Car of the Year

Pro Impressive base model Fun, quality interior AMG engine Con Melty exterior design Some cheap bits Rough ride The democratization of luxury has proven difficult for many premium brands, none more so than Mercedes-Benz. Pilloried for its cynical first attempt at the entry-luxury CLA-Class subcompact sedan, the folks from Stuttgart could have packed it in. Instead, they doubled down, first with the A-Class (a 2020 COTY finalist) but then with the second-gen 2021 Mercedes-Benz CLA, which is nothing short of impressive. So impressive, in fact, that it is also a Car of the Year finalist. View Other 2021 Car Of The Year Contenders And Finalists Here “The previous version always felt built to a price and like it had been finished by Mercedes’ van division,” features editor Christian Seabaugh sa...

Pros Fun N Line variant Good value Roomy back seats Cons Unrefined transmission Fishy front-end styling Ride quality The 2021 Hyundai Sonata makes a compelling case to grab our Golden Calipers this year with bold styling and an expanded lineup, which includes a hybrid and a new N Line model powered by a powerful turbo-four engine. With consumers continuing to gravitate to crossovers, will the revived Sonata be enough to slow the trend? And can it rise above the midsize segment’s juggernauts, the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord? View Other 2021 Car Of The Year Contenders And Finalists Here The biggest surprise in the lineup is the new Sonata N Line. Enthusiasts looking for a practical yet fun midsize sedan will likely find a lot to like with this one, including a 2.5-liter turbocharged ...

Pros Gorgeous styling Strong inline-six Four-door practicality Cons Pricey Unrefined stop/start system Cramped rear headroom The BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe won’t set any sales charts ablaze, but based on our judges’ notes, it might be the most desirable car in the automaker’s lineup. And why wouldn’t it be? Yes, it’s a sedan version of the very attractive BMW 8 Series coupe, but it manages to be just as gorgeous. The coupe’s most standout styling details—its wide haunches, frameless doors, and long hood—translate well to the Gran Coupe. And the practicality of its rear doors is just icing on the cake. View Other 2021 Car Of The Year Contenders And Finalists Here “The proportions are just stellar,” senior features editor Jonny Lieberman said. “Just how you drew up cars on your Pee-Chee folders...

Pro Surprising style Standard safety tech Features per dollar Con Average fuel economy Poor retained value Lumpy CVT tuning Nissan has done it. After years of wallowing in econobox mediocrity, the compact Sentra sedan matters again. Even without the head-turning two-tone paint of our test car, this Nissan can compete head-on with the Toyota Corolla and almost every other car in the segment. View Other 2021 Car Of The Year Contenders And Finalists Here True, this isn’t a comparison test, but judges found it impossible not to consider the new-for-2020 Nissan Sentra against an aging but still excellent class leader, the Civic. “The Honda Civic looms large,” senior features editor Jonny Lieberman said, “and in terms of engineering excellence, I don’t think the Sentra has that bogey beat.” Stil...

Pro Excellent chassis Great powertrains Premium interior Con Complicated infotainment Gets pricey quickly Climb into a 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, in either sedan, coupe, convertible, or wagon form, and you will understand the true meaning of luxury. For 2021, Mercedes has freshened the E-Class‘s sheetmetal, updated its engines, and upgraded its infotainment system. View Other 2021 Car Of The Year Contenders And Finalists Here From the graining of the dashboard wood to the suppleness of the heated, ventilated, posture-correct leather seats, the E-Class delivers a premium experience. Yet it also is thoroughly modern, from the robust yet efficient responsiveness of its powertrain to the plethora of high-tech features. “The E-Class delivers on every front you can think of—both from a pa...

Pros Weak-in-the-knees looks Phenomenal performance Drives like a Porsche should Cons Inefficient in a market that demands efficiency Insufficient range Very pricey The CliffsNotes summary of the electric Porsche Taycan is this: a staggeringly impressive vehicle that struggled against some of our Car of the Year criteria. View Other 2021 Car Of The Year Contenders And Finalists Here Remember, we employ six key criteria when evaluating cars during COTY, which is how the $26,000 Nissan Sentra is able to be in the same competition with a $146,000 electric Porsche. The Taycan knocked several of those criteria out of the park. But let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first. “You are looking at the least efficient fully electric vehicle currently produced today, period,” Zach Gale said. “How d...

Genesis G80 Full Overview Pro Great back seat Luxe features without the price Cool interior details Con Engine refinement issues Subpar ride/handling Quicker/more efficient competition We really wanted to love the 2021 Genesis G80, but the midsize luxury sedan segment requires a delicate touch the redesigned model just doesn’t deliver. Genesis has nailed certain aspects while leaving us cold in others. The most basic compliment we can pay the G80 is thanking Genesis for continuing to offer a sedan in this price range. While Genesis was putting final touches on the 2021 G80, the Acura RLX, Lexus GS, and Lincoln Continental were discontinued, leaving the luxury sedan world three cars the poorer. You don’t get a prize just for showing up, though. Genesis attempts to earn its place...

BMW 4-Series Full Overview Pro Great engine Great handling Great ride Con That face Same old interior Gesture control There is a well-traveled rumor that the 2021 BMW 4 Series exterior design team has been reassigned to styling door handles and seat belt mountings for the rest of their careers. OK, maybe that’s fake news. But it does prove that Germans have a sense of humor. Regardless, buying a BMW 4 Series for its dynamic thrills is going to result in people asking you lots of questions, starting not with, “How does it drive?” but rather, “When was your last eye exam?” Which is a shame, because the BMW M440i xDrive coupe is a blast. See all 23 photos But first, we must discuss design. BMW’s signature kidney grilles are suffering from hydronephrosis. Ma...