If you're anything like us, your account balance doesn't have anywhere near enough commas to make your dream garage a reality. Reconciling your hobbies with life's responsibilities doesn't have to mean driving something boring, though. Think of our 10Best winners as enthusiast picks for regular people. This year's winners include three vehicles with starting prices under $30,000, a full-size truck, a three-row family hauler, and the best deal among luxury autos. We've got sports cars, too, of course—three of 'em.
Our process for picking the 10Best is simple. We start with a price cap of $90,000 and invite the most promising vehicles that are new or significantly changed since last year's competition. We also bring back the previous year's winners to defend their titles. Any newcomer that wants to run with the best is going to have to be better than at least one vehicle that made the cut in 2020.
For two weeks, we tested and evaluated 57 contenders, focusing on their value, fun, and mission fulfillment. The 10 that took home trophies live up to these ideals better than anything else right now. If you're in the market for a new vehicle, this list is your starting point. Stick to it and you're guaranteed to take home a winner.
Click each individual car to get the full story, or keep reading to find out more about the 2021 10Best cars and trucks.
Chevrolet Corvette
The Corvette is a performance value for all time. Its 2.8-second zero-to-60-mph time slots neatly between the Ferrari 488 Pista's 2.7-second sprint and the Porsche 911 Carrera S's 2.9-second run, yet its $59,995 base price aligns with those of half-ton pickups and tarted-up Jeep Wranglers. What's really surprising about the mid-engine Corvette, though, is its refinement and versatility. This is a supercar that can handle a 100-mile commute. It's also a coupe that's a part-time convertible: Flip three latches and the targa roof pops off. Or leave the roof in place and you can fit two sets of golf clubs in the back. Can't do that in a supercar. —Ezra Dyer
Genesis GV80
In four short years of existence, Genesis has now won two 10Best awards. Clearly, the brand has our attention, even if the general public has no clue what to make of it. With a commanding presence, a lavish interior, and refined driving dynamics, the GV80 is the vehicle that should finally put Genesis on luxury shoppers' short list. The ride quality blends relaxation with athleticism, and the optional twin-turbocharged 375-hp V-6 delivers authoritative acceleration while never raising its voice too loudly. The GV80 is a compelling luxury SUV at any price, made better with a sticker that starts below $50,000. Aiming high and pricing low is how you get noticed. That's how Lexus and Acura did it over 30 years ago; now it's Genesis's turn. —Tony Quiroga
Honda Accord
We've been beating the Accord drum for ages: This represents its 35th 10Best victory. It has slipped in the sales ranks lately, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the product, because the Accord is as good as it has ever been. It's a reasonably priced, generously sized four-door that offers the refinement of a luxury car, the precise moves of an upmarket sedan, and the sensibility of, well, a Honda. A manual transmission is no longer part of the lineup. But the reason we liked the manual in the first place was because it enhanced an already great package. The Accord is so good that we still think one should be parked in just about every driveway in America. —Joey Capparella
Kia Telluride
The Telluride's appeal goes deeper than a 10-yard-long equipment list and a discount price. The big Kia is a pleasure to drive, with the 3.8-liter V-6 churning out smooth power and its quick responses belying its proletarian 291 horsepower. The ride is sedate and the body control taut, erring toward sportiness. And when equipped with all-wheel drive, the Telluride is even pretty adept off-road thanks to a button on the center console that locks the front-to-rear torque distribution at 50/50. Out on a trail or the road, this SUV is better than it needs to be. That description comes up a lot with the Telluride. —Ezra Dyer
Mazda CX-5
The CX-5 fits the compact-crossover bill, but it is a 10Best winner because this Mazda is full of the reasons that we love cars. Its sharp styling, handsome interior, and rich paint are visible differentiators in this class, but the driving experience is what elevates it. Lithe and responsive, this crossover comes alive through its controls. In a segment that doesn't always share our values, the genius of the CX-5 is that it transcends its kind. It's imbued with the feel of a performance vehicle, but it's also practical, refined, and thoughtfully designed. Even the indifferent will notice the difference. —Tony Quiroga
