Consumer Reports releases 2011 annual auto issue in print, online

Following a long-standing Consumer Reports tradition, the April issue is dedicated to cars, cover to cover. Inside you'll find the latest ratings, reliability data, buying advice, and features to help shoppers make an informed purchase decision. This great car-buying resource is now available online at ConsumerReports.org, as well as in subscriber mailboxes and at newsstands this week.

What you won't find in the magazine, or on any Consumer Reports products, is third-party advertising. Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union, the world's largest independent consumer-product-testing organization. The Ratings and reviews are based on the most comprehensive independent auto-testing program and reliability information of any U.S. publication or website. In fact, we buy our test cars anonymously from dealers, just as you would. We drive our test vehicles thousands of miles over several months, and put each vehicle through more than 50 tests. Most other auto reviews are based on one or two weeks of driving, some on only a day or two. (Learn more about how we test cars.)

The reliability Ratings are based on the problems of 1.3 million vehicles, as reported by subscribers on our Annual Auto Survey, which is conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. (Learn more about car reliability and see the latest reliability Ratings.)

• Test notes: Highlights from our auto track.
• Top Picks: The best vehicles in 10 categories, including six new choices this year.
• Best & worst: Winners and losers for performance, fuel economy, driving enjoyment, and more.
• The electrics are coming: First drives of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf.
• Who makes the best cars? Honda and Subaru top the manufacturers' list, but Ford is the most improved.
• Best new-car values: Our exclusive list of cars that score well in our tests, are reliable, and have low ownership costs over time.
• Driving distracted: Potentially dangerous behavior on the road is widespread, our latest survey finds.
• Ratings: Results from our exclusive tests of more than 270 vehicles.
• New Car Profiles: Reviews of hundreds of models, withprices, reliability, and more.
• Safety: How more than 240 cars and trucks fare in crashes, rollover tests, and accident avoidance.
• Used-car reliability: Some used car have fewer problems than newer models
• Best & worst used cars: The most reliable models and those to avoid
• Reliability Ratings: Our charts show how older models, from 2005 to 2010, fare in 16 key areas, plus new-car predicted reliability.

Visit the annual auto issue special section for quick access to the latest Ratings, articles, and videos.