TrueDelta’s sample sizes remain small, usually just twenty to thirty cars. Yet by and large the results from analyzing the data have been stable and in line with brands’ reputations. However there have been two unexpected results: the 2006 BMW 3-Series sedan and wagon and the 2006 Honda Civic.

BMW doesn’t have the best rep for reliability, especially not for new designs. Yet the 22 new-for-2006 3-Series sedans and wagons I have data on have been averaging 0.2 successful repair trips per year. This figure is rounded down a bit, but it still works out to only one trip for every four cars, and is among the best.

In contrast, the also new-for-2006 Honda Civic, with responses for 30 cars, has been averaging 0.8 successful repair trips a year. While not among the worst, this is easily twice the typical rate for Asian models, and a bit worse than the overall average. Most of the problems have involved warped, poorly fitting, or rattling interior trim pieces. So they might not be reported on Consumer Reports’ flawed survey, which asks only about “problems that you considered serious.”

These cars are still fairly new, with about 10,000 miles on them. It will be interesting to see how the results change from quarter to quarter as more miles accumulate and TrueDelta’s sample of them grows.