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Consumer Reports says Chrysler vehicles improving

Chrysler's cars and trucks are improving, but still have a long way to go before they catch up to the competition, according to new research released by Consumer Reports.

The influential magazine put eight Chrysler vehicles that were updated for the 2011 model year through its standard battery of quality and reliability tests, which cover everything from steering to fuel efficiency to seat comfort. While testers found significant improvements in three of the models, the others didn't fare as well and were labeled as "mediocre" overall.

The Dodge Durango SUV, a version of the Charger muscle car and the Town & Country minivan received "very good" ratings.

Chrysler has struggled in recent years to improve itself in the eyes of outside groups like Consumer Reports. In February, the magazine ranked Chrysler dead last in its annual list of automakers based on average road tests and predicted reliability scores. And over the past three years, it has only recommended one Chrysler vehicle, the Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck.

But, in the nearly two years since it emerged from bankruptcy protection, the automaker has redesigned many of its models in an effort to become more competitive, prompting Consumer Reports to give them another look.

"We see major improvements for models that have had a significant redesign," David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' auto test center, said in a statement.

The Dodge Durango received "very good" ratings for both its V6 and V8 engine versions. Testers pointed to its more sophisticated exterior, comfortable rise and hard-working engines. But reviewers also noted its sometimes unresponsive transmission and long braking distance.

The Rallye version of the Charger muscle car and a revamped version of the Chrysler Town & Country minivan were also rated "very good."

Both the Durango and the Charger were redesigned for 2011.

But the Chrysler 200, Dodge Avenger, Jeep Compass, Dodge Journey and Jeep Patriot didn't impress, despite varying degrees of changes for 2011. The magazine ranked them near or at the bottom of their respective categories, citing the Journey's lack of agility and the absence of substantial changes and improvements to the 200 and Avenger.

Under Consumer Reports' standard rating system, tested vehicles receive a score of zero to 100. Based on that score, they are rated as either "poor," "fair," "good," "very good" or "excellent." Most vehicles fall into either the "good" or "very good" ratings, said Douglas Love, a spokesman for the magazine.

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