Ratings & recommended vehicles.(2006 cars: Vehicle Ratings)

Of the 120 vehicles that Consumer Reports recommends, 30 are standouts that earned our top-tier recommended Rating; they exhibited good overall performance in our tests and high levels of safety. They include 26 cars, two minivans, and two SUVs.

This is the first Annual Auto Issue in which we have listed our two-tier recommendations. Our top recommendations are noted with a [??] in the Ratings charts. Vehicles with our standard recommendation are noted with a [check].

To be recommended, a vehicle has to perform well in our tests, have average or better reliability, and, if crash-tested, provide good overall protection. Vehicles receiving our top recommendation must meet all standard requirements, have been included in both Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests, and provide very good or excellent overall crash protection calculated from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and IIHS tests. Pickups and SUVs must not have tipped up in the NHTSA rollover test or, if not tested, must have available electronic stability control.

Fuel economy has been on consumers' minds, and CONSUMER REPORTS' real-world mileage figures have shown that the official Environmental Protection Agency city and highway figures don't match what consumers are likely to see.

Good news for consumers, however, is that 33 vehicles achieved 25 mpg or higher in overall fuel economy in our testing. Of those 33, five have earned our top recommendation and 13 have earned our standard recommendation.

Guide to the Ratings

These charts allow you to gauge how vehicles compare against their peers in our road tests, predicted reliability, owner satisfaction, safety, and fuel economy. They are ranked according to overall road-test score.