10 Toughest Cars
Ten Toughest Cars On The Road
Jacqueline Mitchell 03.24.08
Consumers are finding vehicles able to withstand the daily demands of life in some unlikely places.
The Honda showroom is one. There, buyers looking for reliable, safe vehicles with low repair costs and reports of problems will find the Odyssey. It ranked first on our list of most durable vehicles. The Honda Pilot, CRV, Civic and Accord also made the list.
That's no surprise, say industry experts. The Japanese automaker typically stands above the competition in quality and reliability surveys.
In Depth: 10 Toughest Cars On The Road
"Honda builds an outstanding product," says Dave Wurster, president of Vincentric, an automotive research company. "They are highly reliable, and they last a long time. Their vehicles work well long into the future.”
Behind The Numbers In compiling our list, we looked at several key measures. To gauge safety, we used both the most recent National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration and Insurance Institute of Highway Safety front and side crash-test ratings. Vehicles had to have received at least a four-star rating out five from the NHTSA. Only a top rating of "good" in front, side and rear crash testing was acceptable from the institute.
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We used Consumer Reports' 2007 Overall Road Test Scores, which is based on 50 different tests and evaluations, to determine overall vehicle performance. Vehicles had to reach a minimum of 70 out of 100 to be considered, which falls in the second-highest range of "very good."
Strategic Vision's 2007 New Vehicle Experience Study was also consulted. In it, the automotive research company measures how many owners complain of "things gone wrong" after the first 90 days of ownership. The "Problem Impact Measure" takes into consideration the level of concern each problem caused the owner, the extent to which it was resolved and the owner's level of satisfaction with the resolution. Only vehicles that exceeded or met the average for their segment were considered.
Problems measured here are not always life-threatening. One example: a knob falling off is of lesser concern to a car owner than, say, failing brakes.
Finally, we looked at Vincentric's estimated five-year repair costs, which takes into account warranties that typically cover most repairs in the first three years of ownership
Jacqueline Mitchell 03.24.08
Consumers are finding vehicles able to withstand the daily demands of life in some unlikely places.
The Honda showroom is one. There, buyers looking for reliable, safe vehicles with low repair costs and reports of problems will find the Odyssey. It ranked first on our list of most durable vehicles. The Honda Pilot, CRV, Civic and Accord also made the list.
That's no surprise, say industry experts. The Japanese automaker typically stands above the competition in quality and reliability surveys.
In Depth: 10 Toughest Cars On The Road
"Honda builds an outstanding product," says Dave Wurster, president of Vincentric, an automotive research company. "They are highly reliable, and they last a long time. Their vehicles work well long into the future.”
Behind The Numbers In compiling our list, we looked at several key measures. To gauge safety, we used both the most recent National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration and Insurance Institute of Highway Safety front and side crash-test ratings. Vehicles had to have received at least a four-star rating out five from the NHTSA. Only a top rating of "good" in front, side and rear crash testing was acceptable from the institute.
Related Stories:
Ten Cars That Lose Value Fast
Top 20 Most Dangerous Vehicles
We used Consumer Reports' 2007 Overall Road Test Scores, which is based on 50 different tests and evaluations, to determine overall vehicle performance. Vehicles had to reach a minimum of 70 out of 100 to be considered, which falls in the second-highest range of "very good."
Strategic Vision's 2007 New Vehicle Experience Study was also consulted. In it, the automotive research company measures how many owners complain of "things gone wrong" after the first 90 days of ownership. The "Problem Impact Measure" takes into consideration the level of concern each problem caused the owner, the extent to which it was resolved and the owner's level of satisfaction with the resolution. Only vehicles that exceeded or met the average for their segment were considered.
Problems measured here are not always life-threatening. One example: a knob falling off is of lesser concern to a car owner than, say, failing brakes.
Finally, we looked at Vincentric's estimated five-year repair costs, which takes into account warranties that typically cover most repairs in the first three years of ownership
Labels: 10 Toughest Cars in North Charleston, and the Barrier Islands, Beaufort, Forbes Magazine, Goose Creek, Hanahan, Hilton Head, James Island, Johns Island, Ladson, Mt. Pleasant, Summerville
posted by Charleston Honda at
4:25 PM
