Many automotive publications are choosing their favorite vehicles from the past year, and Cars.com has announced that its pick is the Volkswagen Passat.

"The completely redesigned Volkswagen Passat shook up the extremely competitive family sedan category in 2012," said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com editor-in-chief. "The Passat's ability to take on these long-standing family sedan leaders along with its great price and standard features makes the Passat our best car for 2012."

The Passat was overhauled for this year as Volkswagen looked to focus more on the American market. Typically, the German automaker's designs have been labeled as "European," but the changes made to the car for this year were targeted at an American audience.

That strategy clearly paid off, as the Passat has been on many best-of-the-year lists, including being named one of the three finalists for North American Car of the Year.

Cars.com also highlighted models like the Honda Pilot, Ford F-150 and Ford Mustang Boss 302 as the best in their respective segments.

Whether you just bought one of these sleek new cars or are still driving the same model as a decade ago, auto maintenance can ensure that the car stays in tip-top condition.