--- title: "The Drive Awards 2026: Crowning The Best Cars We Drove" date: "2026-02-02" modified: "2026-02-02" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/car-reviews/the-drive-awards-2026-crowning-the-best-cars" categories: - "Car Reviews" - "The Drive Awards" --- # The Drive Awards 2026: Crowning The Best Cars We Drove ![The Drive's 2026 awards emblem]() *\Andrew P. Collins\* 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]() 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 [Car of the Year]() 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. ![]() **Rolls-Royce** *Email the author at jerry@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()