Consumer Reports names 2016 Top Pick Cars

Consumer Reports is out with its 2016 Top Picks Cars. They represent the best of the best of the 260 cars Consumer Reports has recently tested in 10 categories. This year finds a Korean car on the list.

The Kia Sorento is a Consumer Reports 2016 Top Pick midsized SUV. For years, Toyota has won this category, but the Sorento has overtaken it.

"It's got a powerful engine. It does great in crash tests. It has very strong reliability. And the great thing is you get inside and it feels luxurious. It feels like you've spent a whole lot more money than you actually did," said Mark Rechtin, chief cars editor at Consumer Reports.

Toyota did earn two spots on the list: the Camry among midsized cars and the Toyota Sienna in minivans.

"To be a Consumer Reports Top Pick, a vehicle needs to drive beautifully, has to have a strong record of reliability and it needs to be a car that makes its owners happy and it needs to be safe," Rechtin said.

Subaru also nabbed two spots: the Subaru Impreza for small cars and the Forester for small SUVs.

"We like Subarus because they're super-practical. They're really fuel-efficient. And for such small cars on the outside, they feel really large on the inside," Rechtin said.

Only two American cars make the list this year: the Chevrolet Impala among large cars and the Ford F-150 among pickups.

"Ford took a big gamble by switching its F-150 from steel to aluminum construction, but it paid off in our tests, with better fuel economy, better acceleration, and in independent crash tests, it scored really well," Rechtin said.

And finally, the Mazda MX-5 earns the top spot for sports cars under $40,000.

"The Miata is totally impractical. It only seats two people. The trunk is tiny. But you take it out on a sunny day, it's more fun than cars twice its price," Rechtin said.

Two more Consumer Reports Top Picks round out the list: the Honda Fit for best subcompact and the Lexus RX for luxury SUV. But it costs more than $50,000, compared with the Kia Sorento, around $38,000.

This report is based on an article in the April 2016 issue of Consumer Reports magazine. The complete article is on the CRTV station website.

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