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Best and worst car brands of 2022 according to Consumer Reports

It's that time again, Consumer Reports this morning lifting the curtain on its 2022 Annual Car Brand rankings and its 10 Top Picks in the car, crossover, and truck category. Drumroll, please: This year, Subaru climbs two spots to claim the winner's circle, having come third the last two years. Last year, Mazda climbed three spots from 2020 to take the crown. This year, Mazda slipped to second, BMW taking the last spot on the podium, also a one-spot drop from 2021. Six automakers in the top 10 hailed from Japan, which is one more than last year, and five luxury makers occupied the top 10, which is two more than last year. And South Korean representation didn't crack the top this year, after Hyundai managed tenth last year. The seven makes after BMW are: Honda, Lexus, Audi, Porsche, Mini, Toyota, and Infiniti.  The magazine and testing concern says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CR’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." The domestics also took steps back among the 32 OEMs ranked on the 2022 card. Chrysler and Buick were the domestic carmakers who made last year's top 10 in eighth and ninth, respectively. This year, Buick dropped to eleventh, Chrysler to thirteenth. Dodge went from fourteenth to sixteenth. CR continues to ding Tesla's yoke steerer, the not-exactly-natural handhold responsible for the electric carmaker going from sixteenth last year to twenty-third this year.

Porsche tops J.D. Power quality index as Korean brands soar

While complaints about infotainment systems remain a thorn in the side of automakers for J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study, there's a lot to celebrate this year. The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles fell to 112 in 2015 – a three-percent improvement compared to 116 in 2014. The results of this year's survey are based on the responses of over 84,000 people about problems within the first 90 days of buying or leasing a 2015 model-year vehicle. For the third consecutive year, Porsche tops the rankings with an average of 80 problems per 100 vehicles. Although, that's slightly more than the 74 the German sportscar maker scored in 2014. "While the Japanese automakers continue to make improvements, we're seeing other brands, most notably Korean makes, really accelerating the rate of improvement," Renee Stephens, vice president of US automotive quality at J.D. Power, said in the study's release. In fact, Kia ranks as one of the biggest movers in this year's list. The Korean brand jumped to second place from seventh last year. The company had an average of 86 problems per 100 vehicles, a 20-point improvement. Third place went to Jaguar with an average of 93 problems reported, versus last year's second-place finish with 87 of them. Fourth place was Hyundai, and fifth-place Infiniti also earned a gold star for improvement with 97 issues per 100 vehicles – 31-points better than last year. Fiat still anchored the bottom of the list. However, its 161 problems this year is a lot better than the 206 in 2014. Ranked by nationality, Korean brands (Hyundai and Kia) are now leading the industry in initial quality with an average of 90 problems reported per 100 vehicles. According to J.D. Power, this is the first time Europe's figure beat Japan with 113 and 114 issues, respectively. The American brands also averaged 114. Whereas General Motors dominated last year, the segment awards are spread out in 2015. GM, Hyundai, Nissan, and Volkswagen Group are all tied with four models each earning prizes. For more information, you can also see all of the graphs, here. J.D.

Black Edition Porsche Cayman is cooler than your Amex

I was working in a restaurant when I saw my first American Express Centurion card. Colloquially known as the Black Card, the Centurion is a substantial thing, if you've never handled one. It's, as the nickname describes, black, and made from titanium. It's cold to the touch and because it's so much heavier than a normal card, it feels like a piece of precision engineering. At the time, I couldn't get through my head just how German it felt, despite the "American" on its face. In many ways, this Porsche Cayman Black Edition is like the Black Card. It's the same color, for one. Gloss-black paint comes standard, although you're free to spend $710 for the metallic Jet Black variant. Like the exterior, the interior can only be had with black leather. Other upgrades for this "exclusive" Cayman include a Sport Design steering wheel, 20-inch Carrera Classic wheels, bi-xenon headlamps with the Porsche Dynamic Lighting System, navigation, heated seats, and an upgraded stereo. While its color and exclusivity might be a lot like the Centurion Card, we're wagering this isn't the Cayman most Black Card holders would buy, and that's because Porsche based it on the 275-horsepower model, rather than they hairy chested, 325-horsepower Cayman S, 340-hp GTS, or 385-hp GT4. That means 60 miles per hour arrives in a leisurely 5.4 seconds for the manual, 5.3 seconds for the PDK automatic, and 5.1 seconds for the PDK in Sport Plus mode. And if time really is money, those numbers aren't going to mesh with Black Card carriers. Prices for the Cayman Black Edition start at $60,195, or $6,600 more than the standard Cayman. While that seems steep, according to our contacts at Porsche, you'd be spending $12,825 to add the Black Edition's standard equipment to a normal Cayman. Sales are slated to begin in January. Porsche has released a single image of the new Cayman, available up top. You can also scroll down for a brief press release. Related Video: IN ELEGANT BLACK: PORSCHE CAYMAN BLACK EDITION Exclusive edition of 2016 Porsche Cayman in classic color combination ATLANTA, Oct. 1, 2015 -- Porsche is expanding the Black Edition line-up to include a new special edition of the Cayman. A strong complement inside the special edition series, which also includes the Boxster and the 911 Carrera, the Cayman Black Edition is distinguished with a timeless Black on Black design and an extensive level of standard equipment.