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Ten Top Picks of 2016: Best Cars of the Year – Consumer Reports

Ten Top Picks of 2016: Best Cars of the Year

Car shoppers always seek the best car. How they define it may differ, an d the buying decision certainly factors in price and unspoiled emotional appeal.

For Consumer Reports, we define the “best” car as the one that excels in our extensive tests, as well as shines for reliability, safety, and holder satisfaction. Certainly, there are many good cars on the market today to choose from. But when a reader asks us to definitively name the best, the ten Top Picks are our answers across popular categories. And we have the data to back it up.

What It Takes to Be Tops

Spectacle: To qualify, each model must rank at or near the top of its class in our road-test score.

Reliability: Models must have an average or better predicted reliability rating based on problems reported by subscribers for the 740,000 vehicles in our two thousand fifteen auto survey.

Possessor satisfaction: We surveyed our subscribers about their happiness level regarding the 230,000 vehicles in their garages. Would they buy their car again?

Safety: Top Picks must perform effectively in crash or rollover tests conducted by the government and insurance industry (if tested).

Ten Top Picks Over the Years

See the vehicles that made our Top Picks list in 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010.

Best Subcompact Car: Honda Fit

Thinking about the very first fresh car for yourself or someone in your family? This Honda may just be the ideal fit. It’s thrifty with fuel, returning a competitive thirty three mpg overall, and yet its nimble treating never gives off a “compromise car” vibe. It has remarkable interior space for such a lil’ footprint, with second-row seats that elegantly stow away or roll up to hold more cargo. A rear-view camera is standard. Road noise does boom in, and its rough rail can be tiring on long drives. Still, proprietor satisfaction is high, and its crash-test scores have improved over its predecessor. For just under $20,000, the Fit can be an easy-to-park runabout that keeps you smiling.

Best Compact Car: Subaru Impreza

Despite its compact size, the car’s rail and overall convenience will surprise you. It has expansive window glass, lots of interior space for a car of its size, intuitive controls, a suite of available safety technology, fine crash-test results, and an available hatchback version to haul bulky cargo. If you live where there’s intense snowfall, you’ll appreciate its superb all-wheel-drive traction. The Impreza is a brainy, practical car.

Best Midsized Car: Toyota Camry

Sure, it might seem like vanilla, but vanilla happens to be the best-selling flavor of ice fluid. The Camry’s no-fuss driving experience—great outward visibility, controls that fall lightly to palm, a roomy interior—may not be the most thrilling in its class, but it’s far from plain. A quiet cabin, slick powertrains, a convenient rail, and sound treating make it pleasant and capable. A Hybrid version supplies excellent fuel economy while remaining reasonably affordable. The solid Camry produces year after year of outstanding reliability, which when combined with outstanding crash-test results, make it a near-perfect sedan and one of our ten Top Picks.

Best Petite SUV: Subaru Forester

We hear all the time that Subaru is “the official car of Fresh England.” But the Forester is good enough to be the petite SUV of Everywhere. It’s roomy, rails conveniently, and treats unflappably. Its AWD system routed the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V in our snow-driving evaluations. Fuel economy is among class leaders. It also has the best glance lines from the driver’s seat of any model on the market. Forward-collision warning and automatic braking aren’t standard, but they’re available across most of the lineup at affordable prices. Strong IIHS crash-test scores make it a safe cocoon.

Best Luxury SUV: Lexus RX

Lexus created the luxury crossover segment almost twenty years ago, and its dominance hasn’t diminished since. Origami styling and its “Predator” grille display that the RX has shifted from being an understated part of the Little League parking lot to a more extroverted design player. But don’t let its fresh edginess confuse the picture. You’ll still find a quiet and comfy cabin, effortless power delivery, a slick rail, and a tastefully done interior fit and finish. The hybrid version gets an incredible twenty nine mpg overall. It’s not a taut, high-performance machine of the German school; it lacks that razor-crisp treating, steering feedback, and acute brakes. But what the RX does concentrate on—coddling well-heeled customers with reliable calmness—it does well.

