If you’re thinking about buying a new car in 2026, U.S. News and World Report is out with its 2026 Best Vehicle Brands report.
If you’re thinking about buying a new car in 2026, U.S. News and World Report is out with its 2026 Best Vehicle Brands report.
Analysts evaluated 39 car brands, taking into consideration a range of data points like safety ratings and reliability data, as well as the consensus opinion of the automotive press.
John Vincent, the senior editor for vehicle testing, said the best car brand is Honda.
“With the Civic and the Accord, both cars have been out for more than 50 years, if you can believe that,” he said, adding the cars just keep getting better.
The Honda brand has ranked as the best in the survey for five years straight.
When it comes to the best SUV brand, Vincent said Hyundai came out on top.
“I’ve just driven the Palisade Hybrid, I think it’s probably the best SUV you can buy today,” he said.
Hyundai’s luxury brand also ranks as the best luxury brand, according to the report.
Now, if you’re in the market for a pickup, Vincent said the Ram is ranked best.
“Ram has the most comfortable trucks you can buy,” he said. “Great cabs, comfortable suspensions.”
While some might believe Tesla would clinch the title as the best-ranked electric vehicle or best luxury electric vehicle, it’s actually not.
Vincent said the No. 1 spot is for Ford, and that’s due to the quality of the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E.
“A lot of companies make electric cars,” he said. “Ford rose to the top because they are consistently good.”
The best luxury electric vehicle honors go to Lucid, a startup brand building cars outside Phoenix, Arizona. Vincent said their sedan tested well.
“They have the Lucid Air, which is a big sedan that’s a better Tesla model S,” he said.
For those who would prefer buying a used car, Vincent said interested buyers can’t go wrong with Lexus.
It ranks as having the best certified preowned program because of the extras, “like trip interruption insurance and loaner cars when you take your car in for service,” he said.
The full report is available online.
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