It’s one of the best magazines on the market today and helps you decide on everything from cars to computers. Consumer Reports is that little unassuming publication that shows up once a month and guides us to the best products on the market. All tests are done independently so we get real opinions and not ones that are generated by sponsors.

Decorated rally racer and DC Shoe co-founder Ken Block, one of Subaru’s most valuable assets in catapulting them to the height of their popularity, is now working for Ford. Famous for his stunning X-Games performances and Gymkhana viral videos (featured after the jump), Block’s legacy within the motorsports circuit is well known by even the most casual of fans and Ford has essentially landed themselves the golden marketing ticket.

Beyond the scores of devout broskies that worship in his wake, Block will also bring to Ford the street cred of a second-generation fanboy. “I am stoked to be rallying in a Ford. They are an impressive force in the sport,” said Ken Block. “From the days of the 1970s Escorts to the Group B RS200 to the modern-day Focus and now the Fiesta, Ford just does an excellent job at rally and I couldn’t be happier to now be part of this amazing heritage. Not to mention my dad would be proud. He was a dedicated Ford guy.”

Regardless of how legitimate the global push towards green may or may not be, there’s no escaping the impact the rapid shift in consumer demand has had on the automotive industry. Ward’s 2010 10 Best Engines list reads like an Al Gore-scripted porno and in the 16 years they’ve been objectively evaluating engines, this year marks the first time only one V8 unit (from Hyundai, ironically enough) has made the cut. The rest of the selections are smaller, more fuel-efficient units including the frustratingly underpowered 1.8L DOHC I-4 Hybrid from the Toyota Prius.

Fortunately, the rest of Ward’s choices aren’t nearly as boring and include the 3.5L Ecoboost turbocharged V6 from the comeback kid himself (herself?), the Taurus SHO, and the snarling 3.0L supercharged V6 from the Audi S4. The 2.4L DOHC I-4 from the Chevy Equinox also made the list, purportedly thanks to its “groundbreaking” performance and segment-leading efficiency, though it’s reasonable to suspect that pity might have played a small role too.

Hit the jump for the full list of Ward’s 2010 picks.

After sweeping the title of Motor Trend’s 2009 SUV of the Year, it stands to reason that the 2010 MY lesbian moving van Subaru Forester would be worth getting my hands on for a quick spin. The larger result of my findings were surprising to say the least, and not necessarily of the pleasant variety, but it should probably be mentioned that the brevity of my experience prevented a more in-depth analysis. With only two hours to evaluate the Forester’s handling and objectively critique its performance, while the conclusions based here are fair they might differ with a longer stint behind the wheel.

That having been said, first and most notable on the list of the Forester’s unexpected features was the its odd penchant for heating up like an Easy Bake Oven. On a breezy 60 degree fall day in the Northeast while traveling at a brisk 45 mph with all four windows rolled down, one would not expect to break a sweat, but that’s nevertheless what happened. By the time I coasted into the one area in New Jersey picturesque enough for snapping a few photos (read: not cluttered with radioactive waste and/or strip malls), I was as flushed as if I’d jogged there. Maybe it was the thrashing given to the engine in sport shift (which is the automatic tranny’s only redeeming feature) and the resulting immense amount of heat the engine was giving off, or maybe it was the copious amount of glass coupled with glaring sunlight that quickly lent itself to the ant-under-a-microscope feeling – who knows. Whatever it was, not even the AC set on low could counteract it.

Thanks to our dutiful following of VolvoXC60 on Twitter, we learned today that Rolling Strength’s revolutionary new crossover has made the list of finalists for Motor Trend’s 2010 SUV of the Year award. Of course to be fair, the XC60 was neither engineered or marketed as an SUV, but the majority of Motor Trend’s other finalists weren’t either. Given the current market and auto maker’s eagerness to distance themselves from the often negative stigma attached to SUVs, however, MT would be hard pressed to assemble a similarly lengthy list if limiting the criteria to only those vehicles explicitly billed as SUVs. Thus, the one aspect all the candidates have in common is ride height, multi-function capability, and an all wheel drive train.

…or “revisited,” for those of you who were not as alert in 5th period English as you probably should have been.

Initially unveiled a few weeks ago in preparation for its inaugural debut at the Tokyo Motor Show, the first photos and our initial review of the Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept were slightly less than favorable (as most of our reviews usually are). Today, Subaru has graced us with a new photo spread of the Hybrid Tourer Concept and has simultaneously softened our hearts towards the open air oddity.

Earlier this week we brought you official coverage of the new Toyota FT-86 Concept’s first pre-Tokyo unveiling, and today we’ve got a set of renderings to further sate your rabid Hachi-Roku lust. Although you were probably hoping for more info regarding exactly what kind of Subie Boxer monster is under the hood, the best the sketches can give you is a little bit of eye candy. Official details will likely be released with the Hachi Roku’s official unveiling, but we advise you to bask in the bliss of ignorance now since anything with a Toyota badge on it is guaranteed to suck the soul right out of the Subaru powerplant.

As little as five years ago, the only people that drove hybrids earned most of their income from organic farming subsidies and smelled like weird soap. Today, the green movement has hit the mainstream and hybrid badges are no longer signs of any particular demographic, further definitive proof of which is the Subaru Hybrid Tourer Concept. Engineered using refined versions of Subaru’s famed 2.0-liter Horizontally-Opposed direct fuel-injection turbo gasoline Boxer engine and Symmetrical All Wheel Drive, the Hybrid Tourer Concept supposedly carries on Subaru’s rich tradition of white-knuckle on and off road performance while delivering impressive gas mileage.

There was time when Subaru catered to a much smaller demographic of customers, mostly on the extreme edges of the country, that appreciated its rather rugged attributes at the minor expense of typical passenger car comfort. Then came the Outback which for fifteen years has led the company slowly into the mainstream American car buying consciousness with an increasingly refined combination of Subaru All-Wheel-Drive and everyday family truckster capabilities. So the question is whether the 2010 Outback is the latest example of all that makes Subaru unique, or a car that has drifted too far away from its roots.

No. It Isn't Photoshopped.

The sort of aerial automotive acrobatics pictured here are the result of the collaborative efforts of rally car racer Ken Block and performance engine and component manufacturer Cosworth. As you can imagine, pulling off such insane maneuvers takes some pretty talented people, and a pretty sick car. Or is it the other way around?