Best Sports Car Under $40K: Mazda MX-5 Miata

Nobody packs more fun-per-dollar into a pint-sized package than Mazda. The MX-5 Miata combines lithe, precise treating with a crisp manual stick shift and a zoomy engine—that gets an enviable thirty four mpg—to create the flawless car for the enthusiast driver and weekend racer. An easy-to-stow soft top is the clincher. It’s reliable, too. With its jumpy, rock-hard suspension, noisy cabin, and taut quarters for taller drivers, the Miata isn’t a commuter car. But given a sunny day and a winding road, none of that matters. We love this car, and that’s why it’s one of our ten Top Picks.

Best Large Car: Chevrolet Impala

Long relegated to the inglorious life of airport rental fleets, the newest version of the Impala puts the competition in its rearview mirror. It proves an American automaker knows how to make an outstanding car for the masses. The Impala is dynamic and comfy, combining a cushy rail with responsive treating, striking some elite luxury sedans at their own game. The controls are refreshingly intuitive, without resorting to overcomplicated interfaces. There’s enough cabin space to fit five with slew of elbow and gam room. Trust us: It’s impressively good.

Best Midsized SUV: Kia Sorento

This is a good SUV hiding in plain look. Most midsized crossovers often feel like uninspiring errand runners. But the Sorento offers class-above elegance at mainstream prices. It’s a shade smaller than its midsized competitors, but that permits the Sorento to be city-friendly while still suggesting the space and features of a larger vehicle. The slick 290-hp V6 is responsive with competitive fuel economy, and the suspension absorbs the worst bumps and ruts with dignity while still providing you confidence in corners. The interior design is flat-out gorgeous. Well-above-average predicted reliability combines with good crash-test results. There’s a fresh king of the category.

Best Pickup Truck: Ford F-150

Is aluminum assets construction macho enough for a big truck? You bet. By eschewing traditional steel assets panels, Ford created a pickup that weighs less, enabling it to be quick off the line and fuel-efficient. The Two.7-liter turbo V6 has more grunt than truck traditionalists may expect. And it gets one mpg better than a comparable Chevy, which adds up over the life of a truck. The cabin is utterly quiet and spacious, with large windows and relatively narrow windshield poles to aid outward visibility. The intuitive Sync three infotainment system is a welcome update from the bogged-down MyFord Touch setup. Top-notch crash-test results and the best predicted reliability of any domestic truck make the F-150 a solid workhorse and one of 2016’s ten Top Picks.

Best Minivan: Toyota Sienna

Most people don’t fantasy of minivans, but the Sienna is super-reliable transport with all of the modern features an active, connected family would want. Its spacious and multifunctional interior, with available seating for eight, mates well with the Sienna’s magic carpet rail and vigorous powertrain. Available all-wheel drive eliminates the excuse for buying a less practical SUV. Let the neighbors poke gentle joy at your capitulation to family realities. Soon enough, they’ll be begging to borrow your Sienna to make a Home Depot run.

Ten Top Picks of 2016: Best Cars of the Year – Consumer Reports

Ten Top Picks of 2016: Best Cars of the Year

Car shoppers always seek the best car. How they define it may differ, an d the buying decision certainly factors in price and unspoiled emotional appeal.

For Consumer Reports, we define the “best” car as the one that excels in our extensive tests, as well as shines for reliability, safety, and holder satisfaction. Certainly, there are many good cars on the market today to choose from. But when a reader asks us to definitively name the best, the ten Top Picks are our answers across popular categories. And we have the data to back it up.

What It Takes to Be Tops

Spectacle: To qualify, each model must rank at or near the top of its class in our road-test score.

Reliability: Models must have an average or better predicted reliability rating based on problems reported by subscribers for the 740,000 vehicles in our two thousand fifteen auto survey.

Proprietor satisfaction: We surveyed our subscribers about their happiness level regarding the 230,000 vehicles in their garages. Would they buy their car again?

Safety: Top Picks must perform effectively in crash or rollover tests conducted by the government and insurance industry (if tested).

Ten Top Picks Over the Years

See the vehicles that made our Top Picks list in 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010.

