" I have some ideas as to what’s behind this, but I won’t comment on it."
On my more generous days, I believe the ratings are self-fulfilling. Those subscribers that want a reliable car and don’t want to look elsewhere, assume that the Toyota and Honda ratings are correct. They then take great care of it and provide the excellent ratings. Mostly, I think it is how well they take care of the car. I take care of my cars and haven’t had significant repairs on my dime since 1998 for the Regal, 2003 for the Silhouette, and 2005 for the Accord.