While I’ve traditionally been something of an SUV man, I like to think that I have done a pretty good job embracing the new direction of this industry. I would say my love of SUVs come from my hunger for practicality in all aspects of my life; I like to focus on what my car can do for me and not on how it looks design-wise. At the same time, the market shift towards smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles has had me intrigued. I decided it was about time to pick up a new car, so I headed down to my Ft. Myers Subaru dealer to check out a vehicle that I found by reading a Consumer Reports list of this year’s best cars.

This particular Consumer Reports list named the well-respected publication’s Top Picks for 2010 in ten different categories, and the winner of the small SUV category was the Subaru Forester, available now at your Ft. Myers Subaru dealer. This car really put together the best of both worlds for me; as much as I love owning an SUV, they aren’t very fun to drive, so an SUV that drives on a car’s platform makes perfect sense for me, combining the practicality I need with the performance I want. Ft. Myers used Subaru dealerships have older models of this fantastic vehicle that are just as reliable.

For the Consumer Reports rankings, Top Picks were named based on three comprehensive categories. Road testing, the first of the three categories, is based on more than 50 tests and evaluations, an area where new and used Ft. Myers Subaru dealers say the car excels. The next test focused on how CR readers ranked reliability, with each winner logging an average or better than average predicted reliability rating. And finally, CR compiled crash test data from government and insurance organizations, coupled it to the availability of electronic stability control and rolled out a rating based on each vehicle’s safety, another huge plus you get when you visit a Ft. Myers Subaru dealer.

Here is what Consumer Reports had to say about the awesome driving ability of the Subaru Forester. The Forester provides one of the most carlike driving experiences of any SUV. It combines agile handling with the most comfortable ride in its class. Passengers are treated to a spacious cabin, with a roomy rear seat and excellent visibility. The 2.5X provides an impressive 22 mpg overall with an automatic, 24 mpg with a manual. And the turbocharged 2.5XT delivers effortless acceleration and 20 mpg, but it takes premium fuel. The 2.5X has had excellent reliability, while the 2.5XT’s is average. Price: $20,972 to $28,860.

Small SUVs are a great middle ground in today’s consumer driving market. The market itself has begun calling for more and more innovations in the way of fuel efficiency, but you can’t ignore that this implies smaller vehicles for the moment, at least. In terms of new and used Ft. Myers Subaru vehicles, you can truly get the best of both worlds when you look into the benefits of the Subaru Forester.