Consumer Reports’ top vehicle picks by category

Consumer Reports’ Best Overall: In this Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015 photo, shoppers check out the Tesla model S at the Tesla showroom at the the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif. Tesla Motors Inc. reports quarterly financial results after the market closes on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)
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Consumer Reports’ Best Compact Car: The Impreza-based, rally-inspired Subaru WRX is updated, but the hatchback version goes away. (WTOP/John Aaron)
The redesign of the Subaru Legacy for 2015 is subtle, but handsome. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
Consumer Reports’ Best Midsize Car: The redesign of the Subaru Legacy for 2015 is subtle, but handsome. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 04:  Mark Reuss, President of General Motors North America, introduces the newly unveiled 2014 Chevrolet Impala at the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on April 4, 2012 in New York City. The New York International Auto Show features nearly 1,000 brand new vehicles from all auto industry sectors and is open to the public April 6-15.   (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Consumer Reports’ Best Large Car:  Mark Reuss, President of General Motors North America, introduces the newly unveiled 2014 Chevrolet Impala at the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on April 4, 2012 in New York City. The New York International Auto Show features nearly 1,000 brand new vehicles from all auto industry sectors and is open to the public April 6-15. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 17:   A Toyota Prius painted with New York Yankees colors sits on display during a media preview of the 2014 New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on April 17, 2014 in New York City. The show opens with a sneak preview to the public April 18 and runs through April 27.  (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
Consumer Reports’ Best Green Car:  A Toyota Prius painted with New York Yankees colors sits on display during a media preview of the 2014 New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on April 17, 2014 in New York City. The show opens with a sneak preview to the public April 18 and runs through April 27. (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
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Consumer Reports’ Best Luxury Car: WTOP’s Car Report found the Audi A6 TDI Quattro is sharp-looking. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
Consumer Reports’ Best Sport Sedan: In this Feb. 14, 2013 file photo taken with a fisheye lens shows the Buick logo on the grill of a 2013 Buick Regal on display at the Pittsburgh Auto Show in Pittsburgh. Buick is the first U.S.-based automotive brand to crack the top 10 in Consumer Reports magazine’s annual brand report cards, released Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
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Consumer Reports’ Best Small SUV: Most Subaru Foresters sold in the U.S. will come with a roof and doors. (WTOP/John Aaron)
The 2014 Toyota Highlander is presented at the New York International Auto Show, in New York's Javits Center,  Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Consumer Reports’ Best Midsize SUV: The 2014 Toyota Highlander is presented at the New York International Auto Show, in New York’s Javits Center, Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
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Consumer Reports’ Best Minivan:  WTOP’s Car Report found the Honda Odyssey drives well and it’s pretty exciting for a minivan. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
(1/10)
Subaru_wrx.JPG
The redesign of the Subaru Legacy for 2015 is subtle, but handsome. (WTOP/Mike Parris)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 04:  Mark Reuss, President of General Motors North America, introduces the newly unveiled 2014 Chevrolet Impala at the New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on April 4, 2012 in New York City. The New York International Auto Show features nearly 1,000 brand new vehicles from all auto industry sectors and is open to the public April 6-15.   (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 17:   A Toyota Prius painted with New York Yankees colors sits on display during a media preview of the 2014 New York International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on April 17, 2014 in New York City. The show opens with a sneak preview to the public April 18 and runs through April 27.  (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
IMG_7286.JPG
subaru_forester.JPG
The 2014 Toyota Highlander is presented at the New York International Auto Show, in New York's Javits Center,  Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
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DETROIT (AP) — Buick is the first U.S.-based automotive brand to crack the top 10 in Consumer Reports magazine’s annual brand report cards.

U.S. automakers also placed three vehicles on the magazine’s list of “top picks” for vehicles, the first time that’s happened in 17 years. The rankings were unveiled Tuesday in the magazine’s annual auto issue.

Buick, made by General Motors, placed seventh in the brand rankings. But the brand rankings and top picks still were dominated by Japanese and German manufacturers, with Lexus, Mazda, Toyota, Audi and Subaru taking the top five brand spots.

The magazine calculates each brand’s overall score with a composite of its vehicles’ road-test scores and reliability scores for each model in its annual survey of subscribers. It’s the third year for the brand rankings.

Porsche placed just ahead of Buick at No. 6, while Honda, Kia and BMW rounded out the top 10 brands. Mercedes-Benz, Acura and Infiniti all suffered precipitous declines in their rankings due to unreliable new models or poor road test scores. Mercedes fell out of the top 10 to 21st, while Acura dropped from No. 2 to 11 with an unimpressive test of the new RLX sedan, the magazine said.

In the model rankings, the top overall finisher was California-based Tesla’s Model S electric car, for the second year in a row. The Model S, which cost the magazine $89,650, finished first due to its performance and technical innovations, the magazine said. Buick’s Regal midsize car beat the BMW 328i as the top sports sedan, and the Chevrolet Impala was named the top large car.

The model rankings show Consumer Reports’ favorite among the 270 vehicles its team has recently tested. The rankings are closely watched in the auto industry, since shoppers consistently cite Consumer Reports as a main source of car-buying advice.

Other top picks included the Subaru Impreza in the compact car category, Subaru Legacy in midsize cars, Toyota Prius as the best green car, Audi A6 luxury car, Subaru Forester small SUV, Toyota Highlander midsize SUV and the Honda Odyssey minivan.

Japanese vehicles won six of 10 top pick categories, but that was the smallest number in the 19-year history of Consumer Reports top picks.

“For years domestic automakers built lower-priced and lower-quality alternatives to imports, but those days are behind us,” said Jake Fisher, the magazine’s director of automotive testing.

But other U.S.-based automakers still had problems. Of 28 automotive brands included in the rankings, four of the bottom six finishers came from Detroit. The Chrysler brand finished 23rd, followed by Ford, Dodge, Mini, Jeep and Fiat. The bottom brands all had poor reliability and models with low road-test scores. Ford showed modest improvement as its infotainment systems had fewer reliability problems.

Consumer Reports buys vehicles anonymously and performs more than 50 tests on them, including evaluations of braking, handling and comfort. Top picks must be at or near the top of the rankings in performance, reliability and safety, the magazine says.

Here are the winners, by category:

BEST OVERALL: Tesla Model S

COMPACT CAR: Subaru Impreza

MIDSIZE CAR: Subaru Legacy

LARGE CAR: Chevrolet Impala

GREEN CAR: Toyota Prius

LUXURY CAR: Audi A6.

SPORT SEDAN: Buick Regal

SMALL SUV: Subaru Forester

MIDSIZE SUV: Toyota Highlander

MINIVAN: Honda Odyssey

Source: Consumer Reports

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