- today we announce the winners of our 2021 editors' choice awards—the cars, trucks, suvs, and evs we'd most recommend to shoppers.
- the 2021 editors' choice list is composed of roughly a quarter of the 400-plus models currently on the market that we review annually. the list includes the 10 recipients of our 2021 10best awards.
- the vehicles that win spots on this list have proved themselves in our instrumented testing as well as in daily use in the hands of our editors. they are also highly rated in their market segment versus their competitors.
we created our annual editors' choice list to benefit everyone shopping for a new vehicle. "there are lots of really excellent cars and trucks for sale today," says editor-in-chief sharon silke carty, "but this is the list that we would recommend to our friends and family: the vehicles we think are most reliable, safe, and fun to drive. we'd be happy with any of these in our driveways."
the 2021 editors' choice list includes 96 vehicles out of the 400-plus models on the market that we review every year. the winners are chosen based on several criteria. first, we rely heavily on our comprehensive testing regimen. this extensive process includes everything from cargo, space, and storage measurements to instrumented performance testing to real-world fuel-economy tests—and much more.
we then factor in our staff's subjective impressions, which are informed by driving hundreds of new vehicles every year, and then also consider how well each vehicle delivers on its intended mission. finally, every vehicle on the market is given a rating on a one-to-10 scale to rank it against all of the competitors in its class. if a vehicle ranks highly—in roughly the top third of its market segment—it has a good chance of earning an editors' choice seal of approval. only vehicles that we have had hands-on driving experience with are eligible for inclusion in the ec list.
every year, our ec winners are as diverse as a towering carvana car-vending machine. that's because, in addition to our 10best selections, which automatically make the list, we include our top-ranked models from almost every market segment. this year, 32 of those segments are represented; supercars and ultimate luxury vehicles that cost more than most peoples' houses are not eligible, however.
there are plenty of returning editors' choice winners. models that have been great year after year, such as the chevy suburban large suv, the honda civic compact car, the mazda mx-5 miata sports car, and the ram 1500 full-size pickup have earned repeat spots—including this year.
for 2021, there are also several compelling new models that have barged their way onto the ec list. some of the most notable additions include:
- compact car: hyundai elantra
- entry-luxury compact: mercedes-amg a35
- luxury electric car: porsche taycan
- family sedan: kia k5
- mid-size luxury car: genesis g80
- full-size pickup truck: ford f-150
- large suvs: chevrolet tahoe and gmc yukon
- premium sports car: porsche 911 turbo
if you're shopping for a new car, truck, ev, or suv, rest assured that you'll find the latest and greatest on our 2021 editors' choice list.