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'Consumer Reports' Surprises With Their Best Auto Maker Of 2012

Consumer Reports has surprised a lot of consumers as they announce their pick for Best Auto Maker of 2012.

Subaru is the top car manufacturer for the first time ever. Its brand scored higher than any other. The ranking is based on performance, comfort and reliability.

Mazda finished in second place, beating Honda and Toyota. And even though Subaru rules the day, Toyota has won bragging rights as well. The auto maker has more cars in the top categories than any other manufacturer.

In the family sedan category, the Toyota Camry hybrid was impressive with 38 miles per gallon overall fuel economy.

For sporty cars, the Ford Mustang is still ranked high with its strong acceleration and rumbling V8 power.

For small SUVs, the Toyota RAV4 delivers some of the best gas mileage in its class --23 mpg.

If you're looking for an affordable family sedan, Consumer Reports recommends the Hyundai Sonata as a better alternative to the Camry hybrid with 27 mpg.

Finally, for green cars, the Toyota Prius received high marks for practicality and fuel efficiency getting 44 mpg.

Consumer Reports says they anonymously buy all their test cars from dealers. They also include more than 50 individual tests on every car, including braking, handling, comfort, safety and fuel economy. Each car is driven about 6,000 miles during the testing process.

LINK: Consumer Reports

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