Best Subcompact Car: Honda Fit

Thinking about the very first fresh car for yourself or someone in your family? This Honda may just be the flawless fit. It’s thrifty with fuel, returning a competitive thirty three mpg overall, and yet its nimble treating never gives off a “compromise car” vibe. It has remarkable interior space for such a little footprint, with second-row seats that elegantly stow away or roll up to hold more cargo. A rear-view camera is standard. Road noise does boom in, and its rough rail can be tiring on long drives. Still, possessor satisfaction is high, and its crash-test scores have improved over its predecessor. For just under $20,000, the Fit can be an easy-to-park runabout that keeps you smiling.

Best Compact Car: Subaru Impreza

Despite its compact size, the car’s rail and overall convenience will surprise you. It has expansive window glass, lots of interior space for a car of its size, intuitive controls, a suite of available safety technology, good crash-test results, and an available hatchback version to haul bulky cargo. If you live where there’s mighty snowfall, you’ll appreciate its superb all-wheel-drive traction. The Impreza is a clever, practical car.

Best Midsized Car: Toyota Camry

Sure, it might seem like vanilla, but vanilla happens to be the best-selling flavor of ice fluid. The Camry’s no-fuss driving experience—great outward visibility, controls that fall lightly to arm, a roomy interior—may not be the most thrilling in its class, but it’s far from plain. A quiet cabin, slick powertrains, a convenient rail, and sound treating make it pleasant and capable. A Hybrid version supplies excellent fuel economy while remaining reasonably affordable. The solid Camry produces year after year of outstanding reliability, which when combined with astounding crash-test results, make it a near-perfect sedan and one of our ten Top Picks.

Best Puny SUV: Subaru Forester

We hear all the time that Subaru is “the official car of Fresh England.” But the Forester is good enough to be the puny SUV of Everywhere. It’s roomy, rails conveniently, and treats unflappably. Its AWD system routed the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V in our snow-driving evaluations. Fuel economy is among class leaders. It also has the best glance lines from the driver’s seat of any model on the market. Forward-collision warning and automatic braking aren’t standard, but they’re available across most of the lineup at affordable prices. Strong IIHS crash-test scores make it a safe cocoon.

Best Luxury SUV: Lexus RX

Lexus created the luxury crossover segment almost twenty years ago, and its dominance hasn’t diminished since. Origami styling and its “Predator” grille display that the RX has shifted from being an understated part of the Little League parking lot to a more extroverted design player. But don’t let its fresh edginess confuse the picture. You’ll still find a quiet and comfy cabin, effortless power delivery, a sleek rail, and a tastefully done interior fit and finish. The hybrid version gets an awesome twenty nine mpg overall. It’s not a taut, high-performance machine of the German school; it lacks that razor-crisp treating, steering feedback, and acute brakes. But what the RX does concentrate on—coddling well-heeled customers with reliable calmness—it does well.

Best Sports Car Under $40K: Mazda MX-5 Miata

Nobody packs more fun-per-dollar into a pint-sized package than Mazda. The MX-5 Miata combines lithe, precise treating with a crisp manual stick shift and a zoomy engine—that gets an enviable thirty four mpg—to create the flawless car for the enthusiast driver and weekend racer. An easy-to-stow soft top is the clincher. It’s reliable, too. With its jumpy, rock-hard suspension, noisy cabin, and taut quarters for taller drivers, the Miata isn’t a commuter car. But given a sunny day and a winding road, none of that matters. We love this car, and that’s why it’s one of our ten Top Picks.

Best Large Car: Chevrolet Impala

Long relegated to the inglorious life of airport rental fleets, the newest version of the Impala puts the competition in its rearview mirror. It proves an American automaker knows how to make an outstanding car for the masses. The Impala is dynamic and comfy, combining a cushy rail with responsive treating, hammering some elite luxury sedans at their own game. The controls are refreshingly intuitive, without resorting to overcomplicated interfaces. There’s enough cabin space to fit five with slew of elbow and gam room. Trust us: It’s impressively good.

Best Midsized SUV: Kia Sorento

This is a excellent SUV hiding in plain glance. Most midsized crossovers often feel like uninspiring errand runners. But the Sorento offers class-above elegance at mainstream prices. It’s a shade smaller than its midsized competitors, but that permits the Sorento to be city-friendly while still suggesting the space and features of a larger vehicle. The sleek 290-hp V6 is responsive with competitive fuel economy, and the suspension absorbs the worst bumps and ruts with dignity while still providing you confidence in corners. The interior design is flat-out gorgeous. Well-above-average predicted reliability combines with good crash-test results. There’s a fresh king of the category.

