Consumer Reports' Most Popular New Cars and SUVs

In a recent article about another Consumer Reports “Best of…” style ratings report, CR analysts provided a lesser-seen category of ratings titled “Best American Cars, SUVs, and Trucks” that focused on traditional U.S. brands that included including Ford, GM, Lucid, Rivian, Stellantis, and Tesla.

A New List of the Most Popular Among Shoppers

Today, however, after combing through their website traffic, CR analysts found that some models get more than their share of views. So much so, that it can only mean these are the most popular sought-after vehicles on consumers minds as they shop around and try to find which model on their list is the right buy for them.

Related article: Popular Small SUVs to Avoid and What to Buy Instead Advises Consumer Reports

“Many of these are models that sit at the top of our vehicle ratings charts because of their high Overall Score, which means they’ve scored well in our road tests, have good reliability, come with key active safety features, and performed well in crash tests,” stated the CR newsletter.

Summarized below is their list ranked in popularity starting with number 1 of their top 10 most researched vehicles at the top of the list working its way down followed by name-dropping numbers 11-20 on the popularity scale.

Included with a summarization of the vehicles are the active safety systems. “…including automatic emergency braking (AEB), AEB that works at highway speeds, blind spot warning (BSW), and rear cross traffic warning (RCTW) are optional or standard.”

Top 10 Most Popular Cars and SUVs

1. Honda CR-V 2023

Price Range:  $28,410 - $35,760

CR MPG:  Overall 26 / City 19 / Hwy 33 mpg

#3 of 24 Compact SUVs

Safety features: AEB with pedestrian detection and AEB highway are standard:  however, BSW and RCTW aren’t available on the new LX base trim and are optional on all other trims.

2. Subaru Forester 2023

Price Range:  $26,395 - $36,795

CR MPG:  Overall 28 / City 20 / Hwy 38 mpg

#2 of 24 Compact SUVs

Safety features: While the standard active safety features include AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed AEB, BSW and RCTW aren’t available on the base trim and are optional on the Premium trim; they’re standard on the others.

3. Subaru Outback 2023

Price Range:  $28,395 - $42,295

CR MPG:  Overall 24 / City 16 / Hwy 32 mpg

#2 of 15 Midsized SUVs

Safety features: All versions get the EyeSight safety suite with standard AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed AEB, but both BSW and RCTW are optional.

4. Toyota RAV4 2023

Price Range:  $28,275 - $39,530

CR MPG:  Overall 27 / City 19 / Hwy 38 mpg

#14 of 24 Compact SUVs

Safety features: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed AEB are standard, and BSW and RCTW are standard on all trims except the base trim.

5. Honda CR-V Hybrid 2023

Price Range:  $32,400 - $39,100

CR MPG:  Overall 35 / City 31 / Hwy 38 mpg

#1 of 24 Compact SUVs

Safety features: All CR-V Hybrids come with AEB with pedestrian detection, AEB highway, BSW, and RCTW.

6. Toyota Highlander 2023

Price Range:  $36,620 - $53,025

CR MPG:  Overall 22 / City 14 / Hwy 33 mpg

#4 of 18 Midsized SUVs 3-row

Safety features: AEB with pedestrian detection and highway-speed AEB come standard. BSW and RCTW are standard on all versions of the regular Highlander except the base trim.

7. Mazda CX-5 2023

Price Range:  $26,700 - $39,650

CR MPG:  Overall 24 / City 17 / Hwy 33 mpg

#11 of 24 Compact SUVs

Safety features: AEB with pedestrian detection, highway-speed AEB, BSW, and RCTW are standard equipment.

8. Subaru Crosstrek 2024

Price Range:  $24,995 - $31,995

Road test data pending

Safety features: The EyeSight driver assistance system is now standard and includes AEB with pedestrian detection, although BSW and RCTW are available only on higher trims.

9. Kia Telluride 2023

Price Range:  $35,890 - $52,985

CR MPG:  Overall 21 / City 14 / Hwy 30 mpg

#1 of 18 Midsized SUVs 3-row

Safety features: AEB with pedestrian detection, AEB highway, BSW, and RCTW are standard.

10. Toyota Camry 2023

Price Range:  $26,320 - $36,745

CR MPG:  Overall 32 / City 20 / Hwy 49 mpg

#4 of 14 Midsized cars

Safety features: AEB with pedestrian detection and AEB highway come standard. BSW and RCTW are optional.

11th Through 20th Most Popular

11. Nissan Rogue

12. Honda Pilot

13. Kia EV6

14. Toyota Highlander Hybrid

15. Honda Accord

16. Lexus RX

17. Toyota Corolla

18. Ford Escape

19. Honda Civic

20. Lexus NX Hybrid

For a more detailed breakdown of the data, please visit the CR website. Note that while access to some information requires a CR membership, the potential savings make it negligible in comparison when looking for the latest information to aid your car buying research.

For additional articles about recent Consumer Reports recommended vehicles, here are a few for your consideration:

• Popular Midsized SUVs to Avoid and What to Buy Instead Recommendations from Consumer Reports
• Used Midsized Sedans with the Best Fuel Economy Recommended by Consumer Reports
• Best Used Cars for $15,000 to $20,000 Recommended by Consumer Reports

Timothy Boyer is a Torque News automotive reporter based in Cincinnati. Experienced with early car restorations, he regularly restores older vehicles with engine modifications for improved performance. Follow Tim on Twitter at @TimBoyerWrites for daily new and used vehicle news.

COMING UP NEXT: Used Compact Cars with the Best Fuel Economy Recommended by Consumer Reports

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