SAN ANTONIO – Consumer Reports announced its new list of top picks for 2017 vehicles in various categories, and this year the list includes some new names.
Among mid-sized sedans, the Kia Optima beat out the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in the overall testing. And, for smaller cars, the Chevrolet Cruze got top ratings.
Testers liked the smooth ride and 47 miles per gallon the Cruze gets on the highway. Overall, it beat the popular Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
“All of our top picks have high scores in road test performance, reliability, owner satisfaction, safety,” said Tom Mutchler with Consumer Reports. “These are the ones that beat out the competition.”
The small SUV is now the most popular car on the road. The one that tops the list is the Subaru Forester. Consumer Reports said it sets the standard for small SUVs with excellent gas mileage, visibility and top-notch safety ratings.
For a mid-sized SUV, the Toyota Highlander again was named top pick. The Sienna XLE FW was named top minivan.
Pickups rule in Texas, and the San Antonio-made Tundra was named top pick for full-sized pickups. For compact pickups, the redesigned Honda Ridgeline handled and rode the best, according to the tests. It also got high marks for gas mileage and versatile storage.
If you like to ride in luxury, the Audi Q7 was named the top pick for luxury SUVs.