Consumer Reports has named its best and worst SUV models and those that took home top honors hail exclusively from Japan, Germany and the United States.
Prior to determining the best and worst, Consumer Reports anonymously buys all the vehicles it formally tests and explores them at a track in Connecticut and on surrounding public roads. In total, each vehicle passes through over 50 individual tests.
Coming out on top in the Best Subcompact SUV market was the Subaru Crosstrek. Essentially a lifted and more rugged version of the previous-generation Impreza hatchback, the Crosstrek proved to be rather appealing, even though Consumer Reports suggests a regular Impreza is better. As for the worst vehicle in the segment, it was named the Fiat 500X Easy.
Subaru also took home top honors for the Best Compact SUV with the Subaru Forester and managed to leave behind the Jeep Cherokee Laredo which came last in the company’s road tests.
As for the Best Midsized SUV, it was awarded to the Toyota Highlander. With seating for eight, a “punchy” 3.5-liter V6 and an optional hybrid powertrain, the vehicle beat out all its competitors. The lowest rated midsized SUV? That went to the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara.
America took home the prize for the Best Large SUV with the Dodge Durango while Japan was responsible for producing the lowest scoring model, the Toyota Sequoia Limited. Fittingly, the Best Luxury Compact SUV and Best Luxury Midsized/Large SUV were both taken out by the Germans with the Porsche Macan and Audi Q7 respectively. The lowest rating vehicles in these segments were the Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE and Cadillac Escalade Premium.
Last but not least was the Best Pickup Truck and appropriately, it hails from the U.S. in the form of the Ram 1500. The Toyota Tacoma SR5 was named the lowest rating pickup.
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