Indholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2026 i MotorTrend

Our friend, colleague, and teammate Ryan Ono passed away just before we began our annual Of The Year programs, which make up most of this issue. His parents, Elizabeth and Richard, told us that despite the intense heat and long hours of the OTYs, Ryan enjoyed them tremendously, and “He couldn’t believe there were jobs like this in the world.” We can’t believe Ryan is gone and miss his presence every day. You won’t find Ryan’s byline in any issue of MotorTrend or on MotorTrend.com even though he worked with us for the better part of 13 years. Ryan was not a writer, photographer, or editor; he worked behind the scenes under the catchall title of “content coordinator.” Yet he touched every part of our organization and was always a…

JUDGES/TESTERS Scott Evans Features Editor Aaron Gold Senior Editor Erik Johnson Digital Director Jered Korfhage Technical Writer Frank Markus Technical Director Eric Tingwall Testing Director CONTENDER Chevrolet BrightDrop PROS Spectacular one-pedal tuning • Sweet power doors • Well engineered  CONS One guy hated the steering wheel placement • Pricey price • It’s dead, Jim Well, this is awkward. We’re reviewing a vehicle’s performance at an Of The Year event after that vehicle has been suddenly discontinued. Killed. Sent to the pearly crusher. It’s weird. What’s weirder is that the BrightDrop was not only killed but killed just two weeks after a team of GM’s best and Bright-est dropped off a van and gave us an in-depth presentation on its merits. And it has merits. Er, had merits. Chief among them…

50 DECEMBER/JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1975/1976 PRICE: $1.00 The winter of 1975–76 felt like the car industry was killing time as it adapted to new emissions standards and buyers stung by the energy crisis. We chronicled the history of Pontiac and the Corvette, took Bob Bondurant’s anti-terrorist driving course, and learned about accident investigation, the recall process, and what it took to make an armed, bulletproof Ford LTD. We covered cars including then-new future classics like the Jaguar XJ-S and Porsche 911 Turbo. We wrote fond farewells to the Cadillac Eldorado and the last jumbo-sized, overstuffed incarnation of the Ford Thunderbird. (Well, we weren’t so fond of that one.) In our quest for fuel economy, we sampled a V-6-powered Buick Century, which delivered 21.9 mpg at the cost of a 17.3-second 0–60 time.…

We made no changes this year to the six criteria we use in determining our Of The Year awards; as a refresher, they are advancement in design, efficiency,, engineering excellence, performance of intended function, safety, and value. With that out of the way, we deployed to the Honda Proving Center (HPC) in Cantil, California, to begin our Car of the Year proceedings. We used a high-speed oval with a lane that simulates Los Angeles’ 110 freeway, a curvy and undulating winding road, a special surfaces area with obstacles for testing suspension, and a vehicle dynamics area (VDA) with our figureeight cone course. Everything went smoothly until word circulated that the BMW M5 Touring was vibrating; one of its wheels was bent, and no replacements were available. Unfortunately, the Isle of…

JUDGES/TESTERS Erick Ayapana Associate Road Test Editor Miguel Cortina Mexico Editor Johan de Nysschen Automotive Industry Expert and Executive Scott Evans Features Editor Jered Korfhage Technical Writer Alisa Priddle Detroit Editor Billy Rehbock Associate Editor Alexander Stoklosa Deputy Editor Eric Tingwall Testing Director Audi A5 / S5 PROS Good value • Practical packaging • S5’s sweet engine CONS A5’s not so sweet engine • S5 not as sporty as past cars • Cabin materials The smaller end of Audi’s lineup is undergoing what’s known in corporate parlance as a restructuring, shrinking from the A4 sedan, A5 coupe and convertible, and A5 Sportback (plus each one’s sportier S version) to just one model: the A5 and the more powerful S5. These new models adopt the outgoing Sportback’s muscular four-door style, coupelike…

SUVS CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE MARKET, BRINGING MORE POWERTRAINS, TECH, AND INNOVATION FROM ALL CORNERS JUDGES/TESTERS Erick Ayapana Associate Road Test Editor Kyle Conner Out of Spec Reviews Founder Miguel Cortina Mexico Editor Gordon Dickie Automotive Industry and Engineering Executive Scott Evans Features Editor Aaron Gold Senior Editor Josh Jacquot Contributor Jered Korfhage Technical Writer Alex Leanse Associate Editor Ed Loh Head of Editorial Alisa Priddle Detroit Editor Billy Rehbock Associate Editor Christian Seabaugh Features Editor Eric Tingwall Testing Director CONTENDER Acura ADX PROS Smooth daily drive • Strong on safety • Has real buttons CONS Overpriced entry luxury • Powertrain lacks punch • HR-V interior design The ADX arrives as Acura’s new entry-level SUV, positioned above the Honda HR-V but priced squarely in the premium space. With a $36,350 starting…