Survey Ranks Toyota, Ford Top Brands

American car buyers rank Toyota and Ford as top brands in a Consumer Reports study that in some cases turns conventional wisdom on its head.

The telephone survey randomly asked 900 adults to rank brands sold in the U.S. market on six criteria: design/style, performance, quality, safety, technology/innovation and value.

Toyota ranked first in four of the six categories, followed by Ford (top in design/style), Honda, Volvo (top in safety) and Chevrolet. “Despite taking recent (sales) hits, Ford, and even Chevrolet, are brands still thought of highly by consumers,” says Jeff Bartlett of Consumer Reports.