Best Lawn Mowers and Tractors of 2025

That’s not to say that all of the mowers we’ve tested are great or even all that similar. Trezza notes that scores differ quite a bit when it comes to the convenience features each mower and tractor offers, the level of noise each makes, and their battery life (for electric mowers). “Mowers and tractors also…

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Most & Least Satisfying Mainstream and Luxury Sedans

Below, we’ve ranked the most and least satisfying mainstream and luxury cars, in terms of overall satisfaction, based on our latest survey. We also noted whether these top-scorers excelled in any additional categories: styling, driving experience, comfort, value, in-car electronics ease of use, and cost of ownership. If you’re a CR member, the list below…

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SUVs and Minivans With the Most Cargo Space

Still, knowing how much cargo your minivan or SUV can carry is a challenge. While automakers are happy to highlight the overall luggage capacity of their offerings, not all of that cargo room is usable space. Having a lot of space doesn’t do much good if the cargo opening is narrow, short, or oddly shaped. …

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CR’s Holiday Tipping Cheat Sheet

There are no hard-and-fast rules about how much you should tip at the holidays, but some tipping norms have become a social convention. For example, giving your barber a holiday bonus equal to the cost of one haircut has become a customary way to show thanks for year-round service. (See “Your Giving Guide,” below, for…

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This Is Why You Should Try Ultralight Backpacking (2025)

I first encountered the ideas of ultralight backpacking in 1994, in an article in now-defunct (and much-missed) Backpacker magazine. It was titled “Less is More,” by Mark Jenkins. (I still have a PDF copy I scanned years ago.) Jenkins wrote about a long trip across Europe and Africa. By the end, he and his traveling…

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