With the media days at the New York International Auto Show behind us, the cars team has had time to reflect on the approximately 1,000 vehicles on display. Many new models made impressions, and some were utterly forgettable. To share our perspective, we've named standouts in 10 categories.

We expect a lot from the redesigned-for-2014 Cadillac CTS. After all, it has some pretty big shoes to fill, but at a first glance, it appears to pack the goods.

No, not those models that frequent a runway. Instead, two of the big introductions here at this year's New York auto show are trumpeting major weight reductions. To be fair, it did require major surgery in both cases.

You'd think that treating yourself to a shiny new $42,000 upscale sedan would be enough of a gift. But some car companies now give you a present at delivery—one that you pay for. So, do you want a black walnut presentation box or an iPad?

If you're still thinking that the latest new cars are all about styling, features, horsepower, and fuel mileage, think again.

Following annual tradition, we present the 2013 American Top Picks—the best choices for the car buyer who wants to buy from an American brand.

While car brand reputation can be a strong influence on purchase decisions, such perceptions can be misleading. The reality is, every brand offers models that perform across a spectrum, with some are clearly better than others.

It's important, of course, to get a good deal when you buy a car. But it's just as critical to look down the road at how much a vehicle will cost you to own.

General Motors is empowering programmers to develop applications for use in its cars with a new software development kit (SDK) announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

When shopping for a new car, it is natural to want to get a great value for your automotive dollar. And that's what our latest best new-car values analysis is designed to do.

Every time Consumer Reports complains about an overly complicated vehicle control system, like Cadillac's CUE or MyFord/MyLincoln Touch, we hear critics call us Luddites who hate all touch screens. But that misses a rather big point. It isn't the technology that's the problem, but rather how well it's implemented.

Our newly tested Cadillac XTS is a wonderfully luxurious sedan, with a very spacious and well-appointed cabin. However, the XTS is hampered by a new high-tech infotainment system called CUE, for Cadillac User Experience.

Consumer Reports recently unveiled its latest predicted reliability results, from the 2012 Annual Auto Survey, which found Japanese brands claimed the top seven spots in our rankings. However, it's not all bad for the domestic brands and within some vehicle segments there are standouts.

In its ongoing effort to establish itself as a credible world-class brand and broaden its appeal to younger buyers, Cadillac has made it no secret that the new ATS is targeted squarely at its European compact sports sedan rivals. And based on our initial experience with a sampling of ATS versions at our test track, Cadillac may be on target.

For 2012, Cadillac fitted its SRX compact luxury SUV with a 3.6-liter V6, adding more power and improving fuel economy. While the new powerplant brought improvements, the SRX still has shortcomings.