WASHINGTON, D.C. -

U.S News Best Cars revealed Tuesday what units have earned one or more of its Best Cars for Families Awards, which span 20 automotive categories. 

Two Japanese automakers tied for the most awards, with Toyota and Honda taking home five each. Ford followed, winning three awards, the most of any domestic automaker.

Jamie Deaton, managing editor of U.S. News Best Cars, remarked on the recent awards: "Families are spending more time in their cars than ever, and finding the right family car is complex and time-consuming.

"The Best Cars for Families Awards save parents time and anxiety by highlighting cars that are safe, comfortable and affordable over the long term,” Deaton added.

U.S. News Best Cars noted that in choosing the units for its Best Cars for Families Awards, it took the component scores from its rankings and weighed them to reflect what families look for in their cars as well as five year-total cost of ownership data from TrueCar.com.

“Safety, reliability, comfort and affordability are paramount to families when they shop for cars, and the Best Cars for Families Award winners are the cars that do the best on those measures,” company officials noted.

The company also stressed that “what sets the U.S. News Best Cars for Families Awards apart from other car awards is that they don’t reflect the opinion of just the U.S. News Best Cars editors.  The scores used to determine the award winners are based on the collective opinion of the automotive press as expressed through published reviews from credible sources.”

Here is a selection of  the 2011 Best Cars for Family Award Winners:

2011 Honda Fit: Best Subcompact Car for Families    
2011 Honda Civic: Best Compact Car for Families    
2011 Ford Fusion: Best Affordable Midsize Car for Families    
2011 Ford Taurus: Best Affordable Large Car for Families    
2011 Honda Fit: Best Hatchback for Families    
2011 Toyota Prius: Best Hybrid Car for Families    
2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring: Best Wagon for Families    
2011 Honda CR-V: Best Affordable Compact SUV for Families    
2011 Toyota Venza: Best Midsize SUV with two Rows for Families    
2011 Toyota Highlander: Best Midsize SUV with three Rows for Families    
2011 Ford Explorer: Best Off-Road SUV for Families    
2011 Toyota Sequoia: Best Affordable Large SUV for Families    
2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: Best Hybrid SUV for Families    
2011 Honda Odyssey: Best Minivan for Families    
   
The full list of winners is available here.

U.S. News Best Cars is a branch of U.S. News Media Group and covers car rankings, reviews and also offers car-buying advice.