Mazda is Consumer Reports' 'Best Overall' for the first time

Japan's Mazda was honoured by Consumer Reports as its most reliable automobile brand for the first time, beating out other bigwigs and continuing its run of excellence in a span of months.

The Consumer Reports 2021 Brand Report Card revealed that the Hiroshima-headquartered carmaker was able to bank on accelerating sales of its CX-9 and CX-30 sport utility vehicles in North America despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The trade publication says that Mazda topped in three categories, including 'Best Reliability', 'Best Overall Mainstream' and 'Best Overall', allowing it to climb three spots to the top.

The criteria used were road-test score, predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, safety and green choices.

Japanese and German manufacturers dominated the top of the rankings, with BMW, Subaru, Porsche and Honda rounding out the top five.

Lexus, Toyota, Chrysler, Buick and Hyundai also made it to the top 10 of the list, which ranked 32 brands.

Mazda emerging atop the heap is hot on the heels of another Consumer Reports survey in November, which named Mazda the most dependable and fun to drive vehicle — also the first time it was named to the top of that list.

Meanwhile, in its '10 Top Picks of 2021: Best Cars of the Year' list, the Mazda CX-30 was the top subcompact SUV in the under-$25,000 category.

— business@khaleejtimes.com