- Car and Driver’s annual Editors’ Choice awards honor the top vehicles in their respective segments, as decided by our expert car evaluators and informed by our rigorous and industry-leading testing regimen.
- Of more than 400 models on sale in the U.S. market this year, only 125 cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans are featured on this year’s Editors’ Choice list, which is intended to help narrow the shopping list for consumers to the best choices in each market segment.
- Our testing includes real-world analysis of fuel economy, instrumented testing of each vehicle’s on-road performance, and subjective evaluation by our expert staff of car-enthusiast editors.
With average transaction prices for new cars skyrocketing and a large number of body styles and powertrains offered throughout the industry, buying a new vehicle has never been more overwhelming. Car and Driver’s 2023 Editors’ Choice list is here to cut through the static to help you find the perfect car, truck, SUV, or van.
Of the more than 400 models available for sale today, we’ve narrowed the list down to just 125 honorees, all of which we consider to be among the top vehicles in their respective market segments. We believe there’s something here for every driver and every budget, from subcompact runabouts starting under $20,000 to a high-end hybrid sports car that’s 10 times that price. Not to mention all the trucks, SUVs, luxury sedans, and electric vehicles that fill the gap between them.
“For the millions of people shopping for a new vehicle each year, the choices can seem endless– and confusing,” said Car and Driver Editor-in-Chief Tony Quiroga. “Our Editors’ Choice lineup is the automotive honor roll and the ideal resource, whether someone is searching for the safest car for a new teen driver or for a weekend race car, and everything in between.”
In addition to Car and Driver’s renowned instrumented performance testing, our editors have devised a series of tests to determine which vehicles are the most worthy of your hard-earned dollars. For example, we run a 75-mph highway fuel-economy test to provide a real-life look at efficiency, and we load up every vehicle we test with carry-on suitcases to measure practical, usable space.
If you’re shopping for a new vehicle this year, our Editors’ Choice list is meant to be your starting point. In short, we’ve done the hard work for you, and the rest is up to you. As you progress in your new-vehicle search, we recommend individual test drives of your own, since everyone’s preferences and needs are different. We’re confident that any of the models honored this year will offer satisfying driving dynamics, segment-appropriate practicality, and excellent value.
