TORONTO -- Consumer Reports is out with its top 10 list of best vehicles for 2021 and once again, imports dominate the ratings.

Toyota has three vehicles on the list and Mazda was named the top car brand for 2021.

Consumer Reports said Mazda is making cars that are fun, exciting and reliable.

There are 250 models that consumers can choose from, so which ones are considered the very best?

Consumer Reports sorts through data from more than 50 tests at its auto test centre as well as considering other factors such as predicted reliability, owner satisfaction and safety equipment.

“We put thousands of miles on each test car and actually evaluate them for how people actually use them in their day-to-day lives,” said Mike Quincy with Consumer Reports.

Quincy added, “To make Consumer Reports’ list, the vehicle must come standard with forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection.”

Even though the average price of a new vehicle is now more than $40,000, some of the most reliable cars can be purchased for a lot less.

Here’s the list of Consumer Reports Top Ten list for 2021:

  • Best small car - Toyota Corolla
  • Best Subcompact SUV - Mazda CX-30
  • Best small SUV - Subaru Forester
  • Best Hybrid - Toyota Prius
  • Best mid-sized sedan – Toyota Camry
  • Best SUV/Wagon - Subaru Outback
  • Best midsized three row SUV - Kia Telluride
  • Best compact pick-up truck - Honda Ridgeline
  • Best midsized SUV - Lexus RX
  • Best electric car - Tesla Model 3

This year Consumer Reports also has a new designation for vehicles that it considers to be a good green choice.

“Consumer Reports green choice designation will highlight the top 20 per cent of vehicles on the market with the cleanest emissions,” said Quincy who added, “Advances in vehicle technology are increasingly providing cleaner, greener choices and this includes four of our top picks.”

There continues to be growing interest in hybrid and electric vehicles even though they only make up about four per cent of car sales in Canada.

That number is expected to increase as traditional car manufacturers focus more on producing electric vehicles.