10 cars worth waiting for

Although reveals of hypercars like the Ford GT or LaFerrari soak up all the attention, there are more affordable cars on the horizon worth waiting for. Crossovers continue to be popular choice, and although gas prices are low for the moment, an all-new Prius may be a practical buy in the long term. Here are Consumer Reports' top picks, many of which are slated for release this year:

2016 Mazda Miata and 2017 Buick Cascada

The Miata’s redesign will carry a wider, lower stance, and liberal use of aluminum body panels makes it about 150 pounds lighter. A 2.0-liter, 155-hp engine is under the hood. The Cascada aims to be America’s affordable four-seat cruising convertible. It uses the Chevy Cruze platform, with a 200-hp turbo-four running through a six-speed automatic. The top can be raised in 17 seconds. The Miata will go on sale in summer 2015, and the Cascada in spring 2016.

2016 Toyota Tacoma

Toyota let its compact pickup linger for more than a decade without substantial changes. This fall the Tacoma arrives with a new 3.5-liter V6 engine mated to a six-speed transmission. Toyota says that the old, clunky ride is vastly improved and that the body structure has been revised for better crash safety. New features, such as blind-spot monitoring and an infotainment system, will be available. “Crawl control” will help drivers surmount off-road obstacles.

On sale this fall.

2016 Mazda CX-3 and Honda HR-V

These subcompact crossovers look to be all the rage with budget shoppers when they debut later this year. The HR-V is a taller version of the smartly packaged Honda Fit, and the CX-3 is the lead vehicle for the next-generation Mazda2 hatchback. The swoopy Mazda’s four-cylinder generates 155 hp; the more angular Honda puts out only 138 hp. Both have a surprising amount of cargo room for a small footprint.

On sale this spring (HR-V) and summer (CX-3).