U.S. car owners decide on the best cars of 2020

Consumer Reports’ latest annual ranking assesses over 250 car models by their reliability, safety, environmental friendliness, and customer satisfaction.

The Best Brand of the Year goes to Mazda, followed by BMW, Subaru, Porsche, Honda, and Lexus in that order. Chrysler and Buick make it into the top-10 for the first time on record, while Genesis and Lincoln drop further down the list. Jeep, Mitsubishi, Land Rover and Alfa Romeo all count among outsiders.

As far as the particular models are concerned, the top-10 list contains 8 Japanese vehicles. Toyota Corolla easily wins Best Compact, Mazda CX-30 claims Best Subcompact SUV, Toyota Prius dominates the Hybrid category, and Toyota Camry leads in the Mid-Size Sedan segment of the market. Moving on to the more off-road-ready models, Subaru Forester wins Best Compact SUV, Subaru Outback gets Best Crosswagon, Kia Telluride heads the seven-seater SUV ranking, Honda Ridgeline scores first among pickups, and Lexus RX reigns supreme in the Mid-Size Premium SUV category. Finally, Tesla Model 3 wins Best EV.