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.

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.

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) have been standard equipment by federal law in all new cars for about six years now. Despite their very real safety benefits, the tire-pressure systems can be a royal pain in the neck, and a costly one, for consumers and tire shops alike.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that nearly 600,000 Americans have "megacommutes" that have them working more than 50 miles from home or traveling more than 90 minutes each way. As a megacommuter myself, I can relate. Having given this much thought through the years, I have compiled a list of the best cars for megacommutes currently on sale.

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.

Each year, the most popular report in the Consumer Reports Annual Auto Issue is Top Picks, which spotlights the 10 best cars of the year. In a previous blog, we looked at which brands perennially make the list, but what about those brands that just never made the Top Pick cut?

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.

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.

Conventional wisdom dictates to hold off on buying a car in the first year of new generation due to potential reliability concerns. Now, we're seeing automakers like Toyota making improvements to popular models like the Camry sedan in just its second year, giving consumers more reason to hold off on buying the latest, greatest car.

A family sedan is a great choice if you're looking for good fuel economy, plenty of room for people, and enough trunk space to pack all the necessities. Buying used allows you to reap these benefits for less money than buying new. To make it easier to find what you're looking for, we have identified some of the best used deals on family sedans on the market.

In redesigning the large Avalon sedan for 2013, Toyota spiced up the proven recipe by mixing in a bit more Lexus-like cabin luxury. But it didn't get the dynamic flavor quite right.

Toyota usually leaves spacious luxury car duties to its premium Lexus brand. But Toyota dealers have many loyal customers with needs for big-car room, luxury and utility but at a non-upscale price. And for years the Avalon has been a cornerstone of that demand.

Toyota's big splash at the Chicago Auto Show today was showing off a freshened 2014 Tundra pickup truck. Facing tough, significantly updated competition from Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, and Ram, a Tundra update (which debuted in 2007) was inevitable. The question is, did Toyota go far enough?

The four brands that stand out for car-brand perception—Ford, Toyota, Honda, and Chevrolet—also lead in purchase intent and brand loyalty.