Motor Trend, Car & Driver, Road & Track... these all rely on the largess of the auto manufacturers (how do you think they get those cars to test?). Don't expect any hard-hitting reviews. CU buys everything they test, which makes a big difference.

All ratings need to be scrutinized since the criteria and the weighing of each criterion is subjective. They (CU or otherwise) aren't necessarily looking for the same things as you are. For instance, the enthusiast magazines tend to weigh performance more heavily than other factors. If you spend your driving time stuck in traffic you may be more concerned with comfortable seats and the sound system. Speaking of which, I notice CNET is more concerned with the electronics in the car. If you are deaf and don't care about gadgets, you might as well forget their reviews.

I've found (outside of Consumers Reports) Edmunds pretty good for reviews. Customer reviews on Edmunds, CNET, etc are useful but far from scientifically accurate.