Consumer Reports has relaunched its car model overview pages, giving online subscribers even more information than before and doing so in a more attractive presentation.

By using a simple pull-down search tool positioned throughout the main Cars pages, or from the A-to-Z cars index, online subscribers can quickly access the key information needed to make an informed purchase decision. These model overviews collect all Consumer Reports ratings on that vehicle, from the results of our more than 50 tests, to reliability and owner satisfaction. Of course, the basic specifications and safety data are also presented.

Simple navigation tabs enable users to toggle between Ratings, Specs, Road Tests, Owner Satisfaction, and more. Notably, the Prices tab provides MSRP and invoice pricing for the first time.

For models with more than one tested trim level, there is a pull-down menu under the lead image to change the photo and ratings to another variant. Links to past Road Tests are also provided. And for the first time reliability data is presented for all versions of most vehicles (rather than just for the version we tested).

Supplementing the information in the overviews, links are now integrated to allow online subscribers to go directly to related blog categories and participate in brand-specific, free forums.

Just as concept models foreshadow future design direction, these pages hint at more changes to come. Stay tuned!

--Jeff Bartlett