“Movin' On Up” (#1436)

Synopsis

David Champion, Consumer Reports, Doron Levin, AOL Autos & Fortune Magazine, Scott Burgess, The Detroit News. Topic: Consumer Reports Reliability Rankings.

The 1970s was the touchstone for transformation in two important American industries.

The world of television was changed forever by producer Norman Lear with ground-breaking shows like 'All In The Family' and its successful spinoff whose theme song has given us this week's headline, 'The Jeffersons.'

But at the same time that TV was "movin' on up" the U.S. automotive industry was starting a decades long decline. Fueled by OPEC in tandem with the rise of the imports, the Big Three produced model after model of lower quality cars and they began to pay the price. And we all know what price they eventually paid.

But since the start of the new century the 'downgraded' Detroit Three have been on the road back. Designing and building better cars that are not only attracting both old and new customers into showrooms, but they're starting to appear on lists that many consumers use to shop for vehicles. One of those tabulations -- the Consumer Reports Reliability Rankings -- was just released and David Champion, the Senior Director of its Auto Test Division joins John McElroy as his guest on this week's Autoline. Doron Levin of AOL Autos and Fortune Magazine and Scott Burgess, Autocritic of The Detroit News, join John and David to talk about today's best cars.