Each year, eager consumers snap up 17 million new cars, trucks, SUVs, and minivans, most costing in excess of $20,000. Some people buy on impulse, spurred by incentives or high style. Others are more methodical in approach, carefully weighing the pros and cons of each vehicle before stepping foot into a dealer's showroom.

Regardless of shopping method, consumers spending thousands of dollars need to make wise choices when selecting their next vehicle. With more than 220 new cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs on the market, many consumers don't know where to begin when shopping for a new car.

That's where we come in. Consumer Guide® Automotive's editors, a trusted resource for car shoppers since 1967, offer our Best Buy and Recommended picks in 17 distinct vehicle classes to simplify the selection process for today's buyers. Our Best Buy and Recommended picks focus on overall vehicle value and take into account performance, economy, reliability, ease of use, comfort, and price.

Consumer Guide® Picks Only the Best of the Best

Look for the Consumer Guide® Best Buy logo in our vehicle reviews.

At Consumer Guide® Automotive, our expert editors evaluate every vehicle so consumers can be confident in their purchase. In an effort to stay current with the latest automotive trends and help consumers select the right vehicle, the editors at Consumer Guide® Automotive test drive more than 200 new vehicles each year. We select the top overall vehicles in each class as Best Buys. This is our highest ranking.

Models labeled Recommended also merit serious consideration as great values, but may fall short of the class leaders in value or may appeal to a slightly narrower audience. Neither the Best Buy nor the Recommended badge is based solely on objective ratings. Rather, they reflect overall value for the money compared to their direct competition.

How we Evaluate Vehicles at Consumer Guide®
Consumer Guide® Automotive has a staff of 10 full-time automotive editors. Combined, these editors have nearly 150 years experience in testing automobiles. This team evaluates each new vehicle as the typical owner would--shopping, commuting, on long trips, and in stop-and-go driving. Though we do measure 0-60 mph times, braking distances, and interior noise levels on many vehicles, we downplay a vehicle's race-track performance in favor of evaluating its ability to meet everyday needs--merging onto expressways or riding comfortably over potholes, for example. Similarly, we rate how easy vehicles are to get into and out of, how difficult it is to adjust the controls while driving, or how many grocery bags or suitcases it holds. 

Each car is tested by at least four test drivers. Each driver fills out an evaluation form, commenting on specific areas of performance or comfort, noting the type of driving they did and the fuel mileage they got. The editor writing the final evaluation uses these reports, as well as his own experience, to create a comprehensive review.

Consumer Guide's® 2007 Best Buy and Recommended Picks

Passenger Cars

Subcompact Car  Best Buy  Hyundai Accent  Kia Rio  Recommended  Honda Fit  Toyota Yaris	Premium Compact Car  Best Buy  Audi A4  BMW 3-Series  Recommended  Acura TSX  Audi A3
Compact Car  Best Buy  Honda Civic  Mazda 3  Recommended  Chevrolet Cobalt  Ford Focus  Mazda 5
Midsize Car  Best Buy  Honda Accord  Toyota Camry  Recommended  Ford Fusion  Hyundai Sonata  Mercury Milan  Saturn Aura	Premium Midsize Car  Best Buy  Acura TL  Infiniti M  Lexus ES 350  Recommended  Cadillac CTS  Infiniti G35  Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Large Car  Best Buy  Chrysler 300  Dodge Charger and Magnum  Toyota Avalon  Recommended   Ford Five Hundred  Mercury Montego	Premium Large Car  Best Buy  Mercedes-Benz S-Class  Recommended  Audi A8  Cadillac DTS
Sporty/PerformanceCar  Best Buy  Mazda MX-5 Miata  Scion tC  Recommended  Ford Mustang  Mini Cooper  Nissan 350Z	Premium Sporty/  Performance Car  Best Buy  BMW Z4  Chevrolet Corvette  Recommended  Jaguar XK Series  Porsche Boxster and Cayman

Minivan and Sport Utility Vehicles

Minivan  Best Buy  Honda Odyssey    Recommended  Chrysler Town & Country  Dodge Caravan  Hyundai Entourage  Kia Sedona  Toyota Sienna	Compact SUV  Best Buy  Honda CR-V  Suzuki Grand Vitara  Recommended  Hyundai Tucson  Kia Sportage  Toyota RAV4
Midsize SUV  Best Buy  Honda Pilot  Recommended  Ford Explorer  Ford Freestyle  Mazda CX-7  Nissan Murano  Toyota Highlander	Premium Midsize SUV  Best Buy  Acura MDX  Cadillac SRX  Lexus RX  Recommended  Mercedes-Benz R-Class  Volvo XC90
Large SUV  Best Buy  Chevrolet Tahoe  Chevrolet Suburban  GMC Yukon and Denali  Recommended  Ford Expedition	Premium Large SUV  Best Buy  Cadillac Escalade  Recommended  Audi Q7  Mercedes-Benz GL-Class

Pick up Trucks

Compact Pickup Truck  Best Buy  Toyota Tacoma  Recommended  Dodge Dakota  Honda Ridgeline

Large Pickup Truck  Recommended  Chevrolet Avalanche  Chevrolet Silverado 1500   Classic  Ford F-150  GMC Sierra 1500 Classic