Consumers Digest’s 2012 Automotive Best Buys

What do you get when you combine 50 years of commitment to the consumer, scrutiny of 12 automobile design and performance characteristics, and 140 combined years of behind-the-wheel auto know-how? Consumers Digest’s Automotive Best Buy recommendations for the 2012 model year, that’s what. That means 42 recommended vehicles (across 12 classes of automobiles) that deliver the best value for the money. It means evaluation of specific vehicle attributes; analysis by and feedback from six longtime automotive journalists; answers to questions that you would pose to dealers and salespeople yourself.

What don’t you get? You don’t get dated, often inappropriate recommendations of vehicles that are based solely on prior model-year surveys. You don’t get reviews by amateurs. You don’t get recommendations that are rooted in bias.

The editors of Consumers Digest are proud of the stringent nature of the publication’s process and evaluation across dozens of categories, in general. And the publication’s research and reporting on the automotive sector is no exception. This includes constant scrutiny of the automotive marketplace to identify shifts in vehicle production and in consumer demand, to ensure that car-shopper needs are best met.

As for the analysis and reviews that we provide: You can expect first-hand, authoritative insight that drills down to the specifics that pertain directly to what you’ll experience when you get behind the wheel.* Observations like:

• The economical 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine likes to rev, and it zips through the gears (a six-speed automatic or a five-speed manual) with surprising authority.
• Plenty of seat travel up front accommodates the tallest drivers, while the rear seat is reasonably hospitable.
• The ride, on all but the roughest roads, is quiet and composed, and handling is crisp and precise, if not quite invigorating.
• For the 2012 model year, the automaker addressed one aspect of the 2009 redesign that we didn’t like: the wonky styling.
• Selectable steering, which offers drivers three separate steering feels, is adaptable to your style of driving, and it works well thanks to the ability to easily tune the electric-boosted power steering.
• These minivans continue to shine as prime people-movers with their refined performance and family-friendly features.
• An optional 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder generates an invigorating 260 hp that emphasizes the “sport” in sport utility vehicle, as does the firm ride.

So, click on the links of the specific automobile categories at left to avail yourself to Best Buy recommendations that hit home like no others can.

 

* Reviews of vehicles generally are published around the time of their introduction. Figures and other information that are noted in the reviews could vary with those that you will find now. Automakers occasionally revise such information during a model year.