Best Cars of the Year

The best cars on the market in America

Car shoppers always seek the best car. How they define it may differ, and the buying decision certainly factors in price and pure 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 owner 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 10 Top Picks are our answers across popular categories. And we have the data to back it up.

What It Takes to Be Tops

Performance: 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 2015 auto survey.

Owner 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). 

Best Subcompact Car: Honda Fit

Thinking about the first new car for yourself or someone in your family? This Honda may just be the perfect fit. It’s thrifty with fuel, returning a competitive 33 mpg overall, and yet its nimble handling never gives off a “compromise car” vibe. It has remarkable interior space for such a tiny footprint, with second-row seats that elegantly stow away or flip up to hold more cargo. A rear-view camera is standard. Road noise does boom in, and its rough ride can be tiring on long drives. Still, owner 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.

Read our complete Honda Fit road test.

Subaru Impreza

Despite its compact size, the car’s ride and overall comfort 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, great crash-test results, and an available hatchback version to haul bulky cargo. If you live where there’s heavy snowfall, you’ll appreciate its superb all-wheel-drive traction. The Impreza is a smart, practical car.

Read our complete Subaru Impreza road test.

Toyota Camry

Sure, it might seem like vanilla, but vanilla happens to be the best-selling flavor of ice cream. The Camry’s no-fuss driving experience—great outward visibility, controls that fall easily to hand, a roomy interior—may not be the most thrilling in its class, but it’s far from plain. A quiet cabin, slick powertrains, a comfortable ride, and sound handling make it pleasant and capable. A Hybrid version delivers excellent fuel economy while remaining reasonably affordable. The solid Camry delivers year after year of outstanding reliability, which when combined with impressive crash-test results, make it a near-perfect sedan and one of our 10 Top Picks.