Car And Driver's 10 Best List Is Dominated By Old School ICE Cars, Includes Honda Accord For The 38th Time

Bradley Brownell

December 6, 2023 at 1:00 PM·6 min read

Seven sedans and three sports cars make up this year’s Car and Driver 10 Best cars. The 10 best trucks and SUVs list features two EVs, six crossovers, and two trucks that could not be more different. It’s a really interesting collection of twenty vehicles that really shows the best of the market as it is available today. This year, with inflation being what it has been over the last couple of years, the base price cap has been pumped up to $110,000, and there are a ton of great cars available under that cap. So let’s see what they are!

Honda Accord

The Accord has been on the 10 Best list an incredible 38 times. It’s a good car, and it has always been a good car. It’s maybe the platonic ideal of what a good sedan should be. It’s got the reliability and daily usability that you look for in a good family hauler, but it has just a little bit of an enthusiast edge that you can’t find in the Camry or Malibu or whatever. It still deserves to be here.

The Lucid Air is probably the best luxury EV out there. It’s not as fun as Porsche’s Taycan, but it’s much more comfortable and the interior is better appointed. The new Pure model with a single motor isn’t as quick as the three-motor Sapphire, but it’s a better buy.

Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

It’s hard to say for sure, but I still occasionally think the CT4-V Blackwing is the best thing I’ve ever driven with an internal combustion engine. It’s easily the best thing Cadillac has ever built, and in my mind beats anything the Germans have tried in this segment.

Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

The CT5-V Blackwing is nearly as good as its little sibling, but it’s much more of a hooligan and much less of a well-oiled machine. This is a car that makes you want to do burnouts at every stop light, while the CT4 makes you want to set a fast lap time. My big problem with the CT5 was its abysmal fuel mileage. Hell of a lot of fun, though.

Toyota Prius

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the CT5-V Blackwing is Toyota’s new Prius. This is a huge step forward for hybrid technology, as Toyota actually managed to make it look beautiful. Hybrids have been dork-mobiles for the last two decades, and the Prius is mostly to blame. Giving the Prius a glow up was the best thing Toyota could have done.

Corvette E-Ray

Corvette E-Ray, damn, what a car. Chevrolet is coming for Porsche’s lunch money, and the Corvette E-Ray is king bully in the school yard. This injection of e-tech is exactly what the Corvette needed to become one of the all-time great grand tourers. Phenomenal car, and a well-deserved 10 Best. Corvette has been on the list 25 times.

Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman

Another mid-engine wonder with 25 entries on the 10 Best list is Porsche’s Boxster/Cayman pairing. The Boxster was launched in 1997, so it has been on the list almost every year since it launched, missing only 2004 and 2005. They’re the standard against which all other sports cars are measured, and rarely beaten.

Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT86

If you can’t afford the Cayman, you get the BRZ/GT86. It’s amazing just how great these cars are, and how under-appreciated they remain.

Acura Integra Type S

The number of people who have driven the Integra Type S and loved it is the total inverse of the number of keyboard warriors who trashed it online when it was unveiled. This is a great car with a great pedigree.

Chevrolet Trax

I have not yet driven the Trax, but everyone I know who has been behind the wheel absolutely loved it. It sounds like Chevrolet really knocked it out of the park with this one. It’s nice to see major automakers investing in quality low-cost product again. Hopefully this is a trend for the future of the market.

Ford Maverick

Speaking of investing in quality low-cost product, the Maverick has been an absolute win for Ford these last few years. The hybrid remains my favorite of the bunch, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. This proves there’s a market for a compact pickup truck in America. Good truck.

Genesis GV70

Genesis has been killing their designs lately. The GV70 is another great look from the Korean automaker. I’d much rather have one of these than the bloated silver blobs from Mercedes or Lexus.

Honda CR-V

The CR-V has long been an American favorite, taking over the place where the Civic used to sit in our collective hearts. This is the CR-V’s third time on the list, and it makes total sense.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Ioniq 5 is a design standout shot in the arm in a world of bland. There’s so much to love about this electric wonder. If you’re looking for a family EV, this is a pretty good way to go.

Kia EV9

If your family is too big for the Ioniq 5, Kia has you covered with the EV9. This thing looks like a giant Decepticon in person, and that’s probably a good thing. Neat car. Can’t wait to drive one.

Kia Telluride

If the EV9 appeals to you, but you aren’t sure about electric, there’s the Kia Telluride. That’s pretty much the pitch.

Porsche Macan

As crossovers go, the Macan is the best driving crossover of them all. It’s totally unfair how Porsche has managed to make the Macan drive like a sports sedan. The dynamics of this thing are truly unbelievable if you have never experienced it before. I’m still a hard sell on the Porsche SUV thing, even after all these years and even considering I own one, but the Macan is a great crossover.

Ram 1500

For trucks that do truck things, you go to the truck company. Ram has been building some great trucks lately. While I didn’t like the TRX on-road dynamics, it’s an incredible off roader, and the technology behind it is truly mind bending. Much of that trickles down to the rest of the Ram lineup.

Toyota Grand Highlander

The all-hybrid big Toyota gets about 34 miles per gallon on average, according to the automaker. That’s enough of a reason to include it on this list as any.

Conclusion

Take this list as a whole and it largely just confirms that Toyota, Honda, and Porsche are really good at building cars. Did you really doubt that?