U.S. News & World Report singled out what it considers to be the best 2026 auto brands, including two new categories: electric vehicles and luxury electric vehicles. 

The media company, known for its rankings of everything from colleges to cars, said electrics are here to stay and often present consumers with very different choices from sometimes unfamiliar brands. The winners in each category are based on a combination of performance, interior quality, safety and reliability. 

Best Car Brand

Honda wins in the car category for the fifth year in a row. Standout vehicles Models U.S. News singled out include the Accord and the Civic, both of which have hybrid models it says build on the strengths of the originals.

Best SUV Brand

Hyundai wins for the fifth time in the past six years. U.S. News credits it with having an SUV for almost every buyer, from the small Kona to the compact Tucson to the midsize Santa Fe. 

Best Truck Brand

Ram earns the truck title for the seventh year in a row. The Ram 1500 is the brand’s best seller due to the variety of configurations that buyers can choose from, according to U.S. News.

Best Luxury Brand

Genesis wins this category for the first time and is only the second automaker to knock Porsche out of the top spot. U.S. News highlighted the GV70 SUV for its comfort and style.

Best Electric Vehicle Brand

Ford takes home the win in this new category, barely beating out Hyundai. The report says F-150 Lightning as doing “almost everything the regular F-150 does but better.” And the Mustang Mach-E is said to be the “one of the most popular American vehicles in Europe.”

Best Luxury Electric Vehicle Brand

EV maker Lucid's Air sedan has more than 500 miles of range, and its Gravity SUV has more than 450. All of its vehicles except for the base-model Air can hit 60 mph in under four seconds, U.S. News said in explaining its choice.