This year, a range of Japanese brands are cleaning up and taking the top spots on the Consumer Reports and Auto Reliability Survey. Toyota’s three brands - Scion, Toyota, and Lexus - swept the top spots. When it comes to car reliability, no manufacturer can compare to Toyota. The Toyota Prius C earned Consumer Reports’ top overall score.

The Toyota brands were followed by Mazda, Subaru, Honda, and Acura - all Japanese brands. Of the 90 Japanese models reflected in the Consumer Reports Survey, 86 scored average or better, with 35 earning the highest rating.

Of European cars, Audi is by far taking the lead, moving up 18 spots from last year into eighth place. This makes Audi the most reliable European make and the top non-Japanese brand.

Wondering about domestic brands? While they aren’t topping the list this year, there are some U.S. brands that are standing out. Cadillac is currently the top U.S. brand, moving up 14 spots from last year. The CTS Coupe was rated the most reliable domestic car. Several other GM brands moved up in ranking as well, including Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC.

Next time you are in the market for a new vehicle, make sure you check out the latest Consumer Reports Auto Reliability Survey for a complete vehicle ranking.

Set to make its debut later this month at the Beijing Motor Show, the BMW i8 Spyder makes waves as a gasoline-electric hybrid sports car. This eco-supercar follows the initial concept of the BMW i8 Coupe introduced in 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The BMW i8 Spyder provides an open-top version of the carbon-fiber-intensive i8 line. The aerodynamic exterior and lightweight design create exceptional fuel efficiency. BMW is holding to claims that the combined city/highway fuel economy of the i8 Spyder is an impressive consumption of up to 78 MPG, run almost entirely in electric mode. The turbocharged 1.5-liter, three-cylinder direct-injection engine delivers up to 223 horsepower while being supported by a 131-horsepower electric motor to create a total system output of 354-horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque.

The i8 Spyder is a full hybrid and capable of running on electric power, gasoline, or a combination of both. It also can run in front, rear, or four-wheel drive depending on which power source is used. The BMW i8 Spyder is scheduled to hit showrooms in 2014.

The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has released their list of the most environmentally friendly vehicles for 2012. “Earning a spot on the ‘Greenest’ list is proving to be a real challenge for automakers given the variety of vehicle technologies on the market and the proliferation of highly efficient conventional vehicles. Just using the latest technology does not guarantee a top spot,” said ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan.

1. Mitsubishi i (126 city/ 99 hwy MPGe*) – according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy rates this as the “greenest” car on sale in America.

2. Honda Civic Natural Gas (27 city/ 38 hwy MPGe) – this vehicle won the Green Car of the Year award at the L.A. Auto Show last November.

3. Nissan Leaf (106 city/ 92 hwy MPGe) – ties with Honda Civic Natural Gas in overall environmental impact

4. Toyota Prius (51 city/ 48 hwy MPG) – the Prius family is growing to include the large Prius V and the smaller Prius

5. Honda Insight (40 city/ 43 hwy MPG) – the Insight is a “mild hybrid,” meaning it relies more on its gas engine than a full hybrid does

6. Smart ForTwo (34 city/ 38 hwy MPG) – dispenses with battery-based technology in favor of its tiny size and tiny engine

7. Scion iQ (36 city/37 hwy MPG) – similar to the Smart ForTwo but has a back seat for passengers; the iQ is also the only vehicle in the market with a rear window airbag

8. Honda Civic Hybrid (44 city/ 44 hwy MPG) – redesigned with new lithium-ion batteries and a slightly bigger gas engine

9. Lexus CT200h (43 city/ 40 hwy MPG) – Lexus’ first hybrid-only model; tuned for sporty driving rather than just maximum fuel economy

10. Toyota Camry Hybrid LE (43 city/ 39 hwy MPG) – redesigned for 2012 this model gets much better fuel economy than last year’s mode

11. Honda CR-Z (31 city/ 37 hwy MPG) – the only hybrid car on the market with a manual transmission

12. Toyota Yaris (30 city/ 38 hwy MPG) – newly redesigned Yaris sports many improvements over last year’s version including better fuel economy

*MPGe – miles per gallon gasoline equivalent is the measure of the average distance traveled per unit of energy consumer

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