MotorTrend's Best Car of the Year

The Volkswagen Golf GTI / R Is the 2026 MotorTrend Car of the Year

The Volkswagen Golf GTI / R Is the 2026 MotorTrend Car of the Year

Behind the Scenes at Our 2026 Car of the Year Competition: Triple-Digit Heat and Pouring Rain

Behind the Scenes at Our 2026 Car of the Year Competition: Triple-Digit Heat and Pouring Rain

Billy Rehbock | Oct 15, 2025

2026 MotorTrend Car of the Year: One of These Cars Won the Award

2026 MotorTrend Car of the Year: One of These Cars Won the Award

MotorTrend Staff | Oct 14, 2025

Relentless Competence Define the Audi A6 E-Tron and S6 E-Tron

Relentless Competence Define the Audi A6 E-Tron and S6 E-Tron

Billy Rehbock | Oct 14, 2025

More MotorTrend Car of the Year Coverage

More power and more tech mean there’s somehow even more to love about the BMW M2.

BMW’s M2 Continues to Steal Hearts and Licenses

Scott Evans | Oct 14, 2025

There’s a lot to love (and hate) about Dodge’s electric Charger.

Dodge’s Charger Daytona EV Is the Enemy of Perfection

Christian Seabaugh | Oct 14, 2025

Those shopping for a daily driver would be remiss not to consider this ultra-efficient hatchback.

Honda’s Civic Hybrid Hatchback May Be the Most Recommendable Car on Sale

Billy Rehbock | Oct 14, 2025

The CLE53 convertible is one of those cars that makes you feel special every time you sit in it.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in the Mercedes-AMG CLE53 Cabriolet

Miguel Cortina | Oct 14, 2025

This hot station wagon absolutely scorched the 0–60-mph run.

The Mercedes-AMG E53 Wagon Proves You Don’t Need a V-8 to Be Stupid Quick

Alisa Priddle | Oct 14, 2025

The small improvements VW made to the Golf family go a long way.

The Latest VW Golf GTI and Golf R Raise an Already Impressive Bar

Miguel Cortina | Oct 14, 2025

Haven't we seen this before? Maybe slightly different?

You Feeling What We're Feeling When You See the Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo?

Christian Seabaugh | Oct 13, 2025

The Car of the Year judging criteria don’t look as kindly on this amazing machine as our heart does.

Unfortunately For Porsche’s 911 T, Perfection Isn’t One of Our Criteria

Alexander Stoklosa | Oct 10, 2025

A lesson in how to make a super-fun car less so.

We Didn't Ask the Toyota GR Corolla to Get Less Fun, But Here We Are

Scott Evans | Oct 10, 2025

Car of the Year Videos

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In a world with fewer sedans than ever, this version of the Panamera fails to leave a lasting impression.

Is the Porsche Panamera 4S E-Hybrid Too Perfect For Its Own Good?

Scott Evans | Oct 9, 2025

They have old bones, but excellent powertrains elevate these luxury sport sedans.

Audi S3 vs. RS3: One Is Shockingly Quick, the Other Might Be the Better Deal

Alisa Priddle | Oct 8, 2025

The updated A5 and its performance S5 variant are solid all-arounders, but what do they excel at?

Do the Audi A5 and S5 Succeed at Trying to Be Everything at Once?

Alexander Stoklosa | Oct 7, 2025

Fewer cars mean fewer Car of the Year contenders, yet the competition was not worse for being whittled.

2025 MotorTrend Car of the Year: Behind the Shrinking Scenes

Alexander Stoklosa | Nov 20, 2024

One of these finalists is the 2025 Car of the Year.

2025 MotorTrend Car of the Year: The Finalists

MotorTrend Staff | Nov 19, 2024

The worthy cars that didn't make the finalist cut for the Golden Calipers trophy.

2025 MotorTrend Car of the Year: The Contenders

MotorTrend Staff | Nov 19, 2024

We’ve generally been fans of BMW’s new i sedans, but there wasn’t the same love for the new electrified 5 at this year’s event.

2024 BMW i5 COTY Review: This i Didn’t Fly as High

Mike Floyd | Nov 19, 2024

Fiat takes another crack at this electric city car thing during our Car of the Year evaluations.

2025 Fiat 500e COTY Review: Are We Really Trying This Again?

Christian Seabaugh | Nov 19, 2024

A new, more powerful base four-cylinder engine isn’t enough to stir our judges’ emotions.

2024 Genesis G70 COTY Review: The Long, Slow Goodbye?

Mike Floyd | Nov 19, 2024

Kia adds a hybrid as part of the minivan’s midcycle update.

2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid First Test: Better Than the Original?

Alisa Priddle | Nov 8, 2024

Seventy-five years ago, a writer acting alone picked the 1949 Cadillac as our inaugural Car of the Year. Did he get it right?

Was MotorTrend’s First Car of the Year a Winner or a Whiff?

Eric Tingwall | Jul 18, 2024

Ford hit on a combination of proportion, contemporary styling, and good old American horse sense with the SN95 Mustang.

How Arnold Schwarzenegger Helped Make the Ford Mustang Our 1994 Car of the Year

MotorTrend Staff | May 23, 2024

Subjectively and objectively, the "tiger in a three-piece suit” proved more than worthy enough to take home the title.

How the Volkswagen GTI Snagged the 1985 Car of the Year Crown

Kevin Smith | Apr 18, 2024

With a field more stacked than any we can remember, competitiveness competes with … strangeness.

2024 MotorTrend Car of the Year: Behind the Scenes in Strange Times

Alexander Stoklosa | Nov 16, 2023

Traditional cars no longer dominate the marketplace, but there are still plenty of great ones.

Welcome to MotorTrend’s 2024 Car of the Year Competition: Strength in Dwindling Numbers

Alisa Priddle | Nov 16, 2023

One of these finalists is the 2024 Car of the Year.

2024 MotorTrend Car of the Year: The Finalists

MotorTrend Staff | Nov 15, 2023

BMW gathered up *all* the bells and whistles for its new 7 Series lineup to out-luxe the competition.

2023 BMW 7 Series / i7 COTY Review: Fabulously Bedazzled Flagship

Mike Floyd | Nov 15, 2023

The new M2 only adds credibility to the fantastic 2 Series lineup.

2023 BMW M2 COTY Review: So Nice, It Competed Twice

Scott Evans | Nov 15, 2023

More about the MotorTrend Car of the Year

The annual MotorTrend Car of the Year award is MotorTrend’s signature award that crowns the best car of the year. Every year, MotorTrend fully evaluates and performs instrumented testing on each car that qualifies for the competition and selects the Car of the Year award winner based on how well it performs in six key categories: safety, efficiency, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence, and performance of the intended function.

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