Consumer Reports' Top 10 Automakers

Today, Consumer Reports released the results of its annual car reliability survey, which includes more than 1.4 million vehicles. This is one of the most important publications of the year for consumers interested in a car’s reliability. There were few surprises in terms of which makes are most and least reliable, with Scion maintaining the top spot. Porsche, Saab, Suzuki and Pontiac saw the biggest gains while Lincoln and Mini took the biggest hits. Check out Consumer Reports full report if you’re a subscriber. We list the top 10 most and least reliable automakers below.

Infiniti to Build an Electric Car

Luxury brand Infiniti will introduce an electric vehicle in the near future, said Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

Details were scarce, but the car will be zero-emissions, which means all-electric, as well as a four-seat luxury sedan. The powertrain will likely be based on the upcoming Nissan Leaf, an all-electric vehicle expected to hit the U.S. in late 2010.

Nissan is taking the electric game seriously with announcements of the Leaf, the NV200 light commercial van and now the Infiniti electric sedan. Infiniti also has the Infiniti M Hybrid coming to the U.S. in spring 2011.

if the Infiniti sedan has a similar range to the Leaf, it will be able to go about 100 miles before needing to charge. It will be interesting to see if a luxury-car crowd will be OK with this limitation.

2010 Lexus IS 250C vs. 2009 Infiniti G37 Video

Recently, two attractive high-end convertibles ended up in the Cars.com office back-to-back, allowing Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder the opportunity to pit them against each other. The 2010 Lexus IS 250C and 2009 Infiniti G37 are both hard-top convertibles with hefty price tags, but what sets them apart? As Wiesenfelder discovers, the answer could be trunk space and trim-level features.

2010|Lexus|IS 250C

2009|Infiniti|G37

Cars.com Podcast: Quick Drives

The editors drove a ton of upcoming new models at a recent rally, including the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid, the 2010 Mazda Mazdaspeed3, 2010 Kia Forte Koup and the 2009 Infiniti G37 convertible. That’s a lot of new metal to test out and Joe Bruzek, Mike Hanley and Joe Wiesenfelder give the details in this week’s podcast.

You can download the podcast via iTunes here or simply hit the play button below to listen in your browser.

Cars.com Podcast #28

Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Infiniti EX35

The first thing Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays wants to point out about the 2009 Infiniti EX35 is it makes for a fun drive. Crossovers have an advantage because they blend a superior driving experience with the utility of a standard SUV, right? This is where Mays says, “Hold on.” It may be that the EX35 sacrifices too much to achieve that pleasant drive. Read his full review to find out where he stands in this debate and how the EX35 may or may not fit your lifestyle.

2009 Infiniti EX35 Review

2009|Infiniti|EX35

Recall Alert: 143,223 Nissan and Infiniti Vehicles

Nissan has issued a recall for 143,223 vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The vehicles include the 2009 Nissan Cube and Murano, the 2008 Nissan Rogue, the 2008-2010 Infiniti M35, and 2008-2010 Infiniti M45.

The recall is focused on certain vehicles from the 2008-2010 model years originally sold or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington D.C., West Virginia and Wisconsin.

These vehicles have a nut securing the sensor-transmitter of the tire pressure monitoring system that may corrode and possibly crack when exposed to road salt. The nut may fall out of the sensor-transmitter, which will cause the monitoring light to illuminate.

If the driver ignores the light and continues to drive the car in this condition, the tire could lose air pressure, resulting in a flat that could potentially cause an accident.

Nissan dealers will replace the TPMS nut with a “new, more robust nut” free of charge. Owners may contact Nissan at 800-647-7261, Infiniti at 800-662-6200 or the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

Cars.com Podcast: Two Hatches, One Podcast

This week, Cars.com editors Mike Hanley, Kelsey Mays and Joe Wiesenfelder examine two cars with a rear hatch that haven’t taken the auto world by storm. Find out why the new 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback and the 2009 Infiniti EX35 haven’t warmed the hearts of our staff.

You can download the podcast via iTunes here or listen to it in your browser here.

2010|Mitsubishi|Lancer

2009|Infiniti|EX

2012 Infiniti M35 Hybrid On The Way

Today, Infiniti confirmed that it will sell a hybrid version of its redesigned M sedan in 2011. The 2012 M35 Hybrid — that’s the official name — will feature a V-6 engine, twin-clutch transmission, electric motor and rear-wheel drive. The M35 Hybrid will also run solely on electric power “in certain driving conditions,” which most likely means at low speeds and under light acceleration.

Besides the fact that it will pack a lithium-ion battery, there isn’t any more available information — including the expected mileage gains — about the car. A few more images are below.

Yes, There is a Use for Infiniti's Around View Monitor

When it first debuted I thought Infiniti’s Around View Monitor was a good idea, especially for my tight parking space off of a Chicago alley. However, for the typical suburbanite with a garage I figured it would be a bit useless. I recently moved to the suburbs — two-car garage and everything — and now I have a really narrow driveway. It is so narrow that the wife and I have driven off it on occasion. Now I know that the Around View Monitor has its place in the burbs, too.

Our driveway navigation skills are improving, but driving the 2009 Infiniti EX35 for a night reminded me just how good the Around View Monitor can be. The mix of overhead and front camera angles with the proximity alert got me to and from my garage without even looking up from the LCD screen.

On the 2010 model, the monitor is part of the $2,150 option package, which is not a small amount of money. But at least it’s part of a more popular package than the $2,250 Technology Package. which includes a lane departure warning, forward collision warning systems and other safety features many drivers may not want.

2009|Infiniti|EX35

Luxury Car Sales Rebound in September

Do you ever watch the business news and wonder who’s making money in the stock market when most people you know are cutting back? Inexplicably, luxury automakers saw sales bounce back in September.

While sales of Toyota were down 19% in September, Lexus saw sales go up 7%; that’s mostly because of the new RX crossover, which had an uptick of 70%.

Ford sales were down 6%, but sales at its Swedish Volvo brand were up 16%, thanks largely to the new XC60 crossover.

With relatively no new models in its lineup, BMW sales were up 3%.

Even at GM where sales were down 45%, Cadillac sales were down just 8% because of swift sales of the redesigned SRX crossover.