The 2026 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Awards, an annual selection of the best vehicles across a number of categories, including its pick for “Best of the Year,” has been released.
“Best of the Year” goes to the 2026 Dodge Charger. This accolade encompasses both the battery-electric Daytona and the new internal-combustion SIXPACK models.
The Dodge Charger also took the gold in “Best Sport Coupe,” a repeat winner as the Daytona secured the position last year. “Best Family Car” was given to the Kia K4, a compact replacement for the Forte. Audi took home two car awards, “Best Luxury Car” for the A5, and “Best Sport Sedan” for the S3, still serving as a good tweener model in the 3’s portfolio while eking ever closer to the RS3 performance threshold. The last dedicated car award went to the Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS, winner of “Best Performance Car.”
The new Toyota RAV4 for “Best Small Utility.” The “Best Midsize Utility” was awarded to the Subaru Outback. The Hyundai Palisade is the “Best Large Utility” winner, now available with a hybrid powertrain. And the Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e was the pick for “Best Luxury Utility.”
There are two winners under the “Best Truck” umbrella, the Ford Maverick for “Best Small Truck” and the Ram 1500 for “Best Fullsize Truck.”
“Best EV” remains a broad category this year, given to three winners encompassing a range of budgets. The most affordable winner is the Nissan LEAF; the mid-range option is the Cadillac OPTIQ, the smaller Cadillac “IQ” offering that remains big on features; and MotorWeek’s “money is no object” winner is the Porsche Taycan, with the Cross Turismo and Turbo GT variants pressing all the right buttons.
