How We Rank Cars: MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings Explained

With MotorTrend's help, finding a new car, SUV, or truck doesn't need to feel overwhelming. In fact, as we rank the best cars all over the market, the new-car buying process might just shift from dread to fun.

Your money is important, so when it comes to finding a new car, let the experts at MotorTrend help you make the most of it. Here’s how we do it.

Why You Can Trust Us 

Building on 75 years of experience testing and evaluating the latest new vehicles, MotorTrend Ultimate Car Rankings are the most sophisticated, comprehensive, and forward-thinking car-ratings system around.

• Car of the Year influence: Our industry-leading Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year evaluations influence how we see the market. 
• Safety and value: Along with other factors, safety and value are part of our system. Because nothing is more important than the safety of your family and your financial health. 
• This is no one-size-fits-all system. A compact sedan buyer won’t prioritize the same things as a 3-row luxury SUV driver. So, neither do we.  
• We focus on the most popular trims and models. If a car offers a great experience across every trim, that’s more important to us than a rival reserving the best experience for the highest trim level. 
• Editorial independence: No brand or advertiser can influence these editorial rankings. You can trust that MotorTrend’s rankings system only serves one audience: car shoppers like you.

Key Rating Categories 

We put a lot into everything we do at MotorTrend, and you benefit from that passion. These are some of the subjective and objective factors we consider:

• Driving Experience: Does a family sedan ride too rough on the way to school? Does the engine of a luxury SUV sound like a noisy blender? This is where our experience comes into play, as we evaluate subjective traits like steering feel, ride quality, or the tuning of an electric car’s one-pedal braking system. 

• Technology: We want advanced tech that makes life easier and works intuitively. Our expectations depend on the price range of the vehicles we’re ranking. 

• Value: Which cars will stretch your dollar more in the long run? 

• MPGs and Driving Range: For electric and gas cars, we want cars to go farther before needing to recharge or refuel. 

• Test Data: How quick is that car? Does that SUV perform well in a panic stop? How many miles can that electric car travel on a road trip? At MotorTrend, we actually test for these things.  

• Safety: We look for the best crash test ratings from IIHS and NHTSA. 

• Clever Design: A couple examples: Doors that open wide make installing a child seat easier. Also, smart and open storage can make every drive more convenient whether you want to secure a giant tumbler or a stylish purse. 

Our easy-to-understand system is based on scores from 1 to 10. Focus on the ranking to discover which car is the best. For example, the best midsize SUVs will be the #1 and #2 ranked models regardless of score.

Meet the Team 

The entire MotorTrend team contributes to Ultimate Car Rankings. Our ratings wouldn’t be what they are without the experience of our car reviewers or the expertise provided by our test team.

You can trust Ultimate Car Rankings to help determine which cars are better than the rest.

I helped create Ultimate Car Rankings and leads the system to this day. I'm just as passionate about empowering consumers as I am about the latest new cars, and I’ve reviewed countless vehicles across the market over the last 19 years. I see the market through consumers’ eyes and appreciate that every buyer’s journey is a little different.

Assisting in the process is Billy Rehbock. With nine years immersed in automotive journalism, Rehbock brings extensive hands-on experience driving and evaluating a wide range of vehicles. He writes Buyer’s Guide reviews and is a MotorTrend Of the Year judge, demonstrating a deep expertise recognized within the industry.

Updated Frequently, So Check Back 

We are constantly updating Ultimate Car Rankings with more data from MotorTrend testing, safety crash test scores, new fuel economy figures, and much more.

We do the work so you can focus more on enjoying a top-rated new car that’s just right for you.

See rankings for SUVs, sedans, trucks, and more on our Buyer’s Guide.