Toyota hybrid vehicles on sale at a dealership in Chicago on February 6, 2024.
Scott Olson | fake images
Hybrid vehicles led the 2024 Top Vehicle rankings released Tuesday by the influential product testing organization Consumer Reports.
These “electrified” vehicles, including plug-in hybrid models, accounted for six of the nonprofit consumer organization's top 10 picks. The non-hybrid models that completed the list were the fully electric ones. tesla Model Y crossover and three gasoline vehicles without hybrid variants.
It's the second year in a row that seven electrified or all-electric vehicles have been included in Consumer Reports' top picks, as automakers launch numerous vehicle models to meet consumer demand as well as tighten federal regulations. of fuel economy.
ToyotaEngine had the most picks of all automakers, with four, followed by Subaru with two. tesla, ford engine, Mazda and BMW each had one vehicle on the list.
toyota Four vehicles in the top 10 of the ranking were all hybrids or plug-in hybrids.
“Markets are changing. There are many more powertrain options today than ever before,” Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, told CNBC. “When we look at the best vehicles, the best options, many of them turn out to be electrified options, because they tend to do the things that people really want from a car.”
Both hybrids and plug-in hybrids have a traditional engine combined with EV technologies. A traditional hybrid like the Toyota Prius has electrified parts, including a small battery, to provide better fuel economy to assist the engine. Plug-in hybrids typically have a larger battery to allow all-electric driving for a certain number of miles until an engine or electric motors are needed to power the vehicle.
Fisher said plug-in hybrid vehicles, which bridge the gap between a regular hybrid and an electric vehicle, are a “dark horse” for the U.S. auto industry that many consumers are just beginning to understand.
This year's Consumer Reports rankings include three plug-in hybrid vehicles, the most ever recorded on the annual list.
“In terms of surprise and what we've learned this year, it's really about plug-in hybrids,” Fisher said. “They're not well understood, but depending on what your situation is, it may be the best of both worlds, electric vehicles and gasoline.”
Consumer Reports selects the best models in a variety of prices and ratings based on its new vehicle testing. The organization tests about 50 new vehicles each year.
Here is the full list:
- Small car:Mazda 3
- Medium car: Toyota Camry Hybrid
- Hybrid/plug-in hybrid car: Toyota Prius/Prius Prime plug-in hybrid
- Subcompact SUV: Subaru Crosstrek
- Compact SUV: Subaru Forester
- Midsize SUV: Toyota Highlander Hybrid
- Luxury SUV: BMW X5/X5 PHEV
- Small van: Ford Maverick/Maverick Hybrid
- Plug-in hybrid SUV: Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid
- Electric vehicle: Tesla model Y
The Tesla Model Y dominated in the United States and beyond last year. It appears to displace Tesla's base Model 3 sedan in the top 10 of the rankings after that model made the list last year.
According to data from Kelley Blue Book, a subsidiary of Cox Automotive, 1.1 million battery electric vehicles were sold in the United States last year. Nearly 655,000 of those vehicles were Tesla electric vehicles, including 394,497 of the Tesla Model Y, sales driven in part by nationwide rebates and tax credits.
While sales of battery electric vehicles continue to grow, hybrid electrics remain an attractive favorite for many U.S. car buyers, in part because charging infrastructure is still not as frequent or reliable as it is in countries with wider adoption of all-electric cars, such as Norway.
Top picks are factored into Consumer Reports' annual auto brand report cards, based on their internal testing, as well as reliability, safety and overall customer satisfaction based on owner surveys.
BMW topped the overall list of brands, followed by Subaru, Porsche, sling and Lexus to round out the top five brands. At the end of the classification they were rivian, GMC, Jaguar, Land Rover and Jeep.
Here's Consumer Reports' full report card for each brand and its overall score:
