Memorial Day is fast approaching and that means millions of Americans will be hitting the road for a family trip. The roads will be crowded and you should expect lines at gas stations. A car bred for long-haul driving, with bladder-bursting range, can give a distinct advantage, especially on cross-country journeys. To aid travelers, we have compiled a list of the best road-trip friendly cars that can go the distance.

Automakers tout the size of their SUV's third-row seats claiming they are accessible and usable. And while SUVs are pitched as a hipper alternative to the minivan, they still can't rival the big people movers.

Over the years, with Consumer Reports' extensive testing, we've found that diesel engines provide a significant fuel economy advantage, typically reducing consumption by 30 percent over a conventional engine in an equivalent model. We're encouraged, since at the New York International Auto Show last week, a few automakers promised more diesel variants.

Chrysler has partnered with clothing maker Carhartt to produce the 200 S Special Edition. For $28,870, this well-dressed sedan includes a 283-hp V6 engine, black 18-inch aluminum wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, "premium" leather seats, and a Boston Acoustics sound system.

The Consumer Reports Annual Autos Issue is a great resource for researching the best cars. Flip through the magazine or tour the website, and it is clear there are many great choices. However, just as there are many good cars available, there are also many that fail miserably. These vehicles fall way below our threshold to be recommended. Take a look at our disappointing dozen—the cars Consumer Reports has recently tested with the lowest test scores.

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.

With a current crop of luxury models that are quiet, comfortable, fuel efficient, and among the most reliable, Lexus has earned the best overall score in Consumer Reports 2013 Car Brand Report Cards.

The top dog of the Dart sedan lineup, the Dart GT, was revealed today at the Detroit Auto Show, sporting mostly cosmetic enhancements: LED tail lamps, integrated dual exhaust, projector headlights and body-colored door handles.

How do you give mainstream vehicles a touch of evil? You give them dark wheels, grille, headlights, paint, and interior touches. And you come up with a name like "Blacktop."

Joining key competitors, Chrysler will soon add integrated Internet radio capability to its Uconnect infotainment systems.

As the year winds to a close, it is natural to look back and recall the high points. But, it is also useful to remember the lows, including those cars that disappointed. Here, we commemorate the worst models in our ratings.

Each year, car reliability trends begin surfacing as we look at data by brand and car type, with periodic spikes common around redesigns and new technology. As is often the case, the muscle and otherwise sporty cars are seeing much reliability activity in the latest Consumer Reports Annual Auto Survey.

Just because a model is reliable, doesn't mean it is recommended by Consumer Reports. Two out of the top 10 most reliable vehicles don't perform well enough in our tests for us to recommend them. The opposite happens as well--some vehicles that score well in our testing are not recommended because they have below average predicted reliability.

Chrysler Corporation has a lot riding on the new Dodge Dart. It's been years, and arguably even decades, since the carmaker stepped into the ring with a competitive small car. A lot has changed since then. So we bought two Darts to see if the automaker can hit a bulls-eye in this competitive segment.