Toyota accounts for six of the top ten spots in Forbes list of best performing cars.  Compiling the lists of 2008 best-and worst-performing cars, five factors were considered.  The number of recalls to date; reliability ratings from Consumer Reports, depreciation in the form of Automotive Leasing Guide’s; safety from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test ratings; and fuel economy.

Toyota’s high resale values and reliability scores helped them seal six of the top ten spots.  The fuel-efficient Toyota Prius tops the list thanks to an “excellent” reliability rating, no recalls and a five-star-rating resale value.  It has the highest fuel economy at 46 mpg and the lowest annual fuel cost of any car on the list.  Here are the other 5 Toyota vehicles that made the list and where they ranked.

4.Toyota Rav-4
5.Toyota Camry Hybrid
7.Lexus IS 250
8.Toyota Yaris
10. Scion xD

Recent talks of Chrysler merging with General Motors comes as no surprise as Chrysler continues to struggle.  Chrysler vehicles dominated the list of poor performance vehicles of 2008.  Seven of the top ten worst performing cars of 2008 according to Forbes, are Chrysler made.  With numerous recalls and poor resale values, experts see no sign of Chrysler making improvements anytime soon.  Their current lack of financial resources makes it nearly impossible to recover.

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