Perhaps CR is unreliable, and JD Powers IQS is reliable but not the VDS. Recently, Fortune (another unreliable mag if ever there was one) listed the world's most admired companies and also America's.
Toyota was the world's 3rd most admired company (behind Apple and GE). BMW was 9th and Honda 18th. No other auto company in the top 50.
World's Most Admired Companies 2008: Top 50 | FORTUNE
Toyota was also America's 5th most admired company.
DaimlerChrysler did find mention as the world's 3rd most admired auto company. But the real howler was that BMW was 1, and Toyota 2.
World's Most Admired Companies 2008: Industry: Motor Vehicles | FORTUNE
The biggest howler from Fortune: In quality of products, BMW was 1, Daimler (not DaimlerChrysler) was 2, and Toyota 3. Similar rank in innovation. In global competitiveness, Toyota 1, BMW 2 and MB 3.
In none of the 9 parameters was MB 1. To be fair, it was either 2 or 3. But BMW was No. 1 in 5 (innovation, people management, social responsibility, long term investment, and quality of products/services). Toyota was no 1 in the other 4 (use of corporate assets, quality of management, financial soundness, and global competitiveness).
Perhaps in 2009, since things have now changed, Daimler will become 1 in all ranks. But this report was in Feb 2008 and so is recent.