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Tesla gains in 2026 Consumer Reports’ auto brand rankings
Refreshed versions of the Tesla Model Y are shown outside a Tesla store in San Diego, California, U.S. October 21, 2025.
Mike Blake | Reuters
DETROIT — U.S. electric vehicle sales leader Tesla made notable strides in Consumer Reports’ influential annual auto brand rankings, cracking the top 10 overall for the U.S.
The EV manufacturer jumped from No. 18 on last year’s list of more than 30 automotive brands to 10th on the 2026 Consumer Reports Brand Report Card, which was released Thursday.
“They definitely have their struggles, but by continuing to refine and not make huge changes in their models, they’re able to make more reliable vehicles, and they’ve moved up our rankings,” Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing for Consumer Reports, told CNBC.
The annual auto brand report card is based on Consumer Reports’ testing as well as reliability, safety and overall customer satisfaction according to owner surveys.
The surveys do not reflect broader consumer sentiment about the models or automakers ranked by CR outside of customer satisfaction. Tesla has faced a consumer backlash against CEO Elon Musk in response to his work with the Trump administration and endorsements of far-right politicians and personalities around the world, including Germany’s extreme anti-immigrant party AfD.
Fisher said Tesla’s gain occurred as its vehicles have become more reliable over time, especially as the company hasn’t made significant design changes to many of its vehicles like traditional automakers tend to do.
Tesla instead relies on remote, or over-the-air, updates to revise many features on the vehicles. Its powertrain reliability remains a standout among EVs, according to Consumer Reports.
The only Tesla model to have a below-average score is the Cybertruck, its newest model that features a host of new technologies such as a 48-volt architecture system and “steer by wire.”
A Tesla Cybertruck in front of a graffiti mural on Aug. 28, 2024 in Detroit.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
“They’re definitely improving by keeping with things and refining, but if you look at their 5- to 10-year-old models that are out there, when it comes to reliability, they’re dead last of all the brands,” Fisher said. “They’re able to improve the reliability if they don’t make major changes.”
On the other end of report card, Rivian Automotive moved up five spots to No. 26 but remains near the bottom of the rankings. Fisher said Rivian models are the lowest in reliability.
Despite Rivian’s reliability issues, the brand has the highest owner satisfaction, according to Consumer Reports. Fisher during an Automotive Press Association webinar Thursday said its owners are largely early adopters that are willing to deal with some growing pains likely more than more mainstream consumers would.
Brands with good reliability tend to perform well in the overall rankings. Reliability for new 2026 models is predicted based on each model’s overall reliability for the past three years, provided that the model hasn’t been redesigned during that time.
Subaru topped the overall 2026 brand list, followed by BMW, Porsche, Honda and Toyota to round out the top five brands. At the bottom of the rankings were Jeep, Land Rover, GMC, Dodge and Alfa Romeo.
Ford Motor’s Lincoln, the highest-ranked domestic brand, made the biggest jump in this year’s rankings, climbing 17 positions to No. 7 due to its reliability scores. Audi dropped the most from last year, falling back 10 spots to No. 16.
Traditional U.S. automakers, specifically Stellantis brands, struggled compared with their Asian competition in Consumer Reports’ annual brand reliability rankings.
Of note, the Ford brand ranked No. 18 in the report card but saw improvement in reliability. The automaker, which has struggled with quality issues and recalls, had its Ford brand rank No. 11 in reliability — its best position in 15 years.
GM’s top-ranked brand was Cadillac at No. 17, followed by Buick at No. 20, Chevrolet at No. 24 and GMC at 29th.
Consumer Reports said hybrid vehicles, which are growing in popularity, continue to stand out over other “electrified” vehicles, as well as traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines.
Of approximately 30 hybrids analyzed by Consumer Reports, only the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid and Mazda CX-50 Hybrid have below-average predicted reliability scores.
India’s budget focuses on infrastructure and defence spending and tax breaks for data-centre investments.
