EVs like the Tesla Model 3 and Toyota hybrids dominate Consumer Reports' top auto picks

After years of being touted arsenic a smarter enactment for car buyers seeking amended substance ratio and little costs, hybrids and EVs are getting a large endorsement from Consumer Reports. 

The 2023 Consumer Reports 10 Top Picks for cars, trucks and SUVs includes 7 models that are either hybrid oregon afloat electric.

"This truly conscionable shows however the marketplace is changing," said Jake Fisher, elder manager of automotive investigating astatine Consumer Reports. "Electrification, not conscionable artillery electrical vehicles, but conscionable electrification, is changing the marketplace and making a batch of truly large options."

Consumer Reports selects apical models astatine a assortment of terms points based connected its investigating of caller vehicles, with an accent connected affordability and safety. For 2023, the enactment of hybrids and EVs item 2 advantages those types of vehicles often person implicit models with interior combustion engines: substance ratio and reliability. 

"With hybrids, you're benignant of being truly casual connected the engine, being truly casual connected the brakes, due to the fact that you're really utilizing the generator and the artillery to benignant of soften everything," Fisher told CNBC. "There are little brake problems, little transmission problems, everything is benignant of muted. Plus, erstwhile you look astatine the hybrids and who's producing these hybrids, they mostly are from precise reliable automakers who person been utilizing this exertion for a agelong time."

Consumer Reports' apical car picks for 2023

That explains wherefore Toyota builds 4 of the 10 models chosen for 2023 Top Picks, including the Toyota Corolla Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid and Lexus NX 350h. 

Those models are portion of a question of hybrids that person helped found Toyota arsenic the leader successful this category. Last year, 1 retired of each 4 vehicles Toyota sold successful the U.S. was a hybrid. In the U.S., hybrids and EVs accounted for conscionable implicit 10% of each vehicles sold past year, according to the car probe steadfast Edmunds.

Styling and show of hybrids and EVs present marque them much appealing than a fewer years ago.

"Today, you tin truly person it all. You tin person thing roomy, thing comfortable, thing substance efficient," Fisher said. He pointed to the Ford Maverick Hybrid which gets 37 miles per gallon arsenic an illustration of a hybrid that is changing perceptions. "You don't person to compromise arsenic overmuch arsenic you had to bash successful the past."

Tesla, which sells 2 retired of each 3 EVs successful the U.S., is backmost connected the Top Picks database aft being disconnected it past year. Consumer Reports selected the Tesla Model 3 and the Lexus NX 350h arsenic the champion choices for vehicles priced betwixt $45,000 and $55,000.

Meanwhile, Consumer Reports ranks BMW arsenic the No. 1 car brand, followed by Subaru and Mini.

"BMW builds galore high-performing, full-featured and reliable models, truthful it's not astonishing to spot it astatine the apical of our marque rankings," Fisher said successful a merchandise outlining Consumer Reports' selections.