Most popular doesn’t necessarily equate to best, as any middle school student or musician surely knows. That being said, modern car shoppers seem to have an eye for quality, as the most-searched vehicles also happen to be some of the best, at least in terms of performance and reliability.
Consumer Reports, a nearly century-old nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that researches and tests products, has compiled a list of the most popular new cars of 2025 based on internet search interest. And, interestingly enough, each car that made the list happens to have a score of over 75 on Consumer Reports’ rating scale, which is based on a combination of test performance and owner reports.
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That’s not all they had in common, though — every single car on the most-searched list also shared another characteristic. Each one comes from a Japanese automaker; not a single model from an American or European make graced the top 10.
Also interesting to note, out of the 10 most popular vehicles, 7 fall into the same general category — compact crossover SUV.
Related: Consumer Reports: The product-testing nonprofit explained
What is Consumer Reports & how does it evaluate cars?
Consumer Reports is a nonprofit organization that has been independently testing consumer products — including cars — for safety, efficacy, and performance since the 1930s.
The organization purchases cars anonymously and at full price before testing each model rigorously at its automotive facility in Connecticut. The facility includes a six-mile closed course on which the org’s professional drivers put each car to the test, evaluating everything from handling, brake sensitivity, and safety features to acceleration, gas mileage, and interior comfort.
In addition to testing cars directly, CR also surveys its over six million members each year, asking about any problems that arose, any resulting repairs, and the costs of these repairs as well as any ongoing maintenance costs.
By collating this information across its millions of members over many years, CR gains insights into how certain models tend to perform over time. This information factors into each car’s reliability score, which, in turn, is factored into each model’s year-specific overall rating.
Related: The best affordable fuel-efficient cars according to Consumer Reports
The 10 most popular new cars of 2025 based on Consumer Reports data
The new cars on this list are the most popular in terms of internet search interest, but each one also got high marks from Consumer Reports, including the coveted “CR recommended” badge, making them good options for car shoppers who want a reliable vehicle that rivals or outperforms its category peers in terms of reliability and performance.
(To learn more about the cars and SUVs on this list, read their reviews from CR’s auto testers, and see their overall scores on CR’s quality scale, you can visit Consumer Reports’ official “most popular” list for 2025.)
The Toyota Highlander hybrid model gets an impressive 35 average mpg.
10. Toyota Highlander Hybrid
- Category: Hybrid SUV (3-row)
- Starting MSRP: $46,320
- TrueCar price range: $39,520–$53,675
- Gas mileage: 35 mpg overall
While the traditional-engine Highlander’s fuel economy doesn’t approach that of the hybrid version, its starting pricetag is significantly more accessible.
9. Toyota Highlander
- Category: SUV (3-row)
- Starting MSRP: $39,820
- TrueCar price range: $39,820–$53,975
- Gas mileage: 22 mpg overall
Related: The best new cars of 2025 according to Consumer Reports, KBB & Edmunds
The Honda CR-V has been a fan-favorite model in the compact crossover space for decades, and the hybrid model gets an impressive 35 mpg on average.
Alexander-93, CC-BY-SA-4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
8. Honda CR-V Hybrid
- Category: Hybrid compact crossover SUV
- Starting MSRP: $34,650
- TrueCar price range: $34,650–$41,100
- Gas mileage: 35 mpg overall
The Mazda CX-5 is popular among compact crossover enthusiasts who want a capable vehicle with responsible handling.
7. Mazda CX-5
- Category: Compact crossover SUV
- Starting MSRP: $28,770
- TrueCar price range: $28,770–$40,800
- Gas mileage: 24 mpg overall
The Hybrid version of the RAV gets a remarkable 37 mpg overall but remains a highly capable off-road driver.
6. Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
- Category: Hybrid compact crossover SUV
- Starting MSRP: $32,300
- TrueCar price range: $28,850–$40,205
- Gas mileage: 37 mpg overall
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The Subaru Crosstrek is a super-popular crossover SUV with a relatively low base model price for its category.
Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images
5. Subaru Crosstrek
- Category: Compact crossover SUV
- Starting MSRP: $25,810
- TrueCar price range: $25,810–$32,610
- Gas mileage: 29
The non-hybrid version of the CR-V is still fairly fuel efficient at 26 average mpg.
Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images
4. Honda CR-V
- Category: Compact crossover SUV
- Starting MSRP: $30,100
- TrueCar price range: $30,100–$50,000
- Gas mileage: 26 mpg overall
Subaru’s Outback has long been one of the automaker’s most iconic models and a favorite among outdoor enthusiasts who like to drive something smaller than a full-size SUV.
3. Subaru Outback
- Category: Midsize SUV
- Starting MSRP: $29,010
- TrueCar price range: $29,010–$42,910
- Gas mileage: 24 mpg overall
Related: Consumer Reports’ best American cars, trucks, & SUVs of 2025
The non-hybrid RAV4 gets 27 mpg overall — impressive gas mileage for a non-hybrid compact SUV.
2. Toyota RAV4
- Category: Compact crossover SUV
- Starting MSRP: $29,250
- TrueCar price range: $29,250–$40,605
- Gas mileage: 27 mpg overall
The most popular new car of 2025 by online search interest is the Subaru Forester, which, like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, has been one of the most popular compact crossovers in the United States for decades.
1. Subaru Forester
- Category: Compact crossover SUV
- Starting MSRP: $29,995
- TrueCar price range: $29,995–$41,695
- Gas mileage: 29 mpg overall
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