Japanese car brands are the leaders of the pack, claiming eight of the Top 10 spots in the 2013 Car Brand Report Cards by Consumer Reports.

Lexus landed as top dog in the magazine’s newly released rankings, which this year broke automakers’ brands into separate scores for the first time. Previously, the Lexus, Scion, and Toyota brands all were graded under a single score for Toyota, for example. The magazine said the change was to align the rankings with the way people shop.

Audi and Mercedes-Benz were the only non-Japanese brands in the top 10, ranking 8^th and 10^th, respectively. Cadillac was the best-performing domestic brand, ranking 14^th. Dodge ranked the lowest.

Scores are calculated using road test and reliability scores, which are equally rated for each of the brand’s models tested. Reliability scores are derived from the magazine’s subscribers during its Annual Auto Survey.

The Top 5 vehicle brands and their Consumer Reports scores are:

1. Lexus: 79

2. Subaru & Mazda (tied): 76

4. Toyota & Acura (tied): 74

To be included, the magazine must have reliability data for at least three models. The rankings did not include Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Ram, or Smart. For the complete rankings, check out the April 2013 issue of Consumer Reports at the newsstand or your local library, or visit consumerreports.org.