Zoomies: 2026 Vehicles of the Year

Top 9 Vehicles of the Year, plus a few almost winners …

Sometimes a car or truck is so special, so well designed, so just right for the market that it screams like a 12-cylinder Ferrari to be the Zoomie Car of the Year. Miata in 1990 was one!

That’s not this year though.

After 32 years of picking my best drives of the past year I can say this batch of 2025 and 2026 models simply is phenomenal, as a group. A few stand out for styling, a few are great values, and some just nail interior design and usefulness.

No, I’m not copping out.

I’ve got 9 great vehicles for you here (plus 4 honorable mentions), but there are some caveats. Those first!

Design divas:

Looks go a long way with me, and many buyers. This year I was sure I’d swoon over Volkswagen’s new Buzz electric minivan. It’s sleek modern yet retro Microbus styling delivers major Wow Factor. But that’s about it. With less than 200 miles of range and a luxury SUV’s price tag, well. I’ve yet to see one on the road locally.

Then there’s the beautifully styled Lexus RX450e, another EV that’ll catch you looking, but has modest EV range. Like Miller Lite, Looks Great, but less Fulfilling.

Inner wonders:

Lincoln wins this with its Rejuvenate system that lights up a 4-foot wide screen with waterfalls, raindrops and the Aurora Borealis for cripes sake. All that to relax the driver when he/she pulls into a rest stop for a nap during a long road trip. Massaging seats help too, but Rejuvenate appears in the Navigator Black Label 3-row SUV, along with hand’s-free BlueCruise, all for $122k. Ouch!

That and the wonderful Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 3-row SUV that tops out at $126k are just too rich for my Zoomie’s blood despite their stellar interiors.

Stellar SUVs:

Tops is the smartly styled Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid that gets noticed on the highway due to its squared off styling and clever H-shaped head and taillights. This SUV offers 3-row seating, gas and hybrid power plus a plug-in hybrid option. Smart marketing. AWD is optional but a smart interior with twin wireless phone chargers is standard, as is affordability. You might get tired of hearing that this year. Prices start about $35k for gas and $39k for a hybrid.

Need a compact SUV with luxury leanings. Look no further than the Lincoln Corsair PHEV, a plug-in hybrid that delivers 27 miles of plug-in range for around town jaunts. Then the gas power kicks in for 266 horsepower delivered as smoothly as one expects from a Lincoln (boulevard ride) and in a beautiful interior featuring 24-way power seats. Comfy! A gas version starts at $41k and the tested PHEV was $56k. Luxury regularly starts about $60k these days.

Many vehicles today have stellar interiors as in comfortable, stylish and filled with enough electronics to confuse Space Station astronauts. My favorite interior graced another compact SUV, the Genesis GV70. The simple layout coupled with a 27-inch info screen, power tilt/telescope wheel and shocking red leather seats and door panels earns it an honorable mention just for its dandy digs.

Electrics that hum:

Hyundai’s Ioniq 9 was the most impressive EV this year, starting with its Futurama styling cues from funky parametric lights to its cubist body stylings. Oh, and it can pack 335 miles of electric range while offering three rows of seats. Thinking this is what VW’s Buzz had aimed to be. Plenty of power too in the upper trims, 442 horses, plus massaging seats and a NACS port for use at Tesla charging stations. This pushes into luxury territory at $60,500 for a base and up to nearly $80k for performance-oriented trims.

Hyundai’s upscale cousin Genesis scores in the EV category too with the GV60 Performance AWD a compact crossover EV with unique rounded exterior styling that turns heads, and a minimalist interior that would please anyone of the Nordic ilk. (That’s ilk, not elk.)  Power is rocket-like at 429 horses with this AWD model that still delivers 252 miles of range. A lower powered model nets 300 miles of range and still looks great. Soft creamy leather seats and door panels along with a simple sleek dash design make this a winner, but prices range from $54k to $72k.  

Nissan’s Leaf is the Festivus for the rest of us EV. This former fuddy-duddy looker was restyled to resemble a tall sedan with a rear that opens like a hatch. Clever! Plus, it features a NACs charger and standard outlet too, so finding a place to charge from garage to grocery store will be easier.

