Editors' Choice: The Best Cars We've Tested This Year, by Segment

The cars that stood out

Across a year of testing cars from every corner of the market — affordable hatchbacks to million-pound hypercars, across the US, UK and India — some genuinely stood out. These are our Editors' Choice picks: the best cars we've tested this year, organised by segment, each chosen for excelling at its mission and delivering genuine value.

A note on how to read this: these picks are segment-relative. The best affordable EV and the best hypercar are both here because each is outstanding at what it is. We're not ranking a supermini against a supercar — we're identifying the standout in each category. Cross-reference the full reviews for the complete picture.

Best affordable EV — Renault 5 E-Tech (9/10)

The Renault 5 wins this category decisively. It's the rare affordable EV with genuine desirability — retro-charming, genuinely good to drive, nicer inside than its price suggests, and keenly priced from £22,995 (less the EV grant). Multi-award-winning for good reason, it proved that going electric on a budget can be a car you want, not one you settle for. The standout affordable EV of the year.

Runner-up: watch the Kia EV2, which could challenge on value if it delivers sub-£25K.

Best family EV — Hyundai Ioniq 9 (9/10)

The three-row family EV the segment was missing. Genuine six/seven-seat space, 300-plus miles of range in every configuration, brilliant 24-minute fast charging, a serene upscale cabin, and a sub-$60K start that shames the Model X on value. For families going electric, it's the clearest recommendation we can give. The family EV benchmark.

Best performance-luxury EV — Porsche Cayenne Electric (9/10)

A technological tour de force — 16-minute fast charging, up to 1,139 hp in the Turbo, genuine Porsche driving ability, and full family practicality. Expensive, yes, but the most complete performance-luxury electric SUV on sale. The performance-luxury EV to beat (if you can afford it — and buy the base or S, not the Turbo).

Best affordable EV (India) — MG Windsor (8.5/10)

India's best-selling EV earns its crown: spacious, comfortable, feature-loaded, and made genuinely affordable via clever Battery-as-a-Service pricing, with unique reclining rear seats no rival matches. The laggy infotainment is a real gripe, but as value-packed family EV it's a deserving hit. India's affordable-EV champion.

Best mainstream EV — Tesla Model Y (2026) (8.5/10)

The Juniper update fixed the old car's weaknesses (harsh ride, road noise, styling) while keeping the strengths that made it the default: the Supercharger network, mature software, range and packaging. At PCP deals from ~£300/month, more compelling than ever. Still the sensible mainstream default, even as rivals close in.

Best small SUV — Ford Puma (8.5/10)

Britain's best-seller for the right reason: it's the small SUV that's actually fun to drive, with the clever MegaBox practicality, keen pricing and easy ownership. Rivals match it on paper; few match it on the road. The most complete and enjoyable small SUV.

Best family SUV — Kia Sportage (8.5/10)

Excellence through completeness — spacious, well-made, efficient (strong hybrids), keenly priced, and backed by a class-leading 7-year warranty, with no real weaknesses. The car that makes the family-SUV decision easy. The safe, smart family-SUV benchmark.

Best value SUV — Dacia Duster (8.5/10)

Still the most SUV for the least money — genuine ruggedness, space and 4x4 capability for thousands less than the mainstream, now with a newly grown-up feel. The value champion, undefeated.

Best first EV (India) — Maruti e Vitara (8.5/10)

The reassuring first EV — up to 543 km range, 5-star safety, and the decisive advantage of Maruti's vast service network and unmatched trust. The safest bet for a mainstream Indian family going electric.

Best affordable performance car — Chevrolet Bolt (8.5/10)

America's cheapest new EV, reborn better — 150 kW charging, native NACS, still $29,990. GM shouldn't have killed it; we're glad they admitted as much. The sensible affordable-EV pick.

Best hypercar — McLaren W1 (see First Drives)

Our first-drive impressions (full review in our First Drives coverage) mark the W1 as the standout in the hypercar class — 1,258 hp, rear-drive purity, F1-derived engineering, and genuine driving involvement that honours the F1 and P1 lineage. The driver's hypercar of the moment.

Best exciting EV (India) — Mahindra BE 6 (8/10)

For the enthusiast: concept-car looks, genuine driving fun, and a huge 683 km range. Practicality trade-offs from the coupe design, but nothing in India matches its excitement. The enthusiast's Indian EV.

How to use these picks

These Editors' Choice awards identify the standout in each category, but the right car for you depends on your specific needs, budget and market. A category winner might not suit you if its mission doesn't match yours, and a car that didn't win its segment might be perfect for your particular priorities. Use these as a shortlist starting point, then read the full reviews and cross-shop against your own requirements.

The bottom line

The best cars we've tested this year span every segment and all three markets — from the desirable Renault 5 and benchmark Ioniq 9 to the value-champion Dacia Duster, the best-selling MG Windsor, and the extraordinary McLaren W1. Each earns its Editors' Choice for excelling at its mission and delivering genuine value in its class. Use them as a trusted shortlist, read the full reviews for the complete picture, and match the winners against your own needs. These are the cars that stood out — and the ones we'd point a friend toward, segment by segment.

• Our Editors' Choice picks identify the standout car we've tested in each segment, across the US, UK and India markets
• Standouts include the Renault 5 (affordable EV), Ioniq 9 (family EV), Cayenne Electric (performance-luxury EV), and McLaren W1 (hypercar)
• Value and market-specific champions feature too: MG Windsor and Maruti e Vitara (India), Dacia Duster (value SUV), Ford Puma (small SUV)
• Picks are segment-relative — each wins by excelling at its own mission and price, not by ranking across classes
• Use these as a trusted shortlist, then read the full reviews and cross-shop against your specific needs, budget and market

Key takeaways

• Our Editors' Choice picks identify the standout car we've tested in each segment, across the US, UK and India markets
• Standouts include the Renault 5 (affordable EV), Ioniq 9 (family EV), Cayenne Electric (performance-luxury EV), and McLaren W1 (hypercar)
• Value and market-specific champions feature too: MG Windsor and Maruti e Vitara (India), Dacia Duster (value SUV), Ford Puma (small SUV)
• Picks are segment-relative — each wins by excelling at its own mission and price, not by ranking across classes
• Use these as a trusted shortlist, then read the full reviews and cross-shop against your specific needs, budget and market