Shoppers have many choices when it comes to buying a car. Once the research begins, it is clear that each automaker has their winners and losers. However, some manufacturers are consistently at the top of the list for reliability and road-test scores. Our automaker report cards highlight how the companies compare, as detailed in the video.

For the first time, Subaru earned the top score in Consumer Reports' automaker report cards, and other Asian makers make the grade, even though they have slipped a bit.

We have noticed some cost cutting on Toyota and Honda models, which has hurt them in our tests, but they are still produce some of the most reliable vehicles on the road, solidifying their high-ranked status.

The domestic companies have had some challenges in the past, but recent redesigns have helped their performance in our tests. The key to jumping higher in our report cards and competing with the Asian makers is to improve on reliability. On that front, we saw Ford Motor Company tumble this year, while bottom-ranked Chrysler Corp. made notable advances. In fact, its Jeep division is now the top-ranked American brand.

Check out the video below to find out which automakers make the grade. Read the full report on "Who makes the best cars?" with the complete automaker report cards.

Visit the annual auto issue special section for quick access to the latest Ratings, articles, and videos.

Related:
Think twice before buying a car by brand--American automakers are closing the gap