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Best Infant Car Seats of 2025, Lab-Tested and Reviewed

When you’re shopping for an infant car seat, it’s hard to know which one will work best for your child, car, and lifestyle. To help you narrow it down, here’s what CR’s car seat safety experts recommend you look for when choosing an infant car seat. Plus, find the top-rated infant car seats from our rigorous lab and crash testing.  Which Infant Car Seats Are Safest?. Best Infant Car Seats. When Do Babies Outgrow an Infant Car S...
Posted:Mon Dec 22 11:20:22 EST 2025

How to Keep Your Car From Getting Stolen

Vehicle thefts have decreased by 23 percent in the first six months of 2025, compared with the same period in 2024, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). However, they are still a significant concern, with 334,114 vehicle thefts reported during those six months. Hyundai and Kia thefts have been in the headlines over the past few years, spurred on by social media trends that chronicle how to steal certain models withou...
Posted:Thu Dec 18 11:47:52 EST 2025

Talking Cars 488: Driving the 2026 Toyota RAV4 PHEV

Main theme: In this podcast episode, we share our early driving impressions of the redesigned 2026 Toyota RAV4, which we borrowed from the manufacturer. The big news is that this uber-popular SUV is now offered strictly as a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations. Dimensionally, the new model is identical to the previous model, but it does come with standard BSW and RCTW.. The hybrid pr...
Posted:Wed Dec 17 06:00:01 EST 2025

How to Make Your Car Battery Last Longer

You try to turn on your car, and it just won’t start. Maybe the dashboard doesn’t even light up. A likely cause: The 12-volt battery is dead.. All cars lose a little battery power when parked. If you drive the car regularly, its electrical system will charge the battery back up. But if your battery dies after being parked for only a few days, you may have a serious problem that could eventually leave you stranded. More on Car Mainte...
Posted:Sun Dec 14 06:00:01 EST 2025

Best End-of-the-Year Car Deals

New car prices continue to rise, with transaction prices averaging about $50,000. But there are still good cars and SUVs with incentives, if you know where to look. MORE ON CAR BUYING CR's Build & Buy Car Buying Service. .Gift Guide for Car Lovers. .Best Deals on SUVs You Can Buy Right Now. .The Most Discounted New Cars Right Now. .CR's Trade-In Estimator. Consumer Reports’ analysts scoured national incentives to help holiday-seaso...
Posted:Fri Dec 12 13:45:59 EST 2025

10 Best Luxury SUVs You Can Buy Right Now

Luxury SUVs are often based on an existing model. That Lexus TX is based on the Toyota Grand Highlander. To get an MDX, Acura starts with the Honda Pilot’s platform.. The result is a model with the same commanding view of the road, all-wheel drive, and the space of a mainstream SUV but wrapped in a stylish body with a cabin filled with leather touchpoints, high-quality trim, and additional sound-absorbing materials. The more expensive...
Posted:Fri Dec 12 06:00:40 EST 2025

First Drive: 2026 Toyota RAV4 PHEV Is Quick, Efficient, and Packed with Useful Tech

Toyota experienced runaway success with the outgoing RAV4. Its popularity soared, making it the most popular passenger vehicle in the U.S., second only to the Ford F-Series, with sales approaching half a million vehicles a year. That is why RAV4s are ubiquitous on American roads. Consequently, it is no surprise that the automaker took a conservative approach with the redesigned 2026 RAV4, making incremental improvements across the board...
Posted:Thu Dec 11 17:31:25 EST 2025

Preview: 2027 Mercedes-Benz GLB Returns With More Luxury as an EV and a Hybrid

The redesigned Mercedes-Benz GLB launches with an electric version and will later be joined by a hybrid. Mercifully, the naming has been somewhat simplified to just GLB, rather than split between EQB and GLB. The electric version is called GLB EQ. . Offered in both five- and seven-seat configurations, this smooth-bodied SUV is larger than before, with slight increases in length and width. Mercedes claims this makes a significant differ...
Posted:Thu Dec 11 17:04:12 EST 2025

First Drive: The 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Delivers Pricey Improvements

Here at Consumer Reports, we’re fans of the Subaru Crosstrek, and we’re also fans of hybrids. You might assume, then, that the arrival of a Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid at our Auto Test Center would be cause for celebration, the CR equivalent of Opening Day, a new GTA release, and a Beyoncé album drop all rolled into one. We’d step away from our spreadsheets, open a bottle of CR’s top-rated dealcoholized sparkling wine, set fire to ...
Posted:Wed Dec 10 14:16:45 EST 2025

Preview: Next-Gen 2027 Kia Seltos Levels Up

A few years ago, the subcompact SUV market blossomed with a wide variety of tall hatchbacks sourced from around the globe. Models like the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Hyundai Kona, and Kia Seltos combined the frugal nature of small cars with the convenience of large doors, a tall roof, and a roomy cabin on a tiny, urban-friendly platform. Now, some of these baby SUVs are growing up, like the redesigned 2027 Kia Seltos.  Kia Seltos. CR's Tak...
Posted:Wed Dec 10 02:15:01 EST 2025

Popular Small SUVs to Avoid and What to Buy Instead

Sport-utility vehicles are by far the most popular vehicle type in the U.S., with compact SUVs the fastest-growing segment. Many buyers are drawn to their elevated ride height, all-wheel drive, interior versatility, and/or the image they convey compared with their car counterparts. Subcompact SUVs. Small SUVs To help you buy one that’s safe, reliable, fuel-efficient, and satisfying, we’ve compiled a list of winning models and ones ...
Posted:Tue Dec 09 06:00:32 EST 2025

How to Get Ready for a Road Trip

Economic concerns are prompting Americans to continue cutting back on travel this year. In November 2025, only 32 percent of American travelers surveyed by travel research firm Future Partners said now is a good time to spend on travel. That’s down from 37 percent in June 2025.. But cutting back doesn’t mean having less fun—especially if you follow our expert advice. If you’re planning to hit the road for the holidays, we’ve g...
Posted:Mon Dec 08 13:33:21 EST 2025

The Most-Loved Car Models That Keep Owners Satisfied

When it comes to buying a new car, Consumer Reports members have told us that a low price or a luxury badge doesn’t automatically translate into happiness. Some models that you might expect to put a smile on an owner’s face actually make them frown—or worse.. The models that top the owner satisfaction ratings deliver on the manufacturer’s promises of luxury, fuel and energy efficiency (gas or electric), or pulse-quickening perfo...
Posted:Thu Dec 04 10:24:11 EST 2025

Talking Cars 487: Consumer Reports' 2026 Automotive Report Card

The team talks through this year’s survey, which includes data on 380,000 new and used cars. We also discuss what reliability means to different people in terms of safety and sustainability.  . Updates include where Tesla now ranks as a brand and which automakers strike the sweet spot between reliability and owner satisfaction—and those that don’t. The team also touches on the reliability and cost of ownership for electrified ve...
Posted:Thu Dec 04 10:01:54 EST 2025

Which Brands Make the Best Cars?

This list ranks car manufacturers from best to worst, based on the quality of their vehicles. To assess this, we calculated the averages of their new vehicles’ Overall Score, a combination of the results from our road tests, safety assessments, and reliability and owner satisfaction surveys. If you’re shopping for a new car, this list is the place to start your research.. This year, Subaru again earned the top spot as the best car ...
Posted:Thu Dec 04 10:01:29 EST 2025