Toyota Motor Corporation, Honda Motor Company, and other Asian automakers topped Consumer Reports magazine’s annual ranking of cars and trucks, scoring highest in such areas as safety and reliability.

Nine of 10 “top picks” in the American magazine’s April issue were built by Japan’s Toyota, Honda, and Fuji Heavy Industries Limited, including the Toyota Prius gasoline-electric car and Honda Pilot sport-utility vehicle. Twenty-one vehicles, all of them Japanese, scored combined “high” ratings for safety, reliability, fuel economy, and owner satisfaction.

Automakers closely follow Consumer Reports’ rankings, which are based on the magazine’s tests and readers’ opinions. One-third of American auto shoppers consult the magazine, according to Forrester Research of Cambridge, Mass. Ford Motor Company research shows that at least 25% of car buyers are influenced by the issue, a spokeswoman, Angie Kozleski said.

“The Japanese automakers, from a quality standpoint, have had a significant lead,” said the president of the Los Angeles-based Rikess Group, a consulting firm for automakers and car dealers, Mark Rikess. “There’s still an awful high plateau to reach. The domestics have significantly improved, but the Asians are making incremental improvements constantly.”

A reputation for quality has helped Asian brands increase their American market share for eight straight years. Asian automakers’ combined American share reached a record monthly high of 36.3% in January, according to Autodata Corporation of Woodcliff Lake, N.J.

Other vehicles among the 10 “top picks” were Toyota’s Lexus LS430 and RX330, Fuji’s Subaru Forester and Impreza WRX, and Honda’s Odyssey, Accord and Acura TL. Ford Motor Company’s Focus was the only American model in the group.

Of the vehicles recommended by the magazine, 49 were made by Asian automakers, 24 were made by American automakers, and six were made by Europeans. The European brands include Sweden’s Saab, owned by GM, and Volvo, owned by Ford.

Vehicles recommended by Consumer Reports have at least average reliability based on subscriber surveys and performed well in independent crash testing. They are top performers in such areas as emergency handling, interior finish, and fuel economy, the magazine said.

The Sonata sedan, made by South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company, was named the most-reliable vehicle, with two problems per 100 vehicles. The Quest minivan, built in America by Tokyo-based Nissan Motor Company, and Ford’s Lincoln Navigator SUV were the least reliable, with 49 problems per 100, according to the magazine’s subscribers. Fuji’s Subaru was ranked the most trouble-free brand.

American automakers have improved their reliability for three straight years, the magazine said.

The average problem rate for GM, the world’s largest automaker, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler was 17 problems per 100 vehicles, down from 21 per 100 in 2002. For the second straight year, the three American automakers were judged more reliable than European makers, whose problem rate rose to 21 per 100 from 20 the previous year.

The vehicles of only one European maker, Volkswagen AG’s Audi, were judged better than average, with a problem rate of 12 per 100.

Ford’s redesigned Mustang sports car made the cover of the issue with the headline, “A performance bargain.” The Cadillac CTS sedan, rated by Consumer Reports as one of GM’s least-reliable cars last year, ranked among its best this year, with 10 problems per 100.

“Our engineers talk with their testing people and staff and get their input on how we can improve our vehicles,” GM spokesman Brian Akre said.