2021 editors' choice

Nathan SchroederCar and Driver

With more than 400 new cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans to choose from in 2021 shopping for a new set of wheels might feel like a daunting task—but it's one we're happy to help simplify. Each year, the Car and Driver Buyer's Guide team leverages data from our strict regimen of instrumented tests, the expert subjective evaluations of our editors, and our knowledge of the market to select the top vehicles for a place on our Editors' Choice list. There are more excellent cars and trucks for sale today than ever, but this is the list that we would recommend to our friends and family; the vehicles we think are reliable, safe, and fun to drive. We’d be happy with any of these in our driveways.

The vehicles named to our Editors' Choice list are those that rank highly in their market segment; they comprise about one quarter of all the models currently for sale. The list includes those vehicles that were named to our 2021 10Best list. But only vehicles that the C/D staff has had hands-on driving experience with are eligible for an Editors' Choice award. Below are the top choices in each of 32 market categories that have earned our seal of approval.

Trucks, SUVs, and Vans


Coupes, Convertibles, Hatchbacks, Sedans, and Wagons


Previous Winners