Granted, the Lexus line has not suffered from the braking and acceleration issues present on models branded directly with the Toyota name, but what really gives pause here is the message the selection sends in the middle of a recession with unemployment hovering around 10% nationally and exceeding that figure regionally and by socioeconomic class. The LS 460L has an MSRP of $76,572.

Sure, it’s a great vehicle, scoring 99 out of 100 on the survey’s rating scale. Sure, the description on the survey page talks about a luxury sedan that “pampers passengers with a comfortable ride and luxurious driving environment.” Sure, you can get a spiffy, optional self-parking system. Yeah, it has a 380hp V8 and gets 21 miles to the gallon overall. Oh, and there’s a hybrid version.

But the truth of the matter?

The vast majority of Americans will probably never be able to afford a car like this again — if they ever could. This is a best overall pick that speaks to the bygone days of credit fueled excess that landed us where we are — in national and international financial hot water. Is this really the best message to send to Americans who just want a reliable, fuel-efficient, affordable car?

Yes, you can drill down through the list and find that the Hyundai Elantra SE at $18,695 was named the top Small Sedan, but clearly reviewers still have their eyes on luxury in a land of famine. Shame on you, Consumer Reports. Stick the Lexus models over in the pie-in-the-sky dreamer list where they belong and find a car all of us can realistically hope to own. Showcase that car and you encourage carmakers to put their creativity and their excellence where it solidly belongs — in cars that operate cleanly and efficiently and are affordable.

The survey interviews 46,000 drivers of 2006 models of the participating cars. This really blasts the stereotypical image most Americans have of Jaguar as a brand constantly in need of repair. Jaguar was bought last year by Tata Motors of India, and it will be interesting to see how the cars continue to stack up against the competition.

Buick’s showing reflects nicely on embattled General Motors. In a story for Automotive News, David Sargent, J.D. Power’s vice president of automotive research said, “Part of GM’s historical challenge has been that the customer’s perception of GM’s vehicles has been not in line with reliability. GM, as well as Ford, has made a lot of strides recently. Maybe 10 or 15 years ago their vehicles weren’t as reliable as some of the imports, but I think today they’ve virtually caught up.”

A reputation for reliability and some guidance in what to look for in a previously-owned vehicle is more important than ever as the recession drags into its 16th month. People are holding on to their cars an average of 73 months, up from 66 months in 2006.

Here’s how the thing works. You make purchases, you get points. You redeem the points for discounts on parts and maintenance bills or toward a vehicle down payment. The company is looking to issue 140,000 of the cards during year one, starting in October. The balances will be carried by U.S. Bank with Toyota maintaining all the customer data and such. (The customer info is confidential, but Toyota can use the data to take a look at purchasing trends.)

We’ve made no bones about the fact that this may not be the time to buy a car, especially if you have shaky credit. Yes, there are going to be good buys out there as automakers work to move their sluggish inventory, but the first question you must always ask yourself is can you afford that car? Can you afford to keep up with the payments? And the second questions is, what will I have to give up in some other area of my life to accomplish that? And this business of a Toyota card or one from any other automaker? My advice would be to think twice. If you already have weak credit, it’s not going to be strengthened by one more card in your wallet.