Consumer Reports Names the 10 Best Vehicles of 2016

Consumer Reports has just named its top 10 vehicles for 2016, and three cars — the Kia Sorento, Toyota Camry and Subaru Forester — topped the list based on their overall scores.

To understand why these cars got top marks, it’s important to note that Consumer Reports’ notion of “best” is more intricate than most.

When it comes to cars, for example, the 80-year-old nonprofit organization requires several criteria to be met for it to consider a vehicle among what it calls “Top Picks.”

The 10 vehicles below — which Consumer Reports named “Top Picks” in their categories this year — had to meet the following criteria:

Performance: Vehicle ranks at or near the top of its class in Consumer Reports’ road-test score (which is out of 100).
Reliability: Vehicle has an average or better predicted reliability rating based on problems reported by subscribers for the 740,000 vehicles in Consumer Reports’ 2015 auto survey. (Consumer Reports has five possible ratings for reliability, from lowest to highest: poor, fair, good, very good and excellent.)
Owner satisfaction: Consumer Reports surveyed its subscribers about their happiness level regarding the 230,000 vehicles in their garages.
Safety: Vehicle performed effectively in crash or rollover tests conducted by the government and insurance industry (if tested).

Across 10 popular categories, Consumer Reports’ Top Picks for 2016 are:

Best subcompact car: Honda Fit

Overall score: 67
Road-test score: 67
Reliability: Good

Best compact car: Subaru Impreza

Overall score: 77-79
Road-test score: 76-79
Reliability: Excellent

Best midsized car: Toyota Camry

Overall score: 83-84
Road-test score: 84-87
Reliability: Excellent

Best small SUV: Subaru Forester

Overall score: 83
Road-test score: 85
Reliability: Very good
Other recent accolades: named by Kelley Blue Book as one of the 10 best 2016 cars for resale value

Best luxury SUV: Lexus RX

Overall score: 78-81
Road-test score: 77-80
Reliability: Excellent
Other recent accolades: named by Kelley Blue Book as the “best buy” luxury SUV for 2016

Best sports car under $40,000: Mazda MX-5 Miata

Overall score: 79
Road-test score: 80
Reliability: Very good

Best large car: Chevrolet Impala

Overall score: 81
Road-test score: 91
Reliability: Good
Other recent accolades: named by Consumer Reports last year as the “best buy” full-size car made in America

Best midsized SUV: Kia Sorento

Overall score: 84
Road-test score: 84
Reliability: Excellent

Best pickup truck: Ford F-150

Overall score: 76-77
Road-test score: 78-80
Reliability: Very good
Other recent accolades: named by Kelley Blue Book as the “best buy” pickup truck for 2016; named by J.D. Power and Associates last year as the most gratifying large light-duty pickup truck to own

Best minivan: Toyota Sienna