Let your priorities be your guide, but don't ignore the big picture

We have seen myriad articles, Top 10 lists, and press releases advising on the best automotive choices during these tough times. Of course, every list approaches the topic from a different angle, but it is important to understand the intention and methodology, lest something be lost in the sound bite.

Consumer Reports routinely maintains lists showing best in class, most reliable cars, best in fuel economy, best/worst owner costs, and other slices of our exhaustive test and survey-based data to address reader interests on multiple fronts. In fact, we recently posted "Best fuel economy for the buck" offering a new perspective.

No matter the filter on our data, the underlining advice always remains to look at the big picture: buy a model that earned a high rating in our more than 50 tests, performs well in crash tests and our dynamic safety tests, has average or better predicted reliability, fuel economy, and owner cost ratings. In essence, buy a good, well-rounded car.

The bottom line
Even though fuel economy may be a driving force in vehicle sales today, it is wise to consider all aspects of a car before committing to years of ownership. Top 10 lists can be informative, even entertaining, but for a serious shopper, it pays to look at the bigger picture.

You can build your own Top 10 list based on the factors that matter most to you using our New Car Selector tool.

—Jeff Bartlett