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[engineer]

Originally Posted by Bakemono

.....but they still rank considerably better than their American competitiors.

How much of that is due to this:

In the past, because Toyota (Charts) products have so consistently proved reliable, the magazine would assume at least average reliability for Toyota's brand new cars, without waiting for survey data from owners.

But from now on, the magazine will wait for a full year of reliability survey data to come in before it recommends a Toyota product - as it does with most other manufacturers.

Who wants to guess what other manufactures get the same preferential treatment Toyota used to enjoy? I'd say Honda/Acura, Subaru, and Infinity. For a magazine that has so much clout, these types of assumption should not be allowed. A large number of consumers rely on CR for auto buying advise, and these consumers deserve to have actual facts, not assumptions. . . .