Although Toyota is enduring more than its fair share of bad publicity with key executives including CEO Akio Toyoda testifying before a Congressional committee, the Lexus 460L claimed top honors as best overall vehicle in the annual Consumer Reports list of the Ten Best Cars.

The full-size luxury sedan, which carries an MSRP of $70,925 scored 99 out of 100 on the survey's rating scale. At the same time, however, recommendations both the Toyota Rav4 and the Highlander SUV were pulled due to the recent recalls and "stop sale" orders issued by the company.

Family sedan honors went to the Nissan Altima ($19,900-$19,600), with the Hyundai Elantra SE named best small sedan. The designation is a considerable coup for Hyundai as small cars gain in popularity with the American public. At a price of $17,845 and returning gas mileage of 34 highway, 26 city, the survey described the Elantra as a "solid, all-around car."

The Volkswagen GTI ($12,465-$24,070) was named best sporty car and the Subaru Forester ($20,295-$28,495) claiming the lead for Small SUV. Picked for generous interior space and responsive handling, the Chevrolet Traverse ($29,224-$39,985) was selected as the top Family SUV.

Not surprisingly, the redesigned Toyota Prius ($21,400-$18,070) was named Green Car for the seventh consecutive year. The remaining honorees were the Infiniti G37 ($33,250-$40,400) as Sports Sedan; the Mazda5 ($17,995-$23,005) as Family Hauler; and the Chevrolet Silverado ($20,850-$41,775) as Pickup.