These Car Brands Have The Highest Road Test Scores, According To Consumer Reports

First introduced in 1974, BMW's "Ultimate Driving Machine" marketing still resonates with drivers today — and not just among the brand's dedicated enthusiasts. BMW lived up to its billing with Consumer Reports (CR) experts, being ranked the No. 1 car brand for road-test scores. Two other German brands known for catering to drivers joined BMW in the top five: Audi, which ranked No. 3, and Porsche, which clocked in at No. 5. You could also say that Subaru — the second-place brand — is likewise committed to a unique driving experience, partially backed by its symmetric all-wheel-drive systems.

Yet, if we expand our focus to the seven brands with the highest CR road-test scores, it turns out that three of them come from what might be a more unexpected source: the Hyundai Motor Group. The parent company for Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis saw its brands ranked fourth, sixth, and seventh on CR's list, respectively.

Genesis is certainly building some cred with today's drivers — see the high-performance Genesis G90 Magma Wingback concept. But it's important to remember that CR's road tests are about much more than which car performs best from an enthusiast's point of view. The road-test results are drawn from the 50-or-so new vehicles that the publication brings to its own facility in Colchester each year. There, they're evaluated for aspects like acceleration, braking, ride feel, safety, and more.

Also with the second-highest overall score of any brand, and a No. 1 ranking among luxury brands, BMW stood out in CR testing with rides like the X5 — which ranked No. 1 in the mid-size luxury SUV segment for both overall and road-test scores. The X5 stood out as a perennial favorite with CR, noting this generation "optimally balances comfort, agility, power delivery, and interior quality." As for the next-gen model, it was teased with five different power train types, including a hydrogen setup.

Audi and Porsche bring a family connection into play, since both brands are owned by Volkswagen AG (along with names like VW itself, Lamborghini, Bentley, Ducati, and the new Scout Motors brand that plans to cut dealers out of the EV equation). The thing is, even though there's some behind-the-scenes sharing going on with VW Group vehicles, two very different models are in the CR spotlight here.

For the four-rings brand, it was the Audi A8 ultra-luxury sedan. CR said it was "immensely satisfying to drive, thanks to its smooth and responsive powertrain, an almost magic carpet ride, and elegant interior." Meanwhile the 718 Boxster achieved the best score of any Porsche model. Although it still looks back fondly on the earlier, six-cylinder Boxsters, CR says the current generation retains "its spectacular handling agility, immediate responses, easy top operation, and premium cabin ambience." (If you're wondering about the Porsche 911, well, Consumer Reports didn't road-test one this year.)

Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive is more than just branding; it offers real-world advantages to nearly all of the brand's cars and SUVs. That's something Consumer Reports must have discovered during its road tests, since Subaru finished just barely behind BMW in the rankings — albeit just ahead of the brand for overall vehicle scores. Granted, the Subaru Forester — which achieved the brand's best road-test score – was hardly perfect. The Forester's acceleration certainly didn't impress CR, but the publication reported that it "continues to be the best-riding small SUV."

The Hyundai brand matched its No. 4 rating for overall score (among mainstream brands) with a fourth-place finish in road-test performance. The three-row Hyundai Ioniq 9 had one of the best road-test scores possible, with CR noting, "It's quick, has a quiet interior, glides comfortably over most road surfaces, and has responsive handling." The athletic Hyundai Ioniq 5 N wasn't far behind. CR mentioned, "dynamically speaking, it's as capable as a Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 718 Boxster, or Toyota Supra." Yes, those are all gas-powered cars, but we discovered the Ioniq 5 N is so fun to drive you won't care that it's electric.

Plus, as we mentioned at the outset, the Hyundai brand's siblings, Kia and Genesis, were barely out of the top five. With success like that, it's no wonder the Hyundai Motor Group claims it's overtaken Volkswagen AG as the second-most profitable automaker in the world.