YONKERS, New York — Consumers Union has released its annual April buyers' guide to new vehicles. The Consumer Reports top picks this year incorporates four new models, including the first appearances by a Korean auto company, and a U.S. pickup truck is the top pick for the first time since 2005.
The top picks in 10 categories are Toyota Prius, best green car; Hyundai Elantra SE, small sedan; Honda Accord, family sedan; Infiniti G35, upscale sedan; and Lexus LS 460 L, luxury sedan. The fun-to-drive top pick is the Mazda MX-5 Miata; top small SUV is the Toyota RAV4, and top midsize SUV is the Hyundai Santa Fe. Rounding out the list is the Toyota Sienna as top-pick minivan, and Chevrolet's Silverado 1500 Crew Cab for top pickup truck.
Consumer Reports bases the "top pick" choices on road tests, reliability ratings based on problems reported by the publication's subscribers in its Annual Car Reliability Survey, and ratings in insurance industry and government safety testing.
The publication also announced what vehicles got the highest and lowest scores in its testing and owner surveys. The winners: the Lexus LS 460 L, Infiniti M35, Porsche 911 Carrera S and Toyota Sienna XLE. The losers: the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara, Hummer H3, Jeep Liberty Sport and Chevrolet Aveo LS.
In addition to choosing two Hyundais in its top 10 list, Consumer Reports chose three Korean models on its "most overlooked cars" list. They are the Kia Rondo and Optima and the Hyundai Azera. The Mazda 5 also got the nod on the most-overlooked list.
What this means to you: Japanese models still dominate the list, but the Koreans are coming up from behind. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
The top picks in 10 categories are Toyota Prius, best green car; Hyundai Elantra SE, small sedan; Honda Accord, family sedan; Infiniti G35, upscale sedan; and Lexus LS 460 L, luxury sedan. The fun-to-drive top pick is the Mazda MX-5 Miata; top small SUV is the Toyota RAV4, and top midsize SUV is the Hyundai Santa Fe. Rounding out the list is the Toyota Sienna as top-pick minivan, and Chevrolet's Silverado 1500 Crew Cab for top pickup truck.
Consumer Reports bases the "top pick" choices on road tests, reliability ratings based on problems reported by the publication's subscribers in its Annual Car Reliability Survey, and ratings in insurance industry and government safety testing.
The publication also announced what vehicles got the highest and lowest scores in its testing and owner surveys. The winners: the Lexus LS 460 L, Infiniti M35, Porsche 911 Carrera S and Toyota Sienna XLE. The losers: the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara, Hummer H3, Jeep Liberty Sport and Chevrolet Aveo LS.
In addition to choosing two Hyundais in its top 10 list, Consumer Reports chose three Korean models on its "most overlooked cars" list. They are the Kia Rondo and Optima and the Hyundai Azera. The Mazda 5 also got the nod on the most-overlooked list.
What this means to you: Japanese models still dominate the list, but the Koreans are coming up from behind. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent
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