One of the highlights of Consumer Reports' Annual Auto Issue is the Top Picks list. These are the cars we think are the best choices in a particular category. We don’t cover every vehicle group, but we do feature a broad spectrum of the vehicles that most people buy.

Although the criteria for selecting a Top Pick is fairly simple on the surface – the car ranks at or near the top of the Ratings, average or better reliability, easily available electronic stability control (ESC) – there are some nuances. One interesting choice involves our 2009 Pick for Small SUV.

When we tested the redesigned 2009 Subaru Forester, it did very well. The turbocharged 2.5XT even outscored the RAV4 V6 and the basic Forester 2.5X outscored the four-cylinder RAV4 at the time. We also tested a group of several manual transmission vehicles including a Forester with a stick; it’s one of the very few small SUVs that offers one. It also scored well. (See the Forester and RAV4 model overview pages, with reviews and ratings, available to online subscribers.)

So, why isn’t the Forester our Top Pick for small SUVs? Two reasons:

It boiled down to this: we wanted the Top Pick to apply to the biggest number of buyers out there. In the end, the 2009 RAV4 four-cylinder narrowly out pointed the Subaru equivalent, becoming our Top Pick.

It’s important to keep something in mind here: both the RAV4 and Forester are very impressive small SUVs. You’re not going to go wrong choosing either one. (See the Forester and RAV4 videos.)

—Tom Mutchler

Visit the annual auto issue special section for quick access to the latest Ratings, articles, and videos.