US automakers have overtaken their European rivals in a consumer survey of automotive reliability for the first time in a quarter of a century, a highly-regarded consumer magazine reported Tuesday.
Consumer Reports magazine said that American made cars and trucks chalked up fewer problems on average than their European rivals, although they still trailed Asian automakers by a wide margin.
The magazine said that 2003 model year vehicles from the Big Three -- General Motors, Ford, DaimlerChrysler -- had 18 problems per 100 vehicles, compared to 20 for the average European model.
"Domestic manufacturers are working real hard to improve reliability," said David Champion, the senior director of Consumer Reports auto test center.
Last year, the Americans and Europeans tied with 21 problems per 100 vehicles.
The ratings appear to show that US automakers' focus on quality control is beginning to pay off, but the magazine noted that they still have a long way to go to catch up with Asian automakers, particularly the Japanese, who have long been the industry benchmark for excellence.
The survey found that Japanese and Asian vehicles were significantly more trouble-free than the competition after a year of service, with a problem rate of 12 per 100 vehicles, the same as last year.
The average 2003 model-year American vehicle still has 50 percent more problems than the average Japanese model, the authors of the study said.
Japanese and Korean brands also held up better over time. The 2001 Honda CR-V, with 12 problems per 100 vehicles, was more trouble-free than many 2003 models, the magazine said.
The Asians have a strong track record on quality control: Acura, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, and Toyota have been the most reliable makes over the past five model years, based on the average problem rates.
For new vehicles, Lexus, Infiniti and Honda were rated most reliable, with Lincoln, Jaguar and Hummer least reliable.
Infiniti, Lexus and Toyota had the fewest problems after three years, and Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen had the most problems.
"Mercedes and BMW have slipped quite badly, and VW is slipping," Champion said. "They haven't put the attention to details in their cars."
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique