehicle to younger buyers. Based on the stronger appeal of the ILX 2.0 and 2.4 models, we are streamlining the ILX lineup to better align with customer demand, Acura will no longer offer the ILX Hybrid starting with the 2015 model year.