Best Pickup Truck: Ford F-150

Is aluminum figure construction macho enough for a big truck? You bet. By eschewing traditional steel assets panels, Ford created a pickup that weighs less, enabling it to be quick off the line and fuel-efficient. The Two.7-liter turbo V6 has more grunt than truck traditionalists may expect. And it gets one mpg better than a comparable Chevy, which adds up over the life of a truck. The cabin is utterly quiet and spacious, with large windows and relatively narrow windshield piles to aid outward visibility. The intuitive Sync three infotainment system is a welcome update from the bogged-down MyFord Touch setup. Top-notch crash-test results and the best predicted reliability of any domestic truck make the F-150 a solid workhorse and one of 2016’s ten Top Picks.

Best Minivan: Toyota Sienna

Most people don’t wish of minivans, but the Sienna is super-reliable transport with all of the modern features an active, connected family would want. Its spacious and multifunctional interior, with available seating for eight, mates well with the Sienna’s magic carpet rail and vigorous powertrain. Available all-wheel drive liquidates the excuse for buying a less practical SUV. Let the neighbors poke gentle joy at your capitulation to family realities. Soon enough, they’ll be begging to borrow your Sienna to make a Home Depot run.

Ten Top Picks of 2016: Best Cars of the Year – Consumer Reports

Ten Top Picks of 2016: Best Cars of the Year

Car shoppers always seek the best car. How they define it may differ, an d the buying decision certainly factors in price and unspoiled emotional appeal.

For Consumer Reports, we define the “best” car as the one that excels in our extensive tests, as well as shines for reliability, safety, and holder satisfaction. Certainly, there are many good cars on the market today to choose from. But when a reader asks us to definitively name the best, the ten Top Picks are our answers across popular categories. And we have the data to back it up.

What It Takes to Be Tops

Spectacle: To qualify, each model must rank at or near the top of its class in our road-test score.

Reliability: Models must have an average or better predicted reliability rating based on problems reported by subscribers for the 740,000 vehicles in our two thousand fifteen auto survey.

Possessor satisfaction: We surveyed our subscribers about their happiness level regarding the 230,000 vehicles in their garages. Would they buy their car again?

Safety: Top Picks must perform effectively in crash or rollover tests conducted by the government and insurance industry (if tested).

Ten Top Picks Over the Years

See the vehicles that made our Top Picks list in 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010.

Best Subcompact Car: Honda Fit

Thinking about the very first fresh car for yourself or someone in your family? This Honda may just be the flawless fit. It’s thrifty with fuel, returning a competitive thirty three mpg overall, and yet its nimble treating never gives off a “compromise car” vibe. It has remarkable interior space for such a lil’ footprint, with second-row seats that elegantly stow away or roll up to hold more cargo. A rear-view camera is standard. Road noise does boom in, and its rough rail can be tiring on long drives. Still, proprietor satisfaction is high, and its crash-test scores have improved over its predecessor. For just under $20,000, the Fit can be an easy-to-park runabout that keeps you smiling.

Best Compact Car: Subaru Impreza

Despite its compact size, the car’s rail and overall convenience will surprise you. It has expansive window glass, lots of interior space for a car of its size, intuitive controls, a suite of available safety technology, superb crash-test results, and an available hatchback version to haul bulky cargo. If you live where there’s intense snowfall, you’ll appreciate its superb all-wheel-drive traction. The Impreza is a clever, practical car.

Best Midsized Car: Toyota Camry

Sure, it might seem like vanilla, but vanilla happens to be the best-selling flavor of ice fluid. The Camry’s no-fuss driving experience—great outward visibility, controls that fall lightly to mitt, a roomy interior—may not be the most thrilling in its class, but it’s far from plain. A quiet cabin, slick powertrains, a convenient rail, and sound treating make it pleasant and capable. A Hybrid version produces excellent fuel economy while remaining reasonably affordable. The solid Camry produces year after year of outstanding reliability, which when combined with amazing crash-test results, make it a near-perfect sedan and one of our ten Top Picks.

