Best New Cars Of 2019
In 2018, the editors here at Car and Driver tested almost 500 cars. We counted cupholders, rated seat comfort, loaded them with luggage to measure their cargo room, and took them to our test track to see how well they accelerated, braked, and turned. We crawled in, around, and under them to assess and quantify their qualities. Looking for a truck, crossover, or an SUV? You'll find the ones that we think are best here. While the market for SUVs continues to expand and the demand for sedans is dwindling, that doesn鈥檛 mean a four-door is a bad choice for your next set of wheels. Small cars are a great place to start your search; if you're looking for more room, however, take a look at a mid-size family sedan. Got a bigger budget? Check out a luxury sedan. Highs: Base version is a great bargain, well-made interior, we saw 41 mpg in our test.
Lows: Cramped rear seat, only offered as a sedan, coarse engine note. Highs: Quick acceleration, nice ride quality, sophisticated interior design. Lows: Not a lot of cargo space, tight rear seat, no driver assists on base model. Highs: Roomy back seat, responsive engine, new tech is a class above. Lows: Touchscreen a far reach for shorter drivers, some of the tech still needs work. Highs: Well-made interior, fun to drive, excellent value. Lows: Small rear seat, worse fuel economy in our testing than the top competitors. Highs: Transcendent feedback from controls, engaging handling, exhaust note. Lows: Reliability woes, interior distinctly not luxurious, poor rear-seat legroom. Highs: Centerfold bodywork, herculean performance, surprisingly livable ride. Lows: No manual transmission, mediocre cabin quality, dubious reliability. Highs: Cargo-friendly rear hatch, strong powertrains, superb build quality. Lows: Interior lacks luxuriousness, tight back seat, lacks in-cabin storage. Highs: Athletic V-6 option, sharp handling, handsome. Lows: Small back seat, lackluster four-cylinder, manual doesn't add to the experience.
Highs: Fun to drive, optional turbo engine is efficient and powerful, standard safety features. Lows: Rear seat lacks USB ports, lower trims lack features, sub-par braking performance. Highs: Tremendous performance bargain, practical interior, slick-shifting manual. Lows: Engine note fails to stir passion, no hatchback, no driver-assist tech. Highs: Seriously fast twin-turbo V-6, useful cargo area, great performance value. Lows: Spartan interior, weak brakes on four-cylinder model, slow-responding infotainment. Highs: Spectacular cabin quality, incredible quickness, multiple configurations. Lows: Rides too stiff, more options mean more money, C63 version is quicker. Highs: Jaw-dropping acceleration, fun to drive fast, simply exquisite inside. Lows: Overly stiff ride, not budget-friendly, looks like the lesser C43 model. Highs: Looks like its big-sib S-class, lots of available safety tech, convertible option. Lows: Cramped back seat, coupe and convertible have poor ride, no wagon. Highs: Downright quick, sharp responses, performance bargain. Lows: Cheap interior, missing GTI鈥檚 great seats, low-rent leather.
Highs: Strong performance numbers, dazzling dashboard, quiet competence. Lows: Barely evolved exterior design, dull to drive, engine lacks character. Highs: Sophisticated styling, cohesive operation, state-of-the-art technology. Lows: Looks too similar to old A7, maybe too subdued, distracting infotainment. Highs: Supercar acceleration, finally a driver's car again, now has all-wheel drive. Lows: No more manual transmission, engine noise could be more visceral. Highs: Excellent engines, high-quality and spacious interior, comfortable ride. Lows: Lacking interior storage, limited rearward visibility, hybrid can be noisy. Highs: Quiet, near-luxury interior; satisfying controls; ample trunk space. Lows: Turbo engine limited to top trims, back seat hard to fold flat. Highs: Extravagant cabin, equal parts luxury and sport, cutting-edge technology. Lows: Options inflate cost, dainty shift lever, inferior warranty versus rivals. Highs: Insane power, rear-drive mode offers tail-happy handling, badass exhaust note. Lows: Stiff suspension, uncomfortable ride, the wagon is the better all-around version. Highs: All-encompassing elegance, graceful ride and handling, chock full of tech.
Lows: Weak base engine, confusing infotainment menus, cheap-feeling column shifter. Highs: Roomy cabin, comfortable front seats, available all-wheel drive. Lows: Ride can be harsh, too much road noise for rear passengers, can't pair turbo and AWD. Highs: Lots of standard driver-assist tech, roomy interior, offers a hybrid. Lows: Lower-trim interiors feel cheap, hybrid's brakes are touchy at low speed. Highs: State-of-the-art interior, excellent ride comfort, very quiet interior. Lows: Exterior too subtle for a flagship, autonomous tech needs work, screens are fussy. Highs: Superb value proposition, smooth ride, quiet interior, refined powertrains. Lows: Lacks brand cachet, ride can be floaty, fewer tech features than competitors. Highs: Commodious interior, huge trunk, feels more upscale than its price tag indicates. Lows: Steering feels imprecise, lacking overall definitive character, slower than competitors. Highs: Absurd acceleration, out-of-this-world luxury, still has an available V-12. Highs: Sublime engines, super-luxe interior, plenty of active-safety features. Lows: Convertible has small back seat, V-6 model lacks effortless surge of power.