When shopping for a car, you've no doubt compared crash-test ratings. Whether from the government or insurance industry, crash-test scores provide valuable insight into the occupant protection a car provides. But these ratings don't tell the whole story.

Quality, safety, and value are the top factors for new-car buyers and are certainly not lost on moms looking to buy the right family car. Hitting all these attributes in a vehicle that is also kid friendly can be a challenge, but our experts have found 25 of the best, least-expensive mom-friendly cars that are appealing to moms with children of varying ages.

Volkswagen is bringing more power to the people with a revised four-cylinder engine that will bring a power boost to the Beetle Turbo and Jetta GLI this month, making it the most powerful Beetle ever offered in the United States.

You don't have to cram into a compact car to get good gas mileage. In fact, three popular midsized sedans we've recently tested get the same or better mileage than any non-hybrid, non-diesel small car. Despite attractive sticker prices, econoboxes are often not the best choice.

Kia has a hit with the Soul, a compact hatchback that has exceeded sales expectations. So, when it came for a redesign, the company stuck with its winning formula, packaged with more upscale amenities.

The past few years have shown dramatic fuel economy improvements in all types of cars in our testing. Rather than exotic technology, such as hybrids and vehicle electrification, most of the improvements have come the old-fashioned way: through conventional technologies applied to gasoline engines.

Buying a used car can be a great way to save money. The trick is to find a not only a good deal, but a good car—one that will be safe, reliable, and enjoyable for years. Our picks for the best used cars can help steer you in the right direction.

After some mixed results from early models tested in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) new small overlap crash test, the latest batch of vehicles earn top scores.

Buying a new car on a budget can be a challenge, and you should prepare for some compromises. The trick is getting the right balance of value and quality for your money, without accepting one or more significant sacrifices that you may later regret. The good news: Our recent tests show there are several great cars available for under $18,000.

The Fiat 500e electric car is Chrysler's token entry for complying with California's zero-emissions mandate. In living with the 500e, it was clear that Chrysler engineers didn't just phone this one in; they actually sweated the details and came up with an EV that's fun and appealing.

Small turbocharged engines are marketed as delivering the power of a large engine, with the fuel economy of a smaller one. That's a tempting proposition, but our testing shows these small-displacement turbos are not delivering on the promises.

The Kia Forte was introduced in 2010 and gets a full redesign for 2014. That's one of the shortest product cycles we've seen, giving you an idea of how competitive the small car market is. We drove two early-build 2014 Fortes to get a first look at how they'll stack up.

We'll remember 2012 as being a banner year for driving enthusiasts. The Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ twins took to the road, closely followed by the Ford Focus ST, a model whose track prowess we recently captured on video.

Yes, I had to look up the name of this car three times.

As 2012 winds down, we wanted to take a look back and see which new and used vehicles were most popular on ConsumerReports.org.