The votes have been cast, the voice of the consumers has been tabulated and the results are in. The criteria set on order that a car be one on Consumer Reports' Top Picks are that a car must score at or near the top, the car must at least have average reliability and must have good performance on government and insurance institute crash tests. Thus, the Best Cars for 2007 are chosen.
First, for subcompact budget car, the Honda Fit. Costing around $14,000 to $16,000 Consumer Reports calls this car "the best overall in a new class of fuel-efficient cars." The fuel efficiency is measured by a test rendered by the Consumer Reports. The Honda Fit has a fuel economy at 32 mpg with an automatic transmission and a 34 mpg with a manual.
The magazine also noted that the Honda Fit is "not only fun to drive, but its compact dimensions pack an impressive amount of interior room and versatility." However, Honda Fit was not able to make the nest scores in reliability, crash protection and satisfaction.
For the Sedan in the $20,000 criteria, the Honda Civic reigned. Costing around $17,000 to $23,000, the Honda Civic was praised for its "relatively roomy interior, comfortable ride, smooth powertrain and good handling." In the fuel economy test, the Honda Civic got a 31 mpg with a manual transmission and a 28 mpg with the automatic transmission. As for the reliability and the crash protection, the Honda Civic faired well.
For the Sedan in the $20,000 to $30,000 criteria, the Honda Accord got the thumbs-up. Costing around $20,000 to $33,000, the Honda Accord only offers very little difference in fuel economy. The Accord has a hybrid version. It got a 25 mpg while the V6 Accord got a 23 mpg and the 4-cylinder version got a 24. "The Accord provides an excellent balance of comfort, roominess, ride and handling," says the magazine.
The Infiniti G35 was the "IT" for sedan in the $30,000 to $40,000 criteria. Available in rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, the Infiniti G35 costs around $35,000 to $39,000. It rated excellent of the reliability and the magazine further opined that the Infiniti G35 "really blows the BMW 3-series away... (Having a) really fast - 306 horsepower, zero-to-60 in 5.4 seconds - really agile handling, great steering, reasonable amount of room inside and really easy to live with on a day-to-day basis."
The Infiniti M35 reigned supreme in the Luxury Sedan division. Quoted, the magazine assessed that the Infiniti M35 earned the highest score for a sedan. The M35 is equipped and is comfortable and is capable on a twisty two-lane road. The cost of this vehicle is around $42,000 and $45,000.
Other cars, like the BMW 530i and the Audi A6 are also noted in the same category.
For SUV in the less than $30,000 category, the Toyota Rav4 got the boost. Redesigned for 2006, the car now has more room and an optional third row of seats. The smooth performance and good power of the optional V6 engine gave only 1 mpg lower in the fuel economy testing. Garnering top marks in the reliability and crash protection arena, Rav4's rival is another redesigned car, the Honda CR-V.
The Toyota Highlander Hybrid rated top for the SUV, more than$30,000 category. The magazine put in good words for the vehicle. It said that the 2007 Highlander is an excellent quality vehicle which offers a comfortable and quiet ride. However they do not recommend a purchase of this vehicle for the 2008 version will soon be hitting the market. This new redesigned version will have a movable second row to allow more space for the second row.
The hybrid version of the car offers all the benefits of a non-hybrid highlander but its acceleration is better and a slightly better fuel economy of 22 mpg. The cost of the 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid is around $ 35,000 to $40,000.
In the minivan category, Toyota Sienna is the Top Pick. Costing around $26,000 to $28,000, the Toyota Sienna has a more powerful engine than the Honda Odyssey and thus takes the lead position from the two-year title holder. The Sienna also runs quieter and offers more comfort than its rival, the Honda Odyssey. However, the writer of the article personally opts for the Honda Odyssey for it has a bit more of a sports car performance.
For the green car category, Toyota Prius bagged the honor. The $23,000 car has a 44 mpg overall and the best ever for the magazine for a 5-passenger vehicle. With a roomy interior for occupants and their luggage, the Toyota Prius makes a good alternative for the ordinary family sedan. An additional feature of this car is he rearview camera.
For the fun to drive category, the Mazda MX-5 Miata which costs around $21,000 to $27,000 and has a balanced handling, pinpoint-precise steering and a crisp six-speed manual transmission, got the top spot. This car features a cloth top that can be raised and lowered with one hand without even leaving the car seat. The car faired well in the reliability.
It can be easily noticed that the only Japanese manufactured cars are on the list. This is so because, very few cars can make it into consideration for they do not have the Consumer Report's general recommendation.
Other cars are known for their vehicle parts, like the Mercedes fuel pump and many others. Reliability of these cars in terms of body parts like these are important for them for them to get the needed recommendation.