These days, manufacturers have to do everything within their power to differentiate themselves from the competition. Consumers especially want to know what the professionals in the industry think of each car, so publications across the spectrum of the business give out awards and honors to make sure the best and brightest vehicles are recognized. One of the top publications for automotive excellence is Consumer Reports, and the magazine’s annual Auto Issue featured the Automaker Report Cards, a listing of what consumers thought were the most dependable, reliable manufacturers in the industry. As was the case in past years, Honda is leading the pack. But this year, there is a new contender to the throne: the previously inconspicuous Subaru, who shares this year’s top honors with Honda. Both top scorers earned a 77 out of 100 rating, trumping the recent slumping Toyota by a total of three points. West Palm Beach new car drivers should take care in considering their next buy, and Subaru appears to have what they want. I went down to my West Palm Beach Subaru Legacy dealership for the first time in years, and I have to say that I was far more impressed with the dealer’s stock than I had expected. The Consumer Reports review was a bittersweet one. According to the press release, â€The redesigned 2010 Legacy sedan and Outback wagon raised Subaru's overall test score from 78 points to 81. That helped contribute to its tie with Honda in CR's rankings. However, Consumer Reports no longer recommends the Subaru Impreza WRX because its subscribers reported a relatively high number of problems, including transmission troubles, in the latest survey. Last year, CR recommended every Subaru model.†As evidenced by the recent recall rash Toyota can’t seem to find the cream for, brand loyalty has reached its peak in terms of importance. Up until the auto bust of last year when the Big Three all failed simultaneously, West Palm Beach new car dealers were enjoying consumer complacency. We simply were not demanding more from our manufacturers, and it took the innovation of Toyota and a failing economy to break us out of our reverie and focus on reality. But now, West Palm Beach Subaru Impreza dealers are giving us a reason to put our faith back in the car industry, supplying innovative new buys for drivers around the area. That doesn’t mean that the driving public should fall back into complacency again, and I think both consumers and the government are recognizing that. West Palm Beach Subaru Legacy dealers would wag a finger at Toyota if they thought it prudent, for after all of the problems we have seen in the auto industry as of late, the Japanese manufacturer would have been smart to make damn sure their vehicles reach the standards that the driving public now expects. At least we can continue to count on West Palm Beach Subaru Impreza dealers to give us a smooth ride over the potholes of the slumping, limp economy.
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