ROCHESTER, N.Y. – This weekend, the Rochester Convention Center is hosting the Rochester Auto Show.  It’s a great time to check out features you might want in your next car. So, I called up the good folks at Consumer Reports. It just published its much-anticipated list of the top vehicles of 2024.

“We’re measuring 0 to 60 for example,” said Mike Quincy, a writer and tester for Consumer Reports. How well does a car get up to speed? Say, you’re merging on the highway. We’re also measuring braking distance. We bring a car up to 60 miles an hour. And we have dry surfaces, and we have wet surfaces, and we measure how many feet cars typically take to stop in those kinds of conditions. Again, that’s a really important safety measure.”

The testing is rigorous. Consumer Reports has a 327-acre facility in Connecticut. On that track they do testing for everything from braking to acceleration to fuel economy. They also look at noise levels, comfort and visibility.

And probably most importantly, Consumer Reports buys all their test models anonymously. That means they’re testing a car with all the same features and potential problems that you or I would buy at a dealership. Surprisingly, of the top 10 picks, six are hybrids.

“In general, electricity costs less than gasoline,” said Quincy, ”But people are nervous about going full electric. So, in some ways, seeing that hybrids, plug-in hybrids are so dominant on Consumer Reports top picks list, a lot of these models make a lot of sense for a whole bunch of buyers.”

So here are Consumer Reports top 10 picks.  They’re in no particular order.

1. Subaru Crosstrek
2. Toyota Prius and Prius Prime
3. Subaru Forester
4. Mazda3
5. Toyota Camry Hybrid
6. Ford Maverick and Maverick Hybrid
7. Toyota RAV4 Prime
8. Toyota Highlander Hybrid
9. BMW X5 and X5 PHEV
10. Tesla Model Y

Click here for more on why these vehicles were chosen.