What Are The Best And Worst Car Brands In The US for 2026?

Consumer Reports presents the best and worst car brands in the US. How does your favorite rank?

​It’s that time of the year again. Consumer Reports is providing us with its list of the best and worst car brands in the US. It’s not a small sample, as the veteran magazine polled 380,000 owners and included all 31 brands available in the country.

​With car prices surging past $50,000, buying a reliable car becomes more critical. Fortunately, Consumer Reports’ 2026 top brands include affordable, mass-market options, as well as a few luxury surprises.

Subaru is the best brand for 2026

Subaru ranks first for the second year in a row in the Consumer Reports list of best brands for 2026. The Japanese automaker excels in aspects such as reliability and versatility. It may not produce the best-looking cars, but models such as the Forester consistently earn “Top Pick” ratings.

More surprisingly, seven Subaru models land in the recommended list. So, if you want a reliable, practical SUV, then this is a brand to consider.

The Top Five Best Car Brands For 2026

While there are some unsurprising brands in the top ten, this year, the list does offer some shockers. Here is the top ten:

1. Subaru
2. BMW
3. Porsche
4. Honda
5. Toyota
6. Lexus
7. Lincoln
8. Hyundai
9. Acura
10. Tesla

There are some vindicating stories, such as Tesla. The very same Consumer Reports has ranked the brand as the worst for used-car reliability. However, as this article explains, there’s a catch.

Now, the EV manufacturer has managed to fine-tune most of its production issues, enough to round the list.

Another brand worth highlighting is Lincoln. Ford has endured a record-breaking year of recalls and issues. However, Lincoln has somehow survived this onslaught of issues, with the Corsair earning the “Recommended” label.

However, as Ford Authority explains, that doesn’t mean it had excellent scores. If anything, it only improved from last year.

The Bottom of the Best and Worst Car Brands For 2026

Any best- and worst-ranking will have its ups and downs. This one is no different, and it’s not a good year for American brands. These are the five worst brands:

27. Alfa Romeo
28. Dodge
29. GMC
30. Land Rover
31. Jeep

While Dodge and Jeep aren’t shockers, it did surprise us to see GMC there. Yet, as this article highlights, two models hurt the brand’s overall rating.

The GMC Terrain and GMC Acadia both earned sub-20 ratings, with most issues coming from engine troubles and electronics.

As for Stellantis, what can we say? One of the world’s largest automakers still fails to improve the quality of its products. To make matters worse, this happens year after year, and while sales have taken a blow, people still love Jeep for what it represents.

Stellantis somehow continues to miss the opportunity to capitalize on the brand’s potential. The same goes for Dodge.

As for Alfa Romeo, it’s a brand with extremely limited presence in the US. It’s a niche product aiming at “connoiseurs” and those who love an elegant product. However, these people also love reaching their destinations.

The full list of best and worst car brands

Consumer Reports’ 2026 car brand report card

The table shows Consumer Reports’ car brand report card for 2026.

Subaru	82
BMW	82
Porsche	79
Honda	76
Toyota	75
Lexus	75
Lincoln	75
Hyundai	74
Acura	73
Tesla	72
Mini	72
Kia	72
Nissan	70
Mazda	69
Genesis	69
Audi	69
Cadillac	68
Ford	67
Mitsubishi	67
Buick	65
Volvo	65
Volkswagen	65
Mercedes-Benz	64
Chevrolet	62
Chrysler	61
Rivian	58
Alfa Romeo	55
Dodge	55
GMC	55
Land Rover	52
Jeep	48

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Now, you might be wondering: where’s Ram and Jaguar? Consumer Reports highlights that it only includes brands when it has tested two of its current models.

Therefore, it has excluded Fiat, Infiniti, Jaguar, Ram, Lucid, Maserati, and Polestar.