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Lexus tops JD Power Vehicle Dependability Study again, Buick bests Toyota

It shouldn't surprise anyone, but Lexus has once again taken the top spot in JD Power's Vehicle Dependability Study. That'd be the Japanese luxury brand's fourth straight year at the top of table. The big news, though, is the rise of Buick. General Motor's near-premium brand beat out Toyota to take second place, with 110 problems per 100 vehicles compared to Toyota's 111 problems. Lexus owners only reported 89 problems per 100 vehicles. Besides Buick's three-position jump, Scion enjoyed a major improvement, jumping 13 positions from 2014. Ram and Mitsubishi made big gains, as well, moving up 11 and 10 positions, respectively. In terms of individual segments, GM and Toyota both excelled, taking home seven segment awards each. The study wasn't good news for all involved, though. A number of popular automakers finished below the industry average of 147 problems per 100 vehicles, including Subaru, (157PP100), Volkswagen (165PP100), Ford/Hyundai (188PP100 each) and Mini (193PP100). The biggest losers (by a tremendous margin, we might add) were Land Rover and Fiat, recording 258 and 273 problems per 100 vehicles. The next closest brand was Jeep, with 197PP100. While the Vehicle Dependability Study uses the same measurement system as the Initial Quality Survey, the two metrics analyze very different things. The VDS looks at problems experienced by original owners of model year 2012 vehicles over the past 12 months, while the oft-quoted IQS focuses on problems in the first 90 days of new-vehicle ownership. Like the IQS, though, the VDS has a rather broad definition of what a problem is. Because of that, a low score from JD Power is no guarantee of extreme unreliability, so much as just poor design. In this most recent study, the two most reported problems focused on Bluetooth connectivity and the voice-command systems. The former leaves plenty of room for user error due to poor design (particularly true of the Bluetooth systems on the low-scoring Fords, Volkswagens and Subarus), while the second is something JD Power has already confirmed as being universally terrible. That makes means that while these studies are important, they shouldn't be taken as gospel when it comes to automotive reliability. News Source: JD PowerImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL Buick Fiat Ford GM Hyundai Jeep Land Rover Lexus MINI Mitsubishi RAM Scion Subaru Toyota Volkswagen Auto Repair Ownership study

2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R vs. 2022 Ram TRX | By the numbers

Ford has responded to the Ram 1500 TRX with its own supercharged supertruck: the brand-new 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R. Ford may be late to the party, but fans can rest assured that its 5.2-liter supercharged V8 is ready to throw down, packing 700 horsepower in a leaner, more-focused package. You can read all about the new Raptor R in our debut write-up, but if you're curious how it stacks up to the TRX by some of its key metrics, you're in the right place. Let's get started.  Performance Let's go ahead and get this one out of the way. Both of these trucks offer blistering performance figures, but a quick glance at the specs suggests a clear winner. Both the Ford and Ram are half-ton crew cab pickups powered by supercharged V8s, but how that package comes together differs pretty significantly between the two.  2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R Engine: 5.2-liter supercharged DOHC V8 Power: 700 horsepower Torque: 640 pound-feet Suspension: Independent double-wishbone (front); five-link coil with Panhard rod (rear); continuously variable active Fox dampers (both) Curb Weight: 5,950 pounds 2022 Ram 1500 TRX Engine: 6.2-liter supercharged OHV V8 Power: 702 horsepower Torque: 650 pound-feet Suspension: Independent double-wishbone (front); five-link coil with track bar (rear); active Bilstein dampers (both) Curb Weight: 6,395 pounds Conclusion It was looking good for the TRX right up until the end there. Ram has the edge in total power and torque — just barely — but that advantage disappears when you consider the TRX's extra heft. 400 pounds may not seem like the end of the world in the context of these trucks, but weight plays a roll in all aspects of performance. This looks like a home run for the Blue Oval.  Off-road Raptor was the default half-ton performance truck for many years, but with OEMs getting ever more serious about building full-size pickups that can take a beating off-pavement, Ford has leaned harder into the Raptor's high-speed performance. Ram's approach was similar, only with more power — until now, that is. But there's more to off-roading than blasting across the desert.

2022 Toyota Tundra Capstone and Jaguar F-Pace SVR | Autoblog Podcast #719

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. First they talk about driving the Jaguar F-Pace SVR and the Toyota Tundra Capstone. In news, they discuss the sinking of the Felicity Ace cargo ship with thousands of cars aboard, including VWs, Porsches and Lamborghinis, and the launch of the new Ford Mondeo in China. They also talk about the pros and cons of buying a used Cadillac ELR before digging into Jeremy's opinion on aggressive drivers. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #719 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2022 Jaguar F-Pace SVR 2022 Toyota Tundra Capstone Felicity Ace car carrier sinks Fifth-generation Ford Mondeo arrives at dealers in China Cadillac ELR used vehicle spotlight Opinion: Stop driving like there's a trophy at your destination Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video:   2022 Toyota Tundra Capstone revealed