New Cars Safer, Higher-Quality

The Consumer Reports annual auto issue finds that new cars are safer and of higher quality, and used cars have become more reliable.

The issue, which hits newsstands March 31, includes test results for 122 new cars and light trucks. It rates six of every 10 vehicles as “recommended” or “promising.”

For used cars, a survey of about 600,000 readers found that 25% reported problems with 1-year-old vehicles. That’s down from about 31% and 28% in the last two years.

Auto makers “are getting the word that consumers want reliable cars,” said David A. Champion, director of the auto-testing department of Consumers Union, which publishes Consumer Reports.

Domestic car makers are quickly catching up with foreign competitors in terms of quality, Champion said.

The Oldsmobile Intrigue is one of the best new cars from General Motors “in a long time,” he said. He also liked Ford’s Mercury Mystique, which he called a “poor man’s BMW.”

But foreign auto makers continue to dominate the magazine’s favorable ratings.

The top picks among new models included mainstay cars such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. But there were new foreign entries as well, including the Volkswagen Passat car and Toyota Sienna minivan.

None of the 30 used vehicles listed as “good bets” was an American brand. Of the 32 used vehicles listed as “reliability risks,” all but four were American.

The Acura Integra was the most trouble-free car of 1997, with only three problems reported per 100 cars. For domestic models, the most trouble-free was the Chrysler Concorde, which had 15 problems per 100 cars.

The issue also says that vehicles are becoming safer. More have side-impact air bags, shoulder belts in the middle of the back seats and “pre-tensioners,” which take up seat-belt slack during collisions.

But there was at least one downside to the new models, according to the magazine. Auto makers’ cost-cutting binge means there are fewer extras--such as automatic seat height adjusters--available in standard models, it said.

Auto makers have said that “recommend” ratings can affect sales.

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Consumer Reports’ New-Vehicle Picks

Consumer Reports’ top picks for new vehicles in the magazine’s annual auto issue:

* Family car: Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat, Honda Accord

* Upscale sedan: Mercedes-Benz E320, Lexus ES300, BMW 328i

* Thrifty car: Honda Civic, Mazda Protege ES

* Minivan: Toyota Sienna, Dodge Grand Caravan, Plymouth Grand Voyager

* Pickup: Ford F-150

* Sport-utility: Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner

* Small sport-utility: Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4