The Best Cars, Trucks, and SUVs of 2024

Only three cars earned Best of the Best accolades in 2024—but there were dozens of other candidates that nearly made the cut.

Motor1's Best of the Best Awards 2024

Photo by: Ralph Hermens | Motor1

Jeff Perez

By: Jeff Perez

Dec 19, 2024 at 12:00pm ET

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It was an excellent year for new cars, and we endeavored to drive as many of them as possible. Motor1 published just shy of 200 reviews and first drives in 2024, with the editorial staff taking its talents around the globe in an effort to get behind the wheel of as many vehicles as possible.

And boy did we.

For our inaugural Best of the Best Awards, we rifled through hundreds of potential candidates before deciding on just one winner for each category. The Honda Civic Hybrid took home the award for Best Car, the Lexus GX was dubbed Best SUV, and the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison earned top honors in the Best Truck category.

Best Car: Honda Civic Hybrid

Photo by: Honda

But it wasn't all about the winners. For each first-place car, truck, and SUV, there were a handful of runner-ups that also made the final cut. Although these cars didn't earn top accolades for one reason or another, they still warmed our hearts enough to earn podium finishes for their all-around excellence.

The ever-beloved Toyota Camry and the innovative Lucid Air Pure fell just short of the Civic Hybrid for Best Car. The exciting new Kia EV9 and the luxurious Mazda CX-70 earned second and third in the SUV category. And the Tacoma Hybrid and updated Ford F-150 finished just behind Chevy for Best Truck.

Best Car Runner-Ups: Toyota Camry / Lucid Air Pure
Best SUV Runner-Ups: Kia EV9 / Mazda CX-70
Best Truck Runner-Ups: Toyota Tacoma Hybrid / Ford F-150

Best SUV: Kia EV9

Photo by: Kia

Beyond that, there were dozens of other vehicles under consideration that ultimately didn't make the cut.

In the ever-narrowing field of traditional passenger cars, the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class was a strong candidate with its fresh design and updated engines. We also considered the new Porsche Panamera, a pricey but fantastic luxury saloon (hatchback? wagon?).

For SUV, the new Mercedes-Benz G-Class wowed us with its all-around capability and luxury. The new Nissan Kicks and updated Hyundai Tucson, meanwhile, were two excellent candidates on the other end of the SUV spectrum.

New trucks weren't as populous this year, but the updated 2025 Ford Maverick made a strong case for itself with a sharp redesign and some exciting new trims. The Ford Ranger Raptor also won over some hearts in our off-road truck comparison.

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

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Ultimately though, each vehicle that earned top accolades was well deserving. The Civic Hybrid is a standout in the small car class, the Lexus GX is a hugely capable and luxurious SUV, and the Colorado ZR2 Bison is bonkers in the best ways.

We'll be back in 2025 for even more from Best of the Best. In the meantime, thanks for tuning in.

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