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Toyota tops Consumer Reports reliability rankings

By WTOP Staff

DEE-ANN DURBIN
AP Auto Writer

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota continues its winning streak atop Consumer Reports’ annual reliability rankings.

The company’s Toyota and Lexus brands top the survey, while its Scion brand is in the top ten. It’s the eighth year in a row that a Toyota brand has led the rankings.

“Toyota has a strategy that emphasizes reliability over excitement,” says Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ head of auto testing. “They take a conservative approach to redesign and roll out new features slowly. The risk is they may not have the latest bells and whistles, but the reward is world class reliability.”

Also Monday, Toyota released sales numbers that showed it is on track to be the world’s top-selling automaker this year. Toyota beat out General Motors and Volkswagen in sales for the first nine months.

Japanese brands generally fared well in Consumer Reports’ survey, which predicts the reliability of 2015 model year cars and trucks based on a survey of subscribers who own 1.1 million vehicles from current or prior model years.

Mazda, Honda and Subaru joined Toyota in the top ten. Audi was the highest scoring non-Japanese brand, while Buick was the only domestic brand in the top ten.

Infotainment systems generated the most complaints from Consumer Reports’ readers and hurt many brands with new models, including Infiniti, Fiat and Cadillac. The most common problems were unresponsive touch screens and trouble with pairing up phones.

Younger car owners tended to be the most impatient with glitchy electronics.

“They expect the same connectivity level when they’re in the car,” says Doug Love, a spokesman for the magazine.

Ford’s luxury Lincoln brand moved up 12 spots in the survey, the most of any brand, after fixing bugs in its touch-screen dashboard. Hyundai gained eight spots, mostly because it had few new vehicles. New cars and trucks tend to have more problems, and the magazine recommends waiting a year or two after a new model comes out before buying it.

Truck buyers complained about new full-size pickups from Chevrolet and GMC, which were plagued by squeaks and rattles. Mercedes-Benz fell the hardest, by 11 spots in the rankings, because of quality issues with its new lower-priced CLA sedan and complaints about the electronics in the higher-end S Class.

The recently merged Fiat Chrysler Automobiles fared worst in the rankings, with its Dodge, Ram, Jeep and Fiat brands in the bottom four spots. The new nine-speed transmission in the Jeep Cherokee was among the company’s headaches.

Toyota vehicles were also the most highly recommended in 10 of the 18 model categories, including hybrids (the Lexus CT 200h), compact cars (the Scion xB), midsize SUVs (the Toyota Highlander) and small and large pickup trucks (the Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Tundra).

But Japanese brands don’t have a complete lock on quality. The magazine isn’t recommending the 2015 Honda Fit subcompact, for example, since it will be the first produced in Mexico and its quality may not match those previously made in Japan.

Consumer Reports’ annual survey is closely watched by the auto industry, since many potential buyers follow the Yonkers, N.Y.-based company’s recommendations.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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