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Hits & misses in redesigns

Last updated: April 2012

When a vehicle is redesigned, one often assumes that the newer version is better than the old, but that isn’t always the case. Some new models that replaced an outdated version saw their scores jump and those have typically been American manufacturers making needed improvements to their vehicle lineup. On the other end, some of the models that have dropped recently are represented by Asian makers that had always performed well in our Ratings. However, we’ve seen some cost cutting that has hurt their scores.

See our list below of redesigned or extensively freshened models that improved or declined in their road-test score.

Most improved

Model Price Score Prev. score Difference
Chevrolet Sonic LT (1.8, sedan)
(compared with the Aveo it replaced)		 $17,290 65 36 29
Kia Sorento EX (V6) 32,390 82 58 24
Dodge Durango (V8) 47,375 66 45 21
Subaru Legacy 2.5i Premium 23,830 83 64 19
Volvo S60 T5 35,100 77 58 19
Buick LaCrosse Touring (V6) 37,555 74 56 18
Chevrolet Cruze LS (1.8)
(compared with the Cobalt it replaced)		 18,375 67 50 17
Chrysler 300C 44,730 80 64 16
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited (V8) 42,765 69 53 16
Chevrolet Equinox 2LT (V6) 31,780 69 54 15

Biggest declines

Model Price Score Prev. score Difference
Nissan Versa SV (sedan) $15,490 53 69 -16
Volkswagen Jetta TDI 25,100 68 84 -16
Volkswagen Jetta SE (2.5) 20,300 60 76 -16
Honda Civic EX 21,275 62 78 -16
Toyota Sienna XLE (FWD) 35,810 80 93 -13
Toyota 4Runner SR5 (V6) 37,425 55 66 -11
Toyota Sienna XLE (AWD) 38,201 79 89 -10
Honda Civic Hybrid 24,800 62 72 -10
Mercedes-Benz E350 55,245 79 88 -9
Honda Odyssey EX-L 36,830 83 91 -8
Honda Civic Si 23,175 70 78 -8
   

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