SANTA MONICA, Feb. 18 ~The car shopping experts at Edmunds announced the winners of the Edmunds Top Rated Awards 2026, recognizing the best new vehicles on sale.
The winners of the Edmunds Top Rated Awards 2026 are:
- Edmunds Top Rated Car 2026 — Honda Civic Hybrid, delivering comfort, refinement, a spacious interior and excellent fuel economy in an affordable package.
- Edmunds Top Rated Electric Car 2026 — Tesla Model 3, combining improved build quality and ride comfort in a compelling mix of efficiency, performance and value.
- Edmunds Top Rated SUV 2026 — Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, showcasing a look and feel more premium than SUVs that cost twice as much, along with a hybrid system that’s both powerful and efficient.
- Edmunds Top Rated Electric SUV 2026 — Hyundai Ioniq 5, offering ample space for passengers and cargo, a novel interior design and standout technology.
- Edmunds Top Rated Truck 2026 — Ford Maverick, packing capability, practicality, and utility into a compact truck.
- Edmunds Top Rated Electric Truck 2026 — Rivian R1T, boasting style, performance, innovative design and outstanding versatility.
- Edmunds Top Rated Best of the Best 2026 — Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, raising the bar for vehicles of all shapes and sizes.
Why these vehicles stand out in today’s market
Reflecting current market desires for value and affordability, five of the six winning vehicles offer starting MSRPs below $40,000, including two below the $30,000 mark. This contrasts with an industry average MSRP of $50,858, according to Edmunds data1.
“The Edmunds Top Rated Awards are the gold standard in vehicle recognition, backed by rigorous independent testing,” said Alistair Weaver, Edmunds’ editor-in-chief. “In 2026, car shoppers are navigating higher purchase costs and are searching harder than ever for vehicles that truly deliver value. Our awards spotlight the cars, trucks and SUVs that excel not just in performance and quality, but in meeting a wide range of shopper needs and budgets. Put simply, these are the vehicles we’d recommend our family and friends to buy.”
Hyundai has claimed three wins in the Edmunds Top Rated Awards 2026 with the Ioniq 5 and dual honor for Palisade Hybrid. The Honda Civic Hybrid, Tesla Model 3 and Rivian R1T return as back-to-back winners in their respective categories.
Grounded in real-world vehicle testing
Presented annually since 2020, the awards represent the standouts from Edmunds’ industry-leading vehicle testing program. Each year, the Edmunds editorial team tests 300-plus vehicles, driving more than 500,000 miles to deliver the definitive Edmunds Rating, the foundation of the Edmunds Top Rated Awards.
Rounding out the roster of Edmunds Top Rated Award selections for 2026, Edmunds is also highlighting 11 additional vehicles as Highly Recommended. These distinguished models were finalists in each of our Edmunds Top Rated categories, typically topping their respective market segment.
The Edmunds Top Rated Highly Recommended vehicles for 2026 are:
- Toyota Camry (Car)
- Mercedes-Benz E-Class (Car)
- BMW i5 (Electric Car)
- Audi A6 Sportback E-tron (Electric Car)
- Ford Expedition (SUV)
- Hyundai Tucson Hybrid (SUV)
- Hyundai Ioniq 9 (Electric SUV)
- BMW iX (Electric SUV)
- Ford F-150 (Truck)
- Ford Ranger (Truck)
- GMC Sierra EV (Electric Truck)