Charging is faster now too, and range goes from 256 to 300 miles. Perfect for daily commutes and shopping, plus a buyer doesn’t have to look dowdy anymore. Entry price is just $31,500 and can run up to $41k. Still it’s the least expensive EV on the market.

An honorable mention to the Toyota Prius PHEV, the Prime hybrid was my Zoomie Car of the Year in 2024. But now the sporty fastback Prius adds a plug-in hybrid that nets 44 miles of EV range and delivers 220 horsepower. Sporty and efficient, awesome!

Sexy Sedan:

OK, sexy might be a reach, but the Lexus LS 500 F Sport is the finest sedan I’ve ever driven. This Lexus oozes luxury and smoothness with a silky 3.4-liter turbo V6 hooked up to an AWD system so snow and slop won’t keep you from the opera.

Power is generous at 416 horses and that’s enough kick to make highway entrance ramps a bit of a rush. Interior quiet is first rate, quieter than some SUVs that now top $110k. I understand that few of us can afford such sumptuous wheels as this Lexus that runs between $88k and $95k, but still one can dream.

Crossovers:

Two winners, the Hyundai Kona Ltd. AWD and Subaru Forester Hybrid. Both are economical, offer AWD and are a step up from many entry-level and compact crossovers.

Kona wins the styling war with slim head and taillight bars that stand out in any parking lot or on any highway. Kona looks youthful inside and out plus its 1.6-liter I4 turbo kicks out 190 horsepower, plenty for a small crossover. Still the interior is quiet and the Limited trim is both well-equipped and a bargain at $35k. Folks wanting an even smaller entry price can opt for the base model at about $26k. Add AWD for just $1,500.

Subaru finally has a Forester Hybrid and it was worth the wait as it has been engineered so the power is shared equally to all four wheels for both better traction and smoother power delivery. Window glass has been thickened to create a quieter interior, ride has been refined and power is up to 194 horses for quicker acceleration. All are wins! The hybrid does push the price up a bit, expect to pay about $43k.

Slipping in two honorable mentions here for the two crossovers that were the most fun to drive this year, one at either end of the market. Let’s call these Fast and Furious!

First, the Mazda CX-30 Turbo, which I’ve praised before as my vehicle of the year in 2021, and BMW’s amazing X3 M50i.

The Mazda boasts 227 horsepower and a torque rating of 310 all hooked to an AWD system to give it great traction while handling remains a Mazda strong point. Cost of entry? Just $26.4k to $38.3k and even at that the interior looks and feels like entry-level luxury.

BMW always delivers strong performance and handling, but the X3’s twin-turbo I6 with mild hybrid delivers both an astonishing 393 horsepower and an amazing 28.4 mpg in my test. So much fun, but at about double the Mazda’s price at $65k.

Zoomie Car of the Year:

Back to just one car of the year here as style, value, and performance blend handsomely in the Kia K4 GT-Line. I’m a sucker for cars vs. crossovers if only for their looks and lower centers of gravity.

But Kia, and its cousins, Hyundai and Genesis, continue to outperform most makes when it comes to style. Consider the Kona, GV60, Ioniq 9 and GV70 models listed above. There’s a trend here.

Kia’s midsize K4 replaces the former Forte and from a styling standpoint kicks booty with a fastback profile and like other Kia/Hyundai/Genesis products, sleek nose, lights and modern, simple minimalist interior. What’s not to like visually? Nothin’ my friends.

Power in the GT-Line sedan comes from Kia’s kicky 1.6-liter turbo I4 linked to a silky 8-speed automatic transmission. Power is 190 horses and 195 pound-feet of torque. This sedan will scoot. But it’s the ride that smooths out our rough Midwest roads, as good as many luxury makes and better than nearly all SUVs, even those hitting $100k. Ride will sell a lot of K4s if given the chance.

Handling is nimble too and did I mention I managed 34 mpg in the tester?

Combine all that with pricing in the $24k-$30k range and affordability becomes a major selling point. My test car just snuck up to $31.5k and included every feature one would want in a family sedan that’ll make the neighbors jealous. And wait until they see the snazzy interior with its half-square steering wheel. Looks like you’ve made it my friend.

Zoomie Car of the Year indeed!