Porsche 718 Boxster / Cayman
To drive a Boxster or Cayman is to experience the pinnacle of connectedness between driver, car, and road. It is to feel a level of confidence behind the wheel that few cars can impart. It is to know how pleasurable and engaging the sheer act of driving can be. Year after year, Porsche has refined these mid-engine two-seaters, and in one form or another, they've now earned 22 10Best wins since 1998. The pricing might make it difficult for you to find a spot for a Boxster or Cayman in your garage. But every enthusiast owes it to himself or herself to finagle a way to get behind the wheel of one these brilliant sports cars, if only for a short drive. Just so that you, too, can really understand what good is. —Rich Ceppos
Porsche Macan
While the Macan looks like an SUV, it doesn't drive like one. Smaller and more agile than the Cayenne, it can be hustled like an oversized hot hatch. You sit higher from the ground, but the Macan corners with a deftness and adjustability completely at odds with its shape and stance. As in previous years, the Macan's 10Best award is restricted to the V-6 models. The 375-hp GTS is our pick of the range due to its combination of sonorous performance, a pliant ride, and steering that gets amazingly close to the feel and precision of Porsche's sports cars. This rare spread of talents means that one Macan can effectively turn your single-car garage into a multi-horse stable. —Mike Duff
Ram 1500
In domesticating the American workhorse, Ram has built the best pickup for the way most of us use trucks today: as everyday transportation instead of as a special-purpose tool, moving people more often than payload and on suburban streets rather than in farm fields. Thanks in large part to the coil springs (or optional air springs) at each corner, the Ram 1500 goes down the road feeling more like a Mercedes-Benz GLS-class than a Ford F-150. Even the desert-running, dune-bashing 702-hp Ram 1500 TRX is unexpectedly delightful on paved roads. It uses soft long-travel springs to absorb big off-road hits, but rather than squishing and pitching and rolling around in traffic, the TRX ratchets up the stiffness of its adaptive dampers in pavement-oriented driving modes, giving the truck a remarkable sense of control on the road. —Eric Tingwall
Toyota Supra
The Supra makes our list for the second year in a row because its already strong value got even better. For 2021, not only does the silken turbo inline-six gain 47 ponies (now up to 382 horspower), but a 255-hp turbo 2.0-liter four joins the lineup. Both BMW-sourced engines are two of the best examples of their kind, and even the starter Supra gets to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. All Supras exhibit the neutral handling that makes a great rear-wheel-drive sports car so entertaining. Here, too, Toyota has made advancements, tweaking the steering and refining the suspension. Given the enhancements and the 2.0 model's $43,985 base price, last year's winner is now an even better package. That's how you make a sports car an enduring success. —Mike Sutton
Volkswagen Golf GTI / Jetta GLI
We reward the GTI time and time again because it's just that good. As is its fraternal twin, the Jetta GLI. These two cars share a 228-hp turbocharged inline-four, VW's MQB platform, a limited-slip differential, and manual and dual-clutch automatic transmissions. Get behind the wheel of a GTI or GLI and you'll find a playful and premium driving experience, with each offering a level of sensitivity to driver inputs that most makers of sport compacts can only dream of achieving. What's more, for all this goodness, VW doesn't demand a single sacrifice in practicality. And you can't say the GLI's starting point of $27,340 isn't attractive. —Annie White
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Online used-car retailer Carvana has built 27 "car vending machines" around the country like the one in our pictures. Most customers take delivery of their vehicles at home, but those who live near one of the glass towers have the option to pick up their purchase. Buyers receive an over-sized novelty coin to activate the vending machine, which dispenses the vehicle in a moment that feels considerably more special than buying a bag of stale Cheetos. Since Carvana sells only used vehicles, you'll need to wait a year or two before you can take delivery of this year's 10Best winners.
