Volkswagen earns high marks from Consumer Reports

With so much negative news about Toyota, and the car market in general, Clark wants to share a positive spin courtesy of Consumer Reports.

But before that, a word about Ford. The Detroit giant is now making such great products, many with great fuel economy, and winning awards left and right. This is a company that seemed lost not too long ago, but made it through without a taxpayer bailout. Now they're winning in the marketplace.

Meanwhile, the March 2010 issue of Consumer Reports ranks the best and worst in small hatchbacks and sedans. The Volkswagen Golf TDI received an overall score of 88 -- just about the highest score Clark has ever seen, and higher than many luxury cars that Consumer Reports tests. This clean diesel car gets 38 miles per gallon.

The magazine also liked the gas-engine version of the Golf (though fuel economy drops from 38 mpg to 24 mpg); the Toyota Prius (now under a microscope for brake issues); the VW Jetta; and the Hyundai Elantra.

The lowest rated car in the survey was Chevy Aveo with a score of 31.

In the small sedan class, Consumer Reports liked the VW Jetta TDI (with 33 miles per gallon); the Hyundai Elantra; the Honda Civic; and the gas-engine version of the VW Jetta.

The real story here is that Volkswagen has three cars that score at 80 or above. That's an amazing comeback for a company that had to overcome a recent reputation for poor quality.