The auto industry has a very confusing family tree. The past few years have seen partnerships, sales, separations, bankruptcies, and entire divisions killed off, making it difficult to keep up with who owns which car brands.

Despite the winter chill, the auto show season is heating up, revealing a number of exciting redesigns, new models, and refreshes coming up in 2013.

Proving paying more doesn't automatically equate to safer, some midsized cars do better than luxury models in the new frontal offset crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The Mazda6 has long struggled to standout in the crowded family sedan segment, but the company aims to change that with bold styling and fuel-saving Skyactiv engine technology introduced at the LA Auto Show.

Japanese brands dominate the latest Consumer Reports' Car Reliability Survey, claiming the top seven spots in new-car reliability. At the other end of the spectrum, Ford now ranks second from the bottom, followed closely by Lincoln.

In the market for a new car? The long Labor Day weekend can be a great time to get a deal on a leftover 2012 model. The airwaves will be overflowing with promotions, appealing to your heartstrings and wallet. I can be tempting to chase the too-good-to-be-true deals, losing sight of choosing the best car. Not to worry: Consumer Reports experts have cut through the clutter, highlighting good deals on recommended cars.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an official investigation into 2001-2004 Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute sport-utility vehicles. Issues with the popular small-sized SUVs' cruise control systems has raised concern with engineers from the safety agency and with the two car companies, Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motors.

The redesigned Honda CR-V and new Mazda CX-5 appear to have a lot in common. These small SUVs seat five passengers, are of similar size, and cost about the same. So far so good. But when we dig deeper, two distinct personalities emerge.

As gas prices hover near $4 a gallon nationwide, there are more than 20 SUVs and trucks that cost more than $100 to fill up. But, there are almost 30 cars that cost less than $50 to refuel. We crunched the numbers and found the cheapest cars in America to fill up.

We've enjoyed Mazda3s for years. They've often been the driver's choice for the most fun-to-drive small sedan. And now they're very fuel efficient, as well.

It's hard for a car company to compete these days without a competent small SUV. For years, Mazda had been (barely) selling their Tribute, a design they developed with Ford that was also sold as the Escape. It went on sale back in 2000 and eventually faded from the market after a 10-year run. But now Mazda finally has the fully modern, all-new CX-5. And this time Mazda is keeping this car for themselves.

Our Annual Autos Issue presents a dizzying array of facts and figures, all aimed at helping car shoppers choose the right model for their needs and budget. While we rate the automakers and present numerous best and worst lists, we haven’t offered a simple guide to the best and worst models by brand. Until now.

Most shoppers focus on the purchase price and resultant monthly payments, if financing, when buying a new car. While it may be the most visible cost, the purchase price is really just the beginning. There are many real costs that are not so clear upfront and can vary widely between models and car segments.

We’ve recently showed that most fuel-efficient cars can beat their EPA highway fuel economy estimates in Consumer Reports measured fuel economy testing. But if you want to hit 40 mpg on the highway, our tests show that you have more options than you might think.

The latest in a long line of special-edition roadsters, the Mazda MX-5 Miata debuting at the Chicago Auto Show this week is based on the retractable hardtop version. It gets a black top and exterior trim bits, along with black leather seats and piano black interior trim. Rounding out the dark look are gunmetal black 17-inch wheels. But that’s where the black stops, because red and white are the only exterior colors offered.