Subaru edged Mazda, Toyota and Honda to earn the highest score in the latest report card ranking 13 automakers based on road tests and reliability. But Toyota dominated the magazine's top picks in five of 10 product segments, becoming the first automaker to do so in nearly a decade.

The magazine said Subaru, with an overall score of 75, two points higher than last year, benefited from the redesigned Impreza, Legacy and Outback models over the past few years.

The Subaru Impreza, redesigned for 2012, is the top pick among small cars, edging out the Hyundai Elantra.

Subaru was followed by Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Volvo, Hyundai, BMW and Volkswagen.

The top four automakers were each separated by a point, with Subaru on top, Mazda second with an overall score of 74, Toyota third with 73 and Honda fourth with 72.

Chrysler placed last with an overall score of 51.

The magazine's annual report card ranks automakers based on the performance, comfort, utility and reliability of more than 275 vehicles recently tested.

The report -- part of a guide to manufacturers that produce the best all-around models -- will be published in the magazine's April issue.

Overall scores are based on the average road test scores and reliability ratings of models tested.

"While Japanese automakers still hold the top five spots, their lead is shrinking. In some of Honda's and Toyota's recently redesigned models, cost-cutting has become more noticeable," David Champion, senior director of the magazine's automotive test center, said in a statement.