2017’s Top ten Best Cars in Every Category: Consumer Reports

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Consumer Reports has exposed its list of the top ten best cars of 2017.

To be a Top Pick, a model has to have an exemplary Overall Score in its category. That score comes from Consumer Reports‘ four key piles: road-test spectacle, predicted reliability, proprietor satisfaction and safety. Each car is also road tested and rated based on over fifty evaluations done at the publication’s 327-acre Auto Test Center, ranging from instrumented track tests to assessments of convenience and convenience while in daily use by Consumer Reports‘ staff.

Reliability for each vehicle is based on actual problems reported by subscribers in the two thousand sixteen auto survey on more than half-a-million vehicles. Consumer Reports then rates proprietor satisfaction based on the percentage of surveyed owners who say they would certainly purchase the same car if they had to do it all over again. Lastly, all cars recommended by Consumer Reports must perform satisfactorily in accident-avoidance tests.

Best Subcompact Car: Toyota Yaris iA

What began out life as the Scion iA is now the Toyota Yaris iA and it claims top honors in the subcompact car category. The model is developed by Mazda and feels refined for the entry-level class, says Consumer Reports. Under the fetish mask is a slick and willing four-cylinder engine, paired to a slick six-speed automatic transmission and relatively compliant rail. Providing it good value is a full-featured infotainment system and standard low-speed automatic emergency braking, while its well-tuned steering and antsy treating makes the Yaris iA remarkably joy to drive. It scored sixty on the road test.

Best Compact Car: Chevrolet Cruze

The redesigned Chevrolet Cruze is the best compact car of 2017, hammering out popular models like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. With a road-test score of 77, Consumer Reports praised the hushed, smooth-riding sedan with a roomy interior and polished four-cylinder turbocharged engine with one hundred fifty three horsepower. The publication also noted it returned forty seven mpg on the highway, albeit overall fuel economy came in at thirty mpg.

Best Compact Hybrid: Toyota Prius

It’s very likely not a surprise to many, but the Toyota Prius has been named the best compact hybrid of 2017. Consumer Reports‘ tests returned fifty two mpg overall, which is the highest it has ever recorded in a car that isn’t a plug-in hybrid. Not remarkably, the Prius receives high marks for its reliability, something Toyota has traditionally been known for. The latest-generation model also has diminished cabin noise, improved rail convenience and more responsive treating. The Toyota Prius scored seventy five on the road test.

Best Sports Car: Mazda MX-5 Miata

There’s a good reason automotive enthusiasts love the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Despite having modest power from its naturally aspirated, four-cylinder engine, the Miata is a finish blast to drive with its lightweight design and balance. “The Miata truly comes alive on winding roads, with instant steering response and a treating balance that will make you sneer,” said Consumer Reports. Along with a road test score of 80, the Miata returned thirty four mpg overall.

Best Midsize Sedan: Kia Optima

This year’s best midsize sedan isn’t the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, both enormously popular models in the segment. Instead, it’s the Kia Optima taking the prize. Consumer Reports attributed its win to the Optima’s responsive treating, a stable rail and pleasant powertrain, brief stopping distances, easy-to-use controls and a roomy backseat. Its road test score is amazing at eighty six and Kia’s outstanding reliability and extensive warranty coverage makes the Optima a real contender in a segment that was previously predominated by Japanese automakers.

Best Large Sedan: Chevrolet Impala

When it comes to traditional cars, the Chevrolet Impala scored highest on Consumer Reports’ road test, earning a score of 91. Roomy, supportive seats greet driver and passengers along with intuitive controls and ample truck. And despite its size, the Impala’s treating is responsive and secure, while road imperfections are effectively absorbed to give a rail you’d expect from a more expensive luxury sedan.

Best Petite SUV: Subaru Forester

Consumer Reports’ says the Subaru Forester sets the standard for petite SUVs, thanks to its relatively roomy packaging, fuel efficiency, solid reliability and effortless access. Helping maximize interior space is its boxy form and large windows, while secure treating and supple rail add to the Forester’s appeal. Fuel economy is excellent for the segment, returning twenty six mpg overall and Subaru is known for its safety technology, especially with EyeSight.

Best Midsize SUV: Toyota Highlander

Toyota proceeds taking top honors in several segments with the Highlander. Sporting a road test score of 84, the Highlander receives high marks due to its good spectacle, fuel economy (20 mpg overall), long-term reliability, all-weather traction, three-row seating, generous cargo space and the capability of light towing. The model was recently updated for the two thousand seventeen model year, adding twenty five more horsepower to its engine output and advanced safety equipment as standard.

Best Luxury SUV: Audi Q7

The highest-scoring vehicle on Consumer Reports‘ road test is the Audi Q7, earning a score of 96. The seven-passenger SUV is the highest-rated SUV Consumer Reports recently tested, feeling more like a luxury sedan than an SUV. The cabin is quiet and has all the luxury amenities you would expect from Audi, with premium trimmings and road-trip-friendly seats. And despite its size, the Audi Q7 is fairly agile, with excellent brakes to bring it to a stop.

Best Compact Pickup: Honda Ridgeline

Honda took its time revamping the Ridgeline and it has paid off. Driving more like a sedan than a rugged pickup, the Ridgeline scored eighty on the road test while returning twenty mpg overall. Consumer Reports says the Ridgeline “treats far better than any compact or full-sized pickup, and it shames all non-diesel trucks for fuel economy.”

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