Best Puny SUV: Subaru Forester

We hear all the time that Subaru is “the official car of Fresh England.” But the Forester is good enough to be the petite SUV of Everywhere. It’s roomy, rails conveniently, and treats unflappably. Its AWD system routed the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V in our snow-driving evaluations. Fuel economy is among class leaders. It also has the best view lines from the driver’s seat of any model on the market. Forward-collision warning and automatic braking aren’t standard, but they’re available across most of the lineup at affordable prices. Strong IIHS crash-test scores make it a safe cocoon.

Best Luxury SUV: Lexus RX

Lexus created the luxury crossover segment almost twenty years ago, and its dominance hasn’t diminished since. Origami styling and its “Predator” grille showcase that the RX has shifted from being an understated part of the Little League parking lot to a more extroverted design player. But don’t let its fresh edginess confuse the picture. You’ll still find a quiet and comfy cabin, effortless power delivery, a sleek rail, and a tastefully done interior fit and finish. The hybrid version gets an extraordinaire twenty nine mpg overall. It’s not a taut, high-performance machine of the German school; it lacks that razor-crisp treating, steering feedback, and acute brakes. But what the RX does concentrate on—coddling well-heeled customers with reliable calmness—it does well.

Best Sports Car Under $40K: Mazda MX-5 Miata

Nobody packs more fun-per-dollar into a pint-sized package than Mazda. The MX-5 Miata combines lithe, precise treating with a crisp manual stick shift and a zoomy engine—that gets an enviable thirty four mpg—to create the flawless car for the enthusiast driver and weekend racer. An easy-to-stow soft top is the clincher. It’s reliable, too. With its jumpy, hard suspension, noisy cabin, and taut quarters for taller drivers, the Miata isn’t a commuter car. But given a sunny day and a winding road, none of that matters. We love this car, and that’s why it’s one of our ten Top Picks.

Best Large Car: Chevrolet Impala

Long relegated to the inglorious life of airport rental fleets, the newest version of the Impala puts the competition in its rearview mirror. It proves an American automaker knows how to make an outstanding car for the masses. The Impala is dynamic and convenient, combining a cushy rail with responsive treating, hitting some elite luxury sedans at their own game. The controls are refreshingly intuitive, without resorting to overcomplicated interfaces. There’s enough cabin space to fit five with slew of elbow and gam room. Trust us: It’s impressively good.

Best Midsized SUV: Kia Sorento

This is a fine SUV hiding in plain look. Most midsized crossovers often feel like uninspiring errand runners. But the Sorento offers class-above elegance at mainstream prices. It’s a shade smaller than its midsized competitors, but that permits the Sorento to be city-friendly while still suggesting the space and features of a larger vehicle. The slick 290-hp V6 is responsive with competitive fuel economy, and the suspension absorbs the worst bumps and ruts with dignity while still providing you confidence in corners. The interior design is flat-out gorgeous. Well-above-average predicted reliability combines with good crash-test results. There’s a fresh king of the category.

Best Pickup Truck: Ford F-150

Is aluminum bod construction macho enough for a big truck? You bet. By eschewing traditional steel figure panels, Ford created a pickup that weighs less, enabling it to be quick off the line and fuel-efficient. The Two.7-liter turbo V6 has more grunt than truck traditionalists may expect. And it gets one mpg better than a comparable Chevy, which adds up over the life of a truck. The cabin is utterly quiet and spacious, with large windows and relatively narrow windshield piles to aid outward visibility. The intuitive Sync three infotainment system is a welcome update from the bogged-down MyFord Touch setup. Top-notch crash-test results and the best predicted reliability of any domestic truck make the F-150 a solid workhorse and one of 2016’s ten Top Picks.

Best Minivan: Toyota Sienna

Most people don’t desire of minivans, but the Sienna is super-reliable transport with all of the modern features an active, connected family would want. Its spacious and multifunctional interior, with available seating for eight, mates well with the Sienna’s magic carpet rail and vigorous powertrain. Available all-wheel drive eliminates the excuse for buying a less practical SUV. Let the neighbors poke gentle joy at your capitulation to family realities. Soon enough, they’ll be begging to borrow your Sienna to make a Home Depot run.

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