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BMW tops Consumer Reports 2023 Brand Report Card

Feels like we wrote about Consumer Reports' 2022 Brand Report Car and 10 Top Picks a few weeks ago, but it was last April. So the mag is back with a ranked roster of 32 brands and 10 vehicles in four categories for your debating pleasure. Starting with the brands, last year's top three were Subaru, Mazda and BMW. This year, the Munich crew climbed two spots to win the prize thanks to "Superb road test scores and solid results in CR’s reliability and owner satisfaction surveys." Subaru narrowly fell to second, maintaining its four-year run in the top three. Mini, eighth last year, jumped five spots to get the last step on the podium. The rest of the top 10 were Lexus (up one spot from last year), Honda (down one spot from last year), Toyota (up three), Genesis (up 12), Mazda (down six), Audi (down three) and Kia (up eight). The magazine and testing outfit says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CRÂ’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." Last year's top 10 had six automakers from Japan, three from Germany (giving Mini credit for England), none from the U.S. or South Korea, and five luxury brands. This year's list counts five makes from Japan, two from Germany because Porsche fell out of the top ten, two from South Korea, still none from the U.S., and four luxury brands. Buick again ranked as the best domestic, dropping to 12th after being 11th last year. The big mover was Lincoln, its 10-place jump up to 16th attributed to better reliability from the Corsair and Nautilus. Tesla's improved overall reliability saw it climb six spots to 17th. Dodge climbed one spot to 15th. Jeep got out of the penalty box in last to come second-to-last. Land Rover fell three places into the penalty spot.  CR's top 10 vehicle models The 10 Top Picks list is practically a new list. Only two holdovers made it to 2023, those being the Subaru Forester and Kia Telluride.

Color me electric: a nine-year-old designs a crayon-colored Mini wrap

Perhaps one is never too young to help design the look of a car … with the help of a box of crayons. DonÂ’t tell nine-year-old Oliver Gorrod, who lives in Oxfordshire in England, that it canÂ’t be done. Young Oliver has finished first in a contest sponsored by MINI Electric in the U.K. and crayon-maker Crayola to create an exterior color wrap for the EV that “champions nature.” “I like the idea of all cars being electric, as they are better for the environment, animals and the planet. My car is designed as camouflage, so it blends into natural environments,” said the young man, who was among hundreds of entrants aged from four to 10 years from the U.K. Oliver wins the honor of his design being featured as a vinyl wrap for a car (he only wins the wrap) and a bundle of Crayola art materials for himself and his school. Oliver will also get an invite to visit MINI Plant Oxford for a private tour. “The creativity of the designs were fantastic," said Federico Izzo, director for MINI UK & Ireland. "We are excited to bring OliverÂ’s design to life and hope he will continue to innovate and dream big in the future.” Added Jade Childs of Crayola, “We are delighted to share Crayola art materials with Oliver and his class as part of the competition prize, and we hope they will continue to be inspired and express themselves as they explore, discover, play, pretend, and dream.” Design/Style Green BMW MINI Green Culture Hatchback Electric

The Mini Rocketman could be reborn as an EV

Ask Mini fans what their favorite concept has been over the past 15 years, and you're likely to get one of two answers – the tiny Rocketman hatch, or the Superleggera roadster. The two cars are perhaps the best representations of the Mini brand's values, offering a tiny, efficient package in one vehicle and a stylish performer in the other. And they might finally see production. Okay, so that's an awfully big "might," and it's based on hints offered by Mini product boss Ralph Mahler to Autocar about expanding the company's range. The bad news? The Superleggera is facing long odds, Mahler said, because "roadster segment is small and demand is going down, with new markets opening up. The growth is not there, so it's always a challenge". "It fits perfectly into the brand, but we're a small [sales volume] car brand and have to be focused and know what we want to have," Mahler said, keeping hopes alive. "The Superleggera is playing a role but no decisions." Things are looking much rosier for the Rocketman, which could see a future as sort of a Mini-branded BMW i3. Originally introduced as a more elemental, affordable Mini, Mahler said it's "inspiring us as of today, especially as an EV in the future." Using the lessons learned by its parent company with the i3, Mini could adopt that car's creative packaging to make a roomy three-door with a remarkably small footprint. But even with that knowledge, building a Rocketman EV could be a tall order. "It was something that was ahead of its time but is still inspiring," Mahler told Autocar. "With a smaller car, it's a bigger challenge. With Rocketman, and talking EV in the future, as the EV engine gets more portable, it's give and take [for such a small EV]. Related Video: