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Safest Car Brands Ranked by Consumer Reports' Safety Verdict

Consumer Reports’ new safety verdict is a comprehensive, easy-to-understand score that helps you identify which new cars do the best job of preventing a crash or protecting you if one occurs, and which cars lag behind. Safety Verdict: How the Brands Rank. Why Some Brands Rank Higher Than Others more on car safety CR's Car Safety Guide. .Find the Safest New Car Using Consumer Reports' Safety Verdict. .How to Buy a Safe Used Car. .Best ...
Posted:Tue Feb 03 06:00:11 EST 2026

Best Cars of the Year: 10 Top Picks of 2026

There are more than 260 cars, trucks, and SUVs on the market today, enough to make a car buyer’s head spin. But only the cream of the crop make it onto CR’s Annual Top Picks list. Whether you’re looking for a compact car or a full-sized truck, these 10 models are outstanding in their respective categories, earning high marks in our testing. All achieved an exceptional Overall Score—a comprehensive measure that accounts for road-...
Posted:Tue Feb 03 06:00:06 EST 2026

Find the Safest New Car Using Consumer Reports' Safety Verdict

“Safety isn’t just about crash testing,” says Emily A. Thomas, PhD, associate director of auto safety at Consumer Reports. “A safe car has predictable handling and braking, controls that don’t distract you, technology that can prevent a crash in the first place, and a design that protects occupants if a crash occurs.”. Until now, car buyers have had to consult multiple sources to find out which cars excel in all these areas....
Posted:Tue Feb 03 06:00:01 EST 2026

Preview: 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Flagship Gets a Big Update

Close your eyes and picture a luxury sedan. Chances are, you’re thinking of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Since 1972, Mercedes’ flagship has been a symbol of opulence and a showcase for new technologies. In addition to powerful engines and comfortable interiors, the S-Class debuted features such as antilock braking and radar-based adaptive cruise control decades before they became commonplace. Mercedes-Benz S-Class. CR's Take. Outside....
Posted:Thu Jan 29 12:45:01 EST 2026

Hyundai Palisade Recalled to Fix Airbag Issue

Hyundai is recalling over 568,000 Palisade SUVs from the 2020 through 2025 model years to fix their side-curtain airbags. The airbags may not offer enough head protection for third-row passengers during certain types of crashes, including vehicle rollovers, and therefore do not currently meet federal motor vehicle safety standards.. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the issue was uncovered during a routine...
Posted:Thu Jan 29 12:17:02 EST 2026

First Drive: 2026 Audi A6 Is a Powerful, Quiet Sedan for Gobbling Up Highway Miles

The redesigned 2026 Audi A6 competes against what automakers call “executive” sedans: cars for people who may regularly carry four adults, are comfortable spending $70,000 or so, and enjoy driving. That final item may be most important. As a sedan, the A6 is meant to offer handling agility that buyers won’t get with a bulky SUV like Audi’s Q8.. But the decline of sedan purchases shows that these buyers are getting harder for aut...
Posted:Thu Jan 29 06:00:38 EST 2026

Used-Car Prices Are High, So Consider Fixing the Car You Already Own

When faced with an expensive repair for an older car you’ve owned for a while—something like an engine or transmission replacement—you might think about moving on to a newer model.. With the average price of a used car around $26,000, according to Cox Automotive, it can make more sense to repair the car you already have. It’s the devil you know, after all. John Ibbotson, chief technician at Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center, ...
Posted:Thu Jan 29 06:00:23 EST 2026

Talking Cars 491: Driving the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid

Main theme: In this podcast episode, we give our first driving impressions of the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid. This is Subaru’s third attempt at a hybrid version of the Crosstrek, following the 2014 XV Crosstrek Hybrid and the 2019 Crosstrek PHEV. While those both seemed like half-hearted hybrid attempts, the third time might actually be the charm. . Just as with the Forester Hybrid we’ve already tested, the Crosstrek uses some To...
Posted:Wed Jan 28 06:00:07 EST 2026

Only 4 Small SUVs Get Top Marks in New Whiplash Test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has introduced a new whiplash test to determine how well a vehicle can prevent common head and neck injuries in a rear-end collision. In the first round of testing, only 4 out of 18 tested vehicles earned a top “Good” score, which shows that automakers have work to do to better prevent these kinds of injuries. Small SUVs With the Best and Worst Whiplash Protection MORE ON CAR SAFETY CR's Ca...
Posted:Tue Jan 27 00:05:00 EST 2026

First Drive: 2026 Nissan Leaf Takes Some Steps Forward, Some Back

The groundbreaking Nissan Leaf electric vehicle got such a thorough makeover for 2026 that it transformed from a small hatchback into a subcompact SUV. It’s now a thoroughly modern crossover—for better and for worse. Gone is the hard-to-find CHAdeMO DC fast-charging port. In its place is a Tesla-style North American Charging System (NACS) port, which is the plug style that is being adopted across the auto industry. The driving range...
Posted:Fri Jan 23 14:25:21 EST 2026

Preview: 2027 Volvo EX60 EV Aims for Range, Safety, and Luxury

Volvo’s rebirth as a technology-first, all-electric automaker continues with the debut of the EX60. This two-row luxury SUV promises a range of up to 400 miles, a price around $60,000, and new safety features that aren’t yet available on any other vehicle. A Cross Country version adds a tiny bit more ground clearance and a more rugged look.. As far as current Volvo vehicles go, the EX60 is most alike in size, appearance, and price t...
Posted:Wed Jan 21 12:30:01 EST 2026

Why You Should Never Dress Your Child in a Bulky Winter Coat for Car Rides

“You better bundle that baby up or she’s going to catch a cold!” I knew before I turned around what was happening: The well-meaning lady in the grocery store parking lot wanted to know why my child didn’t have a coat on in her car seat, even though it was the middle of winter.. The reason? Because a bulky coat and a child car seat can be a dangerous combination. As a general rule, winter coats should not be worn underneath a car...
Posted:Wed Jan 21 06:00:13 EST 2026

How to Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft

The good news: Catalytic converter thefts have come down considerably since hitting a peak several years ago. Roughly 14,000 converters were stolen in 2024, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), a whopping 68 percent decrease from 2023. The bad news: Catalytic converters are still costly to replace if you’re one of those unlucky 14,000, and losing one can have serious negative consequences for your car. . A catalyt...
Posted:Sun Jan 18 06:00:21 EST 2026

First Drive: 2026 Subaru Outback Grows Into a True SUV

The 2026 Subaru Outback boasts a dramatic redesign that edges it out of the dwindling wagon market right into the popular crossover SUV realm. All it took was raising the roof slightly, flattening the top, squaring off the nose, and decking the vehicle in more rugged, aggressive styling. Even with the conspicuous changes, the 2026 Outback’s dimensions mirror those of the 2025 model.  Subaru Outback. CR's Take. What We Like. What We D...
Posted:Fri Jan 16 11:50:31 EST 2026

Talking Cars 490: Driving the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid

Main theme: We bought a 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy AWD for our test program, Hyundai’s first model to use its new hybrid system based on a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder. The podcast panelists share first impressions of this three-row family hauler, covering performance, fuel economy, interior space, cabin luxury, and daily usability. Then they discuss how the hybrid stacks up against the gas-only Palisade. . Read...
Posted:Wed Jan 14 06:00:01 EST 2026