Since the 1997 model year, Ford vehicles have been improving on a consistent basis. This year is a bit of an exception. The Focus is one of those vehicles that hasn't aged gracefully.

Domestic vehicles have made substantial advances, Ford is doing better than GM and Chrysler, but new model launches are not as good. We are seeing many more electronic features, and that's the biggest trouble area readers tell us about.

It's a vacillating situation. There just haven't been six, seven guys who have established themselves on a consistent basis. So we're constantly re-evaluating it. If there were six guys who just jumped out, let's go. But it hasn't been that way.

About half of new car buyers say longer-term dependability is a key factor in choosing which vehicle they want. This is becoming the next major issue in the auto industry, and a much more consistent focus from automaker to automaker than it has been in the past.

Lincoln's CSI performance was also helped by improved vehicle quality. This has translated into a 14 percent decline in the volume of repairs needed, meaning that more of Lincoln's work is maintenance-only, which is easier from a customer satisfaction viewpoint.

The M-Class has had a lot of problems since its launch. The rate of deterioration on the E-Class is greater than on any other vehicle in the industry.