Edmunds Top Rated Awards Spotlight the Best Vehicles Consumers Can Purchase in 2023

New category mix spotlights both electric and gas vehicles to reflect shifting market, consumer appetites

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The car shopping experts at Edmunds today announced the winners of the Edmunds Top Rated Awards 2023. The awards are determined by a combination of proprietary data and insights from Edmunds' extensive new vehicle testing and rating process, and the winners represent the finest vehicles on sale in 2023.

The winners of the Edmunds Top Rated Awards 2023 are:

• Edmunds Top Rated Car — Honda Civic
• Edmunds Top Rated Electric Car — Chevrolet Bolt EV
• Edmunds Top Rated SUV — Kia Sportage Hybrid
• Edmunds Top Rated Electric SUV — Hyundai Ioniq 5
• Edmunds Top Rated Truck — Ford F-150
• Edmunds Top Rated Electric Truck — Ford F-150 Lightning

This year's collection of awards takes a fresh approach, including categories organized by powertrain (electric and internal combustion engined) rather than price (mainstream and luxury) to better reflect the shifting market and consumers' growing consideration of green vehicles.

 "Consumers planning on re-entering the car market in 2023 might be surprised by how much has changed since the last time they purchased a vehicle. Navigating the influx of new vehicles and technology amid challenging economic conditions can make car shopping even more overwhelming than usual. That's why we've done the hard work, narrowing down the options to give consumers an easy place to start their search," said Edmunds' editor-in-chief Alistair Weaver. "By including EVs and gas-powered models across a range of body styles and prices, the Edmunds Top Rated 2023 list highlights the best vehicles on sale this year for almost every consumer."

The changes in Edmunds Top Rated categories for 2023 are an acknowledgment of electric vehicles' heightened relevance for consumers due to a combination of an expanding selection, better range and efficiency, and more affordable entrants to the market. Edmunds analysts report that battery electric vehicles made up 5.17% of new vehicle purchases in 2022 — up from 2.5% in 2021. Additionally, research into electric vehicles on Edmunds.com is running well ahead of the market: EV Rankings was the most visited editorial page in 2022.

Edmunds Top Rated 2023 marks first-time wins for all of the EV category award recipients: the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ford F-150 Lightning. In the internal combustion categories, the Honda Civic is back among this year's winners after notching the Edmunds Top Rated Sedan award in 2022, and the Ford F-150 returns to the Edmunds Top Rated stage with its third consecutive Top Rated Truck award.

"Edmunds' test team sets the industry standard with rigorous instrumented testing on road and track, providing the empirical data that underpins our vehicle reviews. We drive each vehicle like it is, providing car shoppers with our unvarnished opinion," said Weaver. "It's these qualities and our unwavering commitment to unbiased, third-party balance that underscores our confidence in delivering the best car shopping guidance in the industry."

Also new for 2023 is the Edmunds Top Rated Best of the Best award, recognizing the standout vehicle among Edmunds Top Rated 2023 winners, with consideration given to the vehicle's impact, innovation and relevance to car shoppers. That award will be announced on Wednesday, January 25.

For more information about the Edmunds Top Rated Awards, please visit the dedicated awards page on Edmunds here: edmunds.com/toprated

Further details on the criteria by which vehicles were segmented are available on Edmunds here: https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/more-about-edmunds-top-rated-awards.html

The 2023 Edmunds Top Rated award winners were selected by the Edmunds editorial team in part based on informed opinions gathered during its vehicle testing and ranking process, including the Edmunds EV Range Test for electric vehicles. Edmunds' editors selected the overall winners from a group of finalists that consisted of each of the highest-ranked eligible new vehicles, in their vehicle classes assigned by Edmunds. Eligible vehicles must have undergone the full Edmunds testing process by November 1, 2022, and be available for sale as new on January 1, 2023. The top-ranked vehicles are those with the highest overall test ratings based on the following criteria: performance, comfort, technology, fuel economy and value. The finalists were then assigned to one of six Edmunds Top Rated vehicle classes, and Edmunds' editors selected the overall best vehicle in each class.

Edmunds guides car shoppers online from research to purchase. With in-depth reviews of every new vehicle, shopping tips from an in-house team of experts, plus a wealth of consumer and automotive market insights, Edmunds helps millions of shoppers each month select, price and buy a car with confidence. Regarded as one of America's best workplaces by Fortune, Great Place to Work and Built In, Edmunds is based in Santa Monica, California. Follow us on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

CONTACT:
Mitch Paul
Manager, PR & Communications
[email protected]
310-309-4900
http://edmunds.com/about/press

SOURCE Edmunds