Last year was an interesting one in the automotive industry. It feels like just yesterday that nearly every automaker under the sun was pledging its love and financial support for EVs, while distancing itself from gasoline-powered cars. At the same time, it feels like the COVID-induced tumult of 2020 and 2021 was 50 years ago, given how much has happened in the automotive scene since; for example, most automakers have completely walked back their EV plans.
The environment we find ourselves in shapes how you and I go about our daily lives. It affects which cars we wish to buy and which cars we can actually buy. There’s a difference, y’know? Whether it’s tariffs, a chip shortage, manufacturing challenges, or just old-fashioned inflation, what happens in the automotive world every year affects us more than we can imagine. For The Drive‘s staff, it also affects which cars we get to test and, therefore, which ones we can rank every year.
And indeed, it’s that time again—time for the 2026 The Drive Awards.
This week, we’ll be handing out awards across seven categories. Best Truck is being announced shortly; Best Value Car will be revealed tomorrow; Best Performance Car and Best SUV will be announced on Wednesday; Best EV and new-for-2026 Best Hybrid will be crowned on Thursday; and The Drive‘s overall Best Car will be awarded on Friday.
As in previous years, our finalists were selected based on review scores, while category winners were determined by team vote. To meet eligibility and be considered for this year’s award class, vehicles had to be new or, at the very least, meaningfully updated and driven by somebody on The Drive‘s staff or roster of contributors sometime in 2025.
As the website’s deputy editor and the project lead for The Drive Awards, I am proud to share this year’s winners with you. I genuinely believe that out of the hundreds of cars we drove this year, this select bunch represents everything great about today’s car culture. But perhaps more importantly, this year’s winners show that if you don’t like where the automotive industry is headed, wait a couple of years. You’ll be in for a surprise.
Catch you next year.
Email the author at jerry@thedrive.com