Just in time for the July 4th holiday roadtrip, it's Episode #134 of the Autoblog Podcast! We've had a couple delays this week getting together to chat about recent events, but hopefully we're hitting your media player before you depart for this weekend's festivities.

Once seated around our digital roundtable, Chris, Sam, and Dan take a quick spin through June's sales numbers, and specifically, the Camaro's Mustang-topping numbers, official BMW X1 imagery, the demise of diesel programs, Consumer Reports' Honda Insight displeasure, BMW's challenge to Lexus as America's #1 luxury brand, and then we hit up your questions for the rest of the show. Thanks for listening, we appreciate your efforts to keep communication rolling in to Podcast at autoblog dot com, as well as all the responses to our survey, which you can still fill out to add your data in our quest for 'cast sponsorship.

Calling it "the most disappointing Honda Consumer Reports has tested in a long time," America's most influential product testing magazine has given extremely poor marks to the Japanese automaker's new Insight hybrid.

In a verdict that reminds us of a certain Jeremy Clarkson review (albeit more kindly worded), Consumer Reports blasted the gas-electric hatchback for its "ride quality, handling, interior noise, acceleration, rear-seat, access, and visibility," consigning the hapless Honda to a 21 out of 22 ranking among other small hatchbacks and wagons. Tallying a road test score of 54 points, it was trailed only by the widely panned Dodge Caliber, which managed just 49 points.

Despite the fact that it won't receive a much-coveted CR "Recommended" nod, the Insight still managed to post a "Good" overall road test score (largely on the strength of its 38 miles-per-gallon as-tested fuel economy). Regardless, it was comprehensively beaten by both the Volkswagen Jetta Wagon and the Hyundai Elantra Touring, which scored 80 and 79 points, respectively.

The Insight was the only vehicle in CR's test group to not to be Recommended, save Kia's Soul, which was excluded because the organization hasn't compiled any reliability data on the vehicle yet. Check out the press release after the jump and our new review of the car by clicking here.



[Source: Consumer Reports]

Consumer Reports has counted down the forty best deals on domestic new cars – those you can get from 10% to 25% below MSRP. Since CR doesn't have any Chrysler products that it feels it can recommend, there are no Pentastar products on the list, and General Motors products features but twice (the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 1LT 4X4 Crew Cab can be had for 15% below retail and the 2009 GMC Sierra 4WD Crew Cab SLT SWB for a 10% discount).

Topping the chart is the 2009 Nissan Titan SE 4X4 Crew Cab SWB, for which CR figures Nissan will slice off upwards of one fourth of the price. Otherwise, dominating the top of the list are Ford products in the 15% to 20% bracket, while the lower half is owned by "domestics" in the guise of Toyota and Honda with a smattering of Nissan and Subaru.

All of the cars on the list have been tested by CR and have good overall safety scores, including rollover results. To come up with the final discount number, the magazine included customer rebates and dealer incentives. If you're looking for any one of these cars, the negotiating tactic you're probably looking for is "hard bargain." Check out the complete list of CR's Top 40 at the link below.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

Consumer Reports has never compared the predicted reliability of a Ferrari versus a Lamborghini. Rather, these guys and gals are famous for testing the vehicles we actually buy: econoboxes, mid-size sedans, CUVs and the like. They're the NPR of the auto reviewing world, except they're really not. We know the people at CR's automotive department, and they're true car fans. That fact is on display in this video, which previews the mag's upcoming triple comparo of the Ford Mustang GT, Chevy Camaro SS and Dodge Challenger R/T. While CR usually buys all of the vehicles that get reviewed in its pages, the team is still shopping for a Mustang and Camaro and so had to borrow examples for this video. We hope they gave the owners some money for new tires, because most of that rubber went up in smoke during filming. Follow the jump to watch the CR crew kick off their loafers and get crazy.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

For the second straight year, Consumer Reports has seen fit to release a second set of Top Picks comprised solely of American automobiles, and we're betting there will be plenty of discussion regarding the merits of such a distinction from both the pro-import and pro-domestic crowds, just as there was a year ago. We'll leave that up to you in the comments, but please remember to be civil.

Getting to the actual rankings, there were enough surprising omissions from the list that CR decided to list its Top Performers, which don't necessarily earn a Recommended rating, alongside the actual Top Picks. Taking top honors in the Small Car category for '09 is the Ford Focus. Back in 2008, no American automaker had a small car that CR felt comfortable recommending. Ford also took the win in the hotly-contested Midsize SUV category with its Taurus X, though that model is currently scheduled to be cancelled after MY2009.

CR's Top Pick for an American Family Sedan is the Chevy Malibu, which narrowly beat out the previous generation of the highly reliable Ford Fusion. Expect those wars to heat up when the revised 2010 Fusion makes it through CR's barrage of testing procedures. If there's one category that U.S. automaker have on lock down, it's pickup trucks. This year, the Chevy Avalanche grabbed the win away from last year's winner and its corporate sibling, the Chevy Silverado. See the full rundown after the jump.