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New Income Tax Act 2025 to come into effect from April 1, key reliefs announced in Budget 2026
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday said that the Income Tax Act 2025 will come into effect from April 1, 2026, and the I-T forms have been redesigned such that ordinary citizens can comply without difficulty for ease of living.
The new measures include exemption on insurance interest awards, nil deduction certificates for small taxpayers, and extension of the ITR filing deadline for non-audit cases to August 31.
Individuals with ITR 1 and ITR 2 will continue to file I-T returns till July 31.
“In July 2024, I announced a comprehensive review of the Income Tax Act 1961. This was completed in record time, and the Income Tax Act 2025 will come into effect from April 1, 2026. The forms have been redesigned such that ordinary citizens can comply without difficulty, for) ease of living,” she said while presenting the Budget 2026-27
In a move that directly eases cash-flow pressure on individuals making overseas payments, the Union Budget announced lower tax collection at source across key categories.
“I propose to reduce the TCS rate on the sale of overseas tour programme packages from the current 5 per cent and 20 per cent to 2 per cent without any stipulation of amount. I propose to reduce the TCS rate for pursuing education and for medical purposes from 5 per cent to 2 per cent,” said Sitharaman.
She clarified withholding on services, adding that “supply of manpower services is proposed to be specifically brought within the ambit of payment contractors for the purpose of TDS to avoid ambiguity”.
“Thus, TDS on these services will be at the rate of either 1 per cent or 2 per cent only,” she mentioned during her Budget speech.
The Budget also proposes a tax holiday for foreign cloud companies using data centres in India till 2047.
Business
Budget 2026 Live Updates: TCS On Overseas Tour Packages Slashed To 2%; TDS On Education LRS Eased
Union Budget 2026 Live Updates: Union Budget 2026 Live Updates: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament, her record ninth budget speech. During her Budget Speech, the FM will detail budgetary allocations and revenue projections for the upcoming financial year 2026-27. Sitharaman is notably dressed in a Kanjeevaram Silk saree, a nod to the traditional weaving sector in poll-bound Tamil Nadu.
The budget comes at a time when there is geopolitical turmoil, economic volatility and trade war. Different sectors are looking to get some support with new measures and relaxations ahead of the budget, especially export-oriented industries, which have borne the brunt of the higher US tariffs being imposed last year by the Trump administration.
On January 29, 2026, Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2025-26, a comprehensive snapshot of the country’s macro-economic situation, in Parliament, setting the stage for the budget and showing the government’s roadmap. The survey projected that India’s economy is expected to grow 6.8%-7.2% in FY27, underscoring resilience even as global economic uncertainty persists.
Budget 2026 Expectations
Expectations across key sectors are taking shape as stakeholders look to the Budget for support that sustains growth, strengthens jobs and eases financial pressures:
Taxpayers & Households: Many taxpayers want practical improvements to the income tax structure that preserve simplicity while supporting long-term financial planning — including broader deductions for home loan interest and diversified retirement savings options.
New Tax Regime vs Old Tax Regime | New Income Tax Rules | Income Tax 2026
Businesses & Industry: With industrial output and investment showing resilience, firms are looking for policies that bolster capital formation, ease compliance, and expand infrastructure spending — especially in manufacturing and technology-driven sectors that promise jobs and exports.
Startups & Innovation: The startup ecosystem expects incentives around employee stock options and capital access, along with regulatory tweaks that encourage risk capital and talent retention without increasing compliance burdens.
Also See: Stock Market Updates Today
The Budget speech will be broadcast live here and on all other news channels. You can also catch all the updates about Budget 2026 on News18.com. News18 will provide detailed live blog updates on the Budget speech, and political, industry, and market reactions.
We are providing a full, detailed coverage of the union budget 2026 here, with a lot of insights, experts’ views and analyses. Stay tuned with us to get latest updates.
Also Read: Budget 2026 Live Streaming
Here are the Live Updates of Union Budget 2026:
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