Best of 2016 Nominees

2016 Volvo XC90

The Volvo XC90’s Best Of 2016 win can be summed up in one word: execution. What’s too often lost on shoppers is how varied the performance and effectiveness of features can be among models that seem to be equally equipped. On paper, the XC90 looks like most luxury SUVs, distinguished mainly by its stately exterior styling and a list of active-safety features above and beyond what competitors offer, such as collision avoidance and protection in additional scenarios, like when turning in front of an oncoming vehicle. Get behind the wheel, however, and you encounter distinctive styling and high quality in everything from the look of its materials to the feel of its few mechanical controls. A single central control screen that incorporates almost all vehicle functions could reasonably give a consumer pause, but Volvo’s execution adds value rather than subtracts it. From the moment you start to explore the touch-sensitive screen — a technology as likely to frustrate you as please you in other vehicles — it’s clear Volvo has done it right. It responds immediately, its menus are clear and its functions easily understood. Despite all this computerization, the gear selector remains a conventional lever; unlike many competitors, Volvo hasn’t set out to fix what wasn’t broken.

Expectations are also exceeded by the impossibly small 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which delivers in spades through the innovative use of both a supercharger and turbocharger, providing both spirited acceleration and exceptional gas mileage. Air-spring suspensions are common among luxury vehicles, but few provide the comfortable ride enjoyed in XC90s equipped with the 4-Corner Air Suspension, a stand-alone option available on all trim levels that erases the otherwise punishing effect of wheels as large as 22 inches. Finally, the XC90 delivers as a family vehicle, with a standard airy panoramic moonroof and the ability to accommodate three child-safety seats in the second row, which helped the SUV earn almost straight A’s in our Car Seat Check. Another bonus, Volvo offers an integrated booster seat as a reasonably priced stand-alone option. Once known merely as the safe-car company, Volvo has transcended. The 2016 model year is clearly its finest hour, and the XC90 its finest product. With the Cars.com Best of 2016 Volvo XC90, it’s consumers who win.

Best New Midsize Sedan

The new Malibu jumps successfully into the extremely competitive midsize segment with the 2016 version's much-needed "reimagining," as Chevrolet calls it. Basically, Chevy took the Malibu back to the drawing board and started from scratch to improve areas such as the cramped backseat and rental-car-quality interior appointments. The extensive reworking adds nearly a 4-inch-stretched wheelbase, opening up backseat room considerably, and the Malibu lost almost 300 pounds, which makes for improved performance and fuel economy.

The completely restyled interior and exterior offer notably high-quality appointments for the class, and bring in hot new features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard features on LS and above trims, plus safety features including forward collision warning with auto-braking and rear cross-traffic alert as options on LT and higher trim levels. The new standard 163-horsepower, turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder is more efficient than the outgoing base engine (now 27/37/31 mpg city/highway/combined, up from 25/36/29 mpg), and the Malibu stands out among other more appliancelike midsize sedans with the surprisingly fun-to-drive optional 250-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and eight-speed automatic transmission.
 

Best New Compact Sedan

The Civic is one of the best-selling cars annually in the U.S., but Honda has completely rethought its compact sedan for 2016 and the results are impressive. Built on Honda's all-new global platform, the new Civic returns to its roots with an entertaining driving experience, thanks in part to responsive steering and well-controlled body motions. At the same time, the car has a more premium feel overall, and particularly in its ride quality.

The new Civic is larger on the outside than its predecessor, and it lives like a bigger car on the inside. This is especially evident in the backseat, with space that rivals some midsize sedans. It's also ready to work with your smartphone, with all but the base trim level equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Even when you consider its standout attributes, what's perhaps most remarkable about the redesigned Civic is that it costs about the same as the outgoing version, giving car shoppers a ton of value for their money.

Best New Subcompact SUV

Few segments in the auto industry are as hot as subcompact SUVs, an expanding group of micro-crossovers whose "utility" factor amounts, in many cases, to little more than a tall-but-tiny hatchback with all-wheel drive. Call it "tall-wheel drive," if you like. All hail the Honda HR-V, a new subcompact SUV that keeps utility the priority. The Fit-based HR-V boasts a low cargo floor and fold-flat rear seats that open up enough space to easily stow a bike. If you have taller cargo, the backseat cushions fold up to enable floor-to-ceiling storage. The HR-V pairs this with a forgiving ride and exceptional cabin quality, with better materials in crucial touch-points than you'll often find in larger, pricier SUVs. The generous standard features include Bluetooth, alloy wheels and a backup camera, and all-wheel-drive versions start around a relatively affordable $22,000.

The strengths don't come at the expense of efficiency. The EPA's combined mpg rating with the optional automatic transmission and front-wheel drive is an excellent 31 mpg. All-wheel drive drops the HR-V to 29 mpg, which is still better than some of the HR-V's front-wheel-drive competitors. America's love for SUVs is here to stay, but once gas prices end their current lull, the HR-V is poised to satisfy both consumer tastes and budgets.
 

Best New Midsize SUV

Family vehicles get a lot thrown at them, from people, to stuff, to demanding schedules, and Kia's midsize SUV can take it all. The 2016 Kia Sorento offers versatile seating for five or seven passengers with its optional third row, a generous cargo area and plenty of creature comforts for carpooling, road trips and everything in between. For 2016, the Sorento is bigger; it uses Kia's simple, clean UVO multimedia system; and it gets a new, optional turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Both power and fuel economy are impressive, as is passenger space. Room in the second row is generous and child-safety-seat installation is a breeze thanks to accessible lower Latch anchors. In back, handy hooks and cargo tie-downs keep bags and packages organized. On models without the third row, under-floor storage helps confine smaller packages and keep valuables secure. Better yet, it gets Top Safety Pick status from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, helping to keep your other precious cargo safe. A Best of award winner exemplifies quality, innovation and value; the Sorento checks all three boxes with a well-made cabin, seamless multimedia system and affordable price.  
 

Best New Hybrid

The Prius has long been a standard-bearer of the hybrid movement, delivering class-leading mileage and not much else. For 2016, thanks to improved driving performance and interior design, the new Prius could be the first of its breed to attract people who care about more than just getting the highest mileage available — though it manages to get even better mileage on top of that. It has sleeker exterior styling than any previous version, and an interior that looks like the cars we thought we'd be driving in 2016.