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Autoblog's Editors' Picks: Our complete list of the best new vehicles

It's not easy to earn an “EditorsÂ’ Picks” at Autoblog as part of the rating and review process that every new vehicle goes through. Our editors have been at it a long time, which means weÂ’ve driven and reviewed virtually every new car you can go buy on the dealer lot. There are disagreements, of course, and all vehicles have their strengths and weaknesses, but this list features what we think are the best new vehicles chosen by Autoblog editors. We started this formal review process back in 2018, so there's quite of few of them now. So what does it mean to be an EditorsÂ’ Pick? In short, it means itÂ’s a car that we can highly recommend purchasing. There may be one, multiple, or even zero vehicles in any given segment that we give the green light to. What really matters is that itÂ’s a vehicle that weÂ’d tell a friend or family member to go buy if theyÂ’re considering it, because itÂ’s a very good car. The best way to use this list is is with the navigation links below. Click on a segment, and you'll quickly arrive at the top rated pickup truck or SUV, for example. Use the back button to return to these links and search in another segment, like sedans. If youÂ’ve been keeping up with our monthly series of the latest vehicles to earn EditorsÂ’ Pick status, youÂ’re likely going to be familiar with this list already. If not, welcome to the complete list that weÂ’ll be keeping updated as vehicles enter (and others perhaps exit) the good graces of our editorial team. We rate a new car — giving it a numerical score out of 10 — every time thereÂ’s a significant refresh or if it happens to be an all-new model. Any given vehicle may be impressive on a first drive, but we wait until itÂ’s in the hands of our editors to put it through the same type of testing as every other vehicle that rolls through our test fleet before giving it the EditorsÂ’ Pick badge. This ensures consistency and allows more voices to be heard on each individual model. And just so you donÂ’t think weÂ’ve skipped trims or variants of a model, we hand out the EditorsÂ’ Pick based on the overarching model to keep things consistent. So, when you read that the 3 Series is an EditorsÂ’ Pick, yes, that includes the 330i to the M3 and all the variants in between. If thereÂ’s a particular version of that car we vehemently disagree with, we make sure to call that out.

The 2020 Mazda CX-30 will start at $22,945 with 2.5L power

We saw the CX-30 debut in Geneva earlier this year, and now Mazda has made its U.S. specification and pricing official. To get right down to it, the new crossover that splits the small end of the company’s crossover lineup will start at $22,945. We also have some solid information about spec and trim levels for our market, with some notable differences to how it can be equipped in Europe in particular. For one, like the latest Mazda3, it can only be equipped with a 186 horsepower 2.5-liter engine (naturally-aspirated, to be clear). Europeans can get a range of engines, and our neighbors in Canada and Mexico can get a 2.0-liter gas engine. A six-speed automatic is similarly our only transmission choice. All trims are available with front- or all-wheel drive. No word on whether the (somewhat underwhelming) Skyactiv-D diesel or (rather incredible) Skyactiv-X compression-ignition engines will be available. The materials Mazda provided us ahead of the CX-30Â’s U.S. debut focus heavily on the vehicleÂ’s standard equipment, including the now standard Mazda Connected Services — offering a variety of remote functionality and monitoring via the MyMazda app. Nothing you wouldnÂ’t expect from this sort of connectivity feature, including remote start and lock/unlock, as well as a WiFi hotspot (via Verizon, which is the parent company of Autoblog) and emergency assistance calls. Note that itÂ’s a three-year free trial; after that it becomes a subscription service, with a price weÂ’ll share with you once we learn it. There are four trims for the CX-30. The base model has some decent standard equipment: an 8.8-inch infotainment display, automatic headlights and the standard i-Activsense safety suite including driver inattention alert, radar cruiser control, lane departure warning with lane keeping assist, emergency braking assist and automatic high beams. Notably, blind spot monitoring is not available in the base model; buyers will have to step up to the next trim, Select, to get that safety feature. WeÂ’re disappointed that itÂ’s not standard across the board. So too with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, also only available on Select and above. The Select trim is $24,945, and provides those features mentioned above as well as leatherette seats, keyless entry and 18-inch wheels. The Preferred trim ($27,245) provides upgraded audio, heated front seats, a power driver seat, a black gloss grille and a SiriusXM trial.

Mazda engineers say current Skyactiv-X might not suit U.S. market

We've been watching Mazda roll out the 2.0-liter four-cylinder Skyactiv-X engine in Japan and Europe, waiting our turn. When European authorities released fuel economy information for the high-tech motor last June, we wrote, "Mazda has yet to make an official decision on timing for the U.S market's launch of the engine." Automotive News spoke to Mazda engineers in charge of the powertrain, and based on the answers AN got, the question might not be when we get the Skyactiv-X, but if. Seems that the automaker now isn't certain whether the cost/benefit analysis for the U.S. market favors the engine, and there's concern the 2.0-liter might not be powerful enough for us with its current output of 178 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. At the moment, our Mazda3 is served only with a 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G engine producing 186 hp and 186 lb-ft., not too far ahead of the Skyactiv-X. The Skyactiv-X would return better fuel economy, but requires a noteworthy price premium over the Skyactiv-G. The Truth About Cars says the Skyactiv-X has become the top-seller in the Japanese-market Mazda3, even though it costs 27% more than the base, 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G for a 9% improvement in fuel economy. Mazda's not sure U.S. customers would care much for that kind of math. Engineer Yoshiaki Yamane told AN, "Maybe U.S. customers require more power, because fuel economy is not the top requirement." There isn't much Mazda can do about the tech-heavy engine's cost, since pricey equipment like the high-pressure fuel injection and combustion systems, supercharger, three-way catalyst, and 24-volt mild-hybrid system provide the mileage gains that are the engine's reason for being. Instead, engineers are researching the system's effects with larger displacements. If it works as desired, a larger and more powerful Skyactiv-X could come to the U.S. on the large-vehicle architecture Mazda's developing for new sedans to arrive in a couple of years. That's the hope, at least. Remember, Mazda's Skyactiv-D was meant to go into the 2014 Mazda6, but didn't because Mazda said it needed more time to find "the right balance between fuel economy and Mazda-appropriate driving performance." After five years of "Soon," the engine showed up on the 2019 CX-5 that starts at $42,045. Based on that template, it could be awhile before we know how the U.S.-market Skyactiv-X story ends. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.