With MotorTrend’s help, finding a new car doesn’t need to feel overwhelming anymore. In fact, as we reveal the top-ranked cars in more than two dozen classes, the new-car buying process might just shift from dread to a little fun.
Building on 70 years of experience testing and evaluating the latest new vehicles, the MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings are the most sophisticated, comprehensive, and forward-thinking car-ratings system around. Your money is important, so when it comes to finding a new car, let the experts at MotorTrend help you make the most of it.
Check out the rankings for yourself right here.
Here’s what you need to know.
A Smart System
MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings recognize that one-size-fits-all rankings systems don’t make sense—buyers of small sedans and three-row luxury SUVs don’t have the same priorities. Our proprietary algorithm weighs rankings criteria based on the varying needs of what buyers like you want in different vehicle classes.
Also crucial is the fact that our rankings system emphasizes the performance of higher-sales-volume trims and powertrains. So let’s say a high-performance variant of a car is mind-blowingly good but doesn’t sell anywhere near as well as the more affordable and less powerful version most people buy—a model which our testers consider mediocre. That model’s overall rank will more highly reflect the latter. It works the other way, too: We may appreciate the appeal of one model at a specific price point, but evaluating the entire range may reveal different strengths and weaknesses.
Our Scoring Criteria
MotorTrend’s Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year process has been evolving for decades, and our rankings take their cue from those highly respected awards. Our rankings system considers performance of intended function, fuel economy and driving range, technology and design innovation, value, and safety. On a 10-point scale, scores around 7 represent average performance. Any vehicle whose scores approach or surpass 8 is delivering an above-average or excellent performance. Scores around 6 or below for any part of our criteria aren’t up to the segment’s standard. Note: A subcompact SUV that scores a 7 isn’t necessarily as good (or bad) as a sports car that has the same score—we keep the scores relevant only within their own segment, against their peers.
Performance of Intended Function
Is that luxury sedan’s suspension comfortable enough? Can that family SUV fit everyone and their stuff while still giving you confidence behind the wheel? Does that hybrid deliver the fuel efficiency green-car shoppers want? These are the types of questions we ask ourselves by always keeping in mind the segment in which each car competes. Performance of Intended Function is incredibly important, and that’s why it’s the most heavily weighted criterion in almost every vehicle subclass we rank.
Driving performance lives at the core of Performance of Intended Function in our rankings system. By testing cars on a track, we can evaluate them at their limits as well as what they’re like around town—because no one plans a panic-braking stop. Our testing also provides data points for acceleration, something not everyone will care about until, say, your underpowered car needs to execute a pass. Clearly, driving performance matters even with sensible family cars. A well-engineered car gives you confidence in any driving situation, with all the mechanical bits performing up to the standards of the vehicle class.
MotorTrend testing staff rates each vehicle in a number of key areas, including steering, handling, ride comfort, the transmission, brake feel (different from actual braking performance), and the engine. But we also capture data on how much space a vehicle has for people and their stuff, too.
Efficiency and Driving Range
With fuel economy always important to the family pocketbook, we recognize the importance of maximizing your mpgs. But it’s more than that. Even if you’re not considering a hybrid or electric car, a longer driving range means more time to get errands done between fill-ups or recharging. It could mean the difference between refueling after a long day at work versus having the freedom to do it over a weekend. When it comes to electrics, we also consider how long it takes to recharge.
Technology and Design Innovation
It’s not enough for new cars to offer impressive technology for their respective segments—the features need to work well, or drivers won’t use them. MotorTrend also recognizes that it’s not always about how big an infotainment screen is, but how intuitively it works in a variety of situations.
Design innovation captures far more than whether a car’s design will turn heads. Beyond that, we’re talking about rear doors on family SUVs that conveniently open to nearly 90 degrees, clever storage bins where you wouldn’t expect them, smartly located USB ports, or a set of SUV roof-rail crossbars that are remarkably easy to use.
Value
MotorTrend editors fully appreciate that you’re making payments for years after the new car smell fades. That’s why our value component is largely informed by the sharp folks at IntelliChoice (part of the MotorTrend Group). With decades of experience, IntelliChoice analyzes important five-year cost-of-ownership data points, including depreciation, repair costs, insurance, maintenance, financing, and fuel. There’s far more to value than picking the cheapest car in your price range, and with IntelliChoice’s assistance, we’ve got your back.
Safety
When it comes to safety, not all cars are created equal. In MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings, safety functions as a minor bonus for vehicles that earn top grades in IIHS or NHTSA tests.
TL;DR—How to Use MotorTrend Rankings
We’re here to help you navigate the complicated world of new car shopping. If you’re shopping across segments—maybe you like the style of midsize sedans but appreciate the practicality of similarly priced SUVs—remember that scores are only comparable within each segment. Consider approaching a cross-segment search by picking the top-ranked cars in a couple segments, and consult our thorough Make-Model pages about each car to check out pros and cons.
Our system is geared toward higher-sales-volume models because we’re looking to help as many consumers as possible—automotive goodness isn’t always spread evenly across a model’s range. You can trust MotorTrend’s rankings because of our system’s unique mix of subjective and objective data, and because our algorithm takes into account the needs of buyers in different segments.
See our rankings here.
Do You Believe In Car-Love At First Sight?
If you do, that’s great! Enjoy the car you’ve been drooling over. But if you’re unsure about what SUV, car, truck, or van to pick, we’re here to help. Everyone’s automotive needs change over time, but with MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings, you’ll be a little closer to making the smart choice.
The post How We Rank Cars: MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings Explained appeared first on MotorTrend.