With a big Thanksgiving travel week coming up it's a good thing if we can trust our vehicles to get us where we're going, and Lexus is the brand that is least likely to strand us on the side of I-84.  See where your brand lands on the reliability list.

My dad taught me early on to take good care of my vehicle, and that has stuck with me.  Every time I have the urge to wing it and go another couple thousand miles before an oil change, I feel Pop's nudge and the next thing I know I'm pulling into the quick change shop for service.

Part of reliability is regular maintenance, but the manufacturing process has plenty to do with it too.  If our vehicles are falling apart because of low quality in the first place, all of the regular oil changes and filter replacements in the world aren't going to help us.

Consumer Reports released its list of the most reliable auto brands, and heading into a busy Thanksgiving travel week it's interesting to see if our cars, trucks, and SUVs landed among the best.

How automotive brands ranked for reliability, according to Consumer Reports:

1. Lexus

2. Mazda

3. Toyota

4. Porsche

5. Genesis

6. Hyundai

7. Subaru

8. Dodge

9. Kia

10. Mini

11. Nissan

12. Honda

13. Infiniti

14. Audi

15. Lincoln

16. Ford

17. HMW

18. Buick

19. Chrysler

20. Mitsubishi

21. Mercedes-Benz

22. GMC

23. Tesla

24. Volvo

25. Chevrolet

26. Jeep

27. Volkswagen

28. Acura

29. Alfa Romeo

30. Cadillac

Consumer Reports surveyed owners of more than 400,000 vehicles that are three years old or newer and asked them about safety systems, vehicle infotainment, engine performance and other things to come up with the reliability rankings.  Are you still confident in your ride?  My car make didn't make the top ten, but it wasn't at the bottom either.  We'll forge ahead.

Tire pressure is a big deal this time of year with the temperatures warming up during the day and dropping quickly at night.  We could probably all benefit from shooting a little extra air into the tires before heading out for Thanksgiving travels next week.

More than 55 million people are making plans to travel 50 miles or more away from home, making it the second-highest Thanksgiving travel volume since AAA started keeping track in 2000.  It's a good time to make sure the car is ready to roll.

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