[Source: Consumer Reports, Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty]

As we reported yesterday, Consumer Reports' annual 2009 Auto Issue has just been released, and it seems that American automakers just can't catch a break from the popular magazine. Included alongside the Automaker's Report Cards are a list of cars that offer the best calculated value over a five year period. Hybrids, despite their initial cost disadvantage when the dotted line is first signed, managed to take five of the top several slots. The 2009 Toyota Prius Touring model bested all contenders as the top overall value out of all 300 vehicles CR tested for the '09 season.

While perusing the results, we noticed the complete absence of any American automobiles on the Best Value list. We'd expect to see horrible performances from such vehicles as the HUMMER H2, which CR says will cost its owners $82,250 after just five years of ownership, but we're a little surprised to see that cars like the Ford Fusion or Chevy Malibu couldn't crack the top 5 family sedan list. Better luck next year.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

In what may be the least surprising news you read all day, Consumer Reports has released its annual 2009 Auto Issue that contains Automaker Report Cards. These report cards compile all of CR's road test data and predicted reliability ratings for all vehicles in its database, and Japanese automakers have again earned top rankings just as they have for as long as we can recall.

Honda, Subaru and Toyota came out on top after all the scores were tallied, with every single Subaru model earning a Recommended rating from CR. Honda was the brand that fared the absolute best in predicted reliability, with just its Element small SUV barely failing to make the grade as a Recommended nameplate. Toyota also fared very well in reliability testing, as we've come to expect from the world's largest automaker. European automakers managed to get a shout out for offering unmatched performance, comfort and safety along with incremental increases in overall vehicle reliability.

American automakers got their own separate report cards, which you can see by clicking here. Of the Detroit-based manufacturers, Ford came out victorious with its Flex and F-150 earning top ratings and many of the rest of its models scoring well. General Motors managed to sneak eight vehicles on the Recommended list: the new Pontiac G8, Cadillac CTS and Chevy Malibu, along with the Corvette and each of the Lambda-based CUVs. Chrysler pulled up the rear again this year among all automakers without a single vehicle earning a positive score from CR.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

As gas prices shot for the moon last summer, the tide of scooters and small-bore motorcycles began rising right alongside as commuters did all they could to save a buck or two on fuel bills. The folks at Consumer Reports took it upon themselves to reintroduce motorcycle testing to the popular magazine for the first time since 1981 in order to help their readership make informed purchasing decisions.

Safety is of paramount concern when riders first take up the switch from four to two wheels, and this fact is hammered home by the rag's editors who designed a new 5.2-mile course that tests each motorcycle's handling characteristics, acceleration and braking capabilities. So, uh, how'd it go?

The big winner was Vespa who's LX scooter managed to take top honors in the smallest 50cc class and also performed well against the slightly larger 150cc competitors where it tied with the Kymco People for the win. CR's first series of tests stopped at the 250cc class, where the Kawasaki Ninja handily dispatched the Honda Rebel to earn the recommendation. Full results are now available online to subscribers, who will also get to read the results in the March 2009 issue of Consumer Reports.

[Source: Consumer Reports]

The folks over at Consumer Reports have ranked the Honda Fit Sport top among tested subcompact cars in their March 2009 issue. "We found the new Fit the most practical and enjoyable car in this month's group," says Consumers Union. The world's largest independent consumer product testing organization, who don't claim to be enthusiasts, ran the small Honda against the Suzuki SX4, Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, and Chevrolet Aveo.

Compared to the rest of the group, the Honda Fit Sport 5-speed was the quickest to 60 miles-per-hour (an asphalt-melting 9.2 seconds) and sipped the least amount of fuel during testing (a not too shabby 33 miles-per-gallon overall). The CU testers were pleased with the Honda's versatile and flexible interior, but not with its dismal headlights. Of the five, only the Fit and SX4 were recommended. The Yaris and Aveo scored too low in testing to make the cut, and the Renault-based Versa sedan has proven too unreliable. Better luck next year, guys. Official press release after the jump.


[Source: Consumer Reports via PR Newswire]

Hyundai made it clear from the onset that the new Genesis sedan would upset the balance in the luxury world, particularly at the expense of Lexus. Consumer Reports' latest round of testing proves that Hyundai has succeeded in dethroning Toyota's luxury arm as the latest credible entry into the "Upscale Sedan" arena. Just as Lexus was once the upstart that ruffled feathers, it's Hyundai's turn, and they are making the most of the opportunity with a win against all comers from the likes of Acura, Lincoln, Saab and Lexus, which had previously held the top overall spot with its ES350 sedan.

Despite the Genesis' win in direct testing, Consumer Reports doesn't have enough data to rate the sedan as "Recommended." The same goes for the ES350, which means that the Acura TL is the only competitor in the segment that officially gets CR's nod. Regardless, consider the gauntlet officially thrown at the feet of the established Japanese players, and we look forward to Round Two when Hyundai sends a shot over the bow of the sportscar world with the Genesis Coupe.


[Source: Consumer Reports]