Consumer Reports magazine has released its top picks for 2001, and those findings should be of considerable interest to anyone in the market for a new vehicle.
The publication of the Consumers Union is not without its detractors, but by every reliable measure there is in the auto industry its recommendations are more influential with the public than anything else on the market.
This public acceptance comes from the fact that CR buys the vehicles it evaluates, accepts no advertising, and polls owners to see what their ownership experience is like. The results are published in its New Car Preview, which is available on Canadian newsstands now for $6.95. It uses U.S. models and prices and evaluations, but the overall findings are worth considering here.
It's also worth noting that many popular vehicles are not included in the overall CR findings because the magazine hasn't had a chance to test new versions recently. In the minivan category, for example, there is no mention of the six models that DaimlerChrysler and GM produce between them.
CR's method of evaluation leans heavily on the reliability reports from its owners, so much so that a vehicle that does well in its evaluation process might not earn one of its coveted Recommended labels. So it is this year with the Ford Focus and the Audi A6 quattro V6, which earned top marks in their respective categories but aren't recommended.
CR also picks out several models from across the spectrum for special praise. The Top Picks, as they're called, include: