Which Car Brands Have the Highest Road-Test Scores?
Factoring in more than 50 tests, our ratings reveal which automakers create the best all-around driving experience
With more than 260 new cars, SUVs, and trucks on the market, buying the best vehicle for your needs and budget can be a monumental challenge. That’s where Consumer Reports comes in. We purchase 45 to 50 cars every year and put them through an extensive, multiweek review in which our automotive experts conduct more than 50 tests and evaluations. The result is a single composite score—the road-test score—that encapsulates all of our findings, and a comprehensive review, available only to CR members.
“The road-test score is an amalgam of a model’s driving experience. It factors in power delivery, handling agility, braking performance, ride comfort, noise isolation, seat comfort, controls’ ease of use, and fuel economy,” says Gabe Shenhar, associate director of Consumer Reports’ auto test program. “For EVs, the score also reflects range, charging time, and ease of plugging and unplugging. Brands that produce well-rounded vehicles that are capable in multiple areas are ranked highly.”
Here, we rank car brands based on their average road-test score, taking into account every current model that CR has tested. The leading brands tend to excel in a wide range of tests and have strong consistent performance across the line. Midpack brands tend to either vary in performance among the car types they offer and/or score mediocre test results. Brands at the bottom of our tests often have clear deficits.
How CR Conducts Road Tests
The staff at CR’s 327-acre Auto Test Center studies the automotive market, identifying the new models and trim levels that are most relevant to car buyers in the U.S. We then spend more than $2 million each year buying examples anonymously, as soon as they go on sale, to evaluate.
We buy cars from dealerships rather than from the automakers themselves, to avoid any potential special preparations to our vehicles. This method ensures that we experience the full car-buying experience, as a customer would.
Before we begin instrumented testing on our 6 miles of track, we drive each vehicle at least 2,000 miles. This gives the engine, tires, and brakes time to break in. Next, our mechanics inspect the vehicles before testing, performing alignments and other work to ensure that the cars are problem-free and that the test results will be relevant.
Our automotive engineers—many with specialties based on graduate work and employment at major automakers—then conduct a series of tests, including acceleration, braking, ride, handling, and accident avoidance. To test fuel economy, we use a fuel meter spliced into the fuel line. We also evaluate interior space, measure cargo space, and assess controls and infotainment systems. These findings add up to a road-test score, allowing us to rank vehicles by class and compare brands based strictly on performance.
Ultimately, the road-test score is combined with reliability and owner satisfaction survey results, and scores for safety features and crashworthiness, to create an Overall Score. The result is a succinct way to tell a vehicle’s story.
See the detailed test results, in data and words, for any tested vehicle on its model page (search at the top of CR.org/cars) and in our Ratings A-Z interactive chart.
Learn more about how Consumer Reports tests cars.
