Photo: Tesla
Subjectivity is a big thing when selecting a favorite - so please feel free to write in the comments if you agree or not with the choices I just made for 2023.
If you're trying to meet the New Year appropriately with new wheels, and you're currently shopping for a new 2023 car, truck, or SUV, you might have landed at the right place. I don't promise any revelations, though, as this is my personal best-of list for the year that has almost passed.
So, without further ado, let's jump right into the middle of the action. If you're living in Europe, you could easily select the Dacia Duster as the best upcoming vehicle launched in 2023 – if you're strapped for cash. The reason I want to highlight this little crossover SUV is simple – it's still back-to-basics, just like its predecessors, but now looks like something created during the 21st century.
Now, let's delve into a different region – Japan. Actually, I could probably select the same vehicle for Australia, too, since they drive on the same side of the road. Without any thinking, my pick for these two regions would be the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser without a doubt. It's adventurous, prepared for anything, and comes with great technology and powertrains.
All right, we can now focus on North America. Again, if you're on a tight budget, I recommend looking at General Motors' new entry-level brand. That's Buick nowadays, instead of Chevrolet, by the way – and they recently launched the first-ever 2024 Envista. It's dirt cheap at a starting MSRP of $22,400, it doesn't look awkward like the Chevy Trax or Trailblazer, and it's also fashionable with its coupe-SUV looks.
Concurrently, if you're not refraining from spending big and driving big, you might want to purchase a 2024 Tesla Cybertruck Foundation Series – it costs $122,135 with destination and order fees included. However, it's a great deal because of the tri-motor setup, standard Full Self-Driving capability, charging equipment with PowerShare, and limited-edition goodies.
Alas, I wouldn't recommend settling for a Chevrolet Equinox EV or Blazer EV at the moment because General Motors is still ironing out the many issues it has with software. We have talked extensively about GM – so how about recommending something from Ford and Stellantis? Well, as far as the Blue Oval company is concerned, that's pretty easy – the S650 Ford Mustang (GT or Dark Horse) is on many people's 2024 bucket lists, and for the right reasons, not just because there are no more Challenger and Camaro foes in production.
From Stellantis, it is a bit harder, though. We could always stride on a classic route with the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but let's try to be different – so the Dodge Hornet is my pick from them. This is the American brand's first compact SUV after the retirement of the Jeep Liberty-based Dodge Nitro in 2011, and compared to the Alfa Romeo Tonale sibling, it's less expensive and has many restyled bits and pieces that make it compatible with Dodge's ethos – plus it also comes with two vastly different powertrains, a 2.0-liter turbo or a 1.3-liter plug-in hybrid setup. Sure, I would recommend taking home a TRX, too. Still, Ford just came out with the 720-hp Ford F-150 Raptor R after the facelift applied to the 2024 F-150, and I'm afraid I can't recommend anything other than the most potent ICE-powered pickup truck on the market. However, you'll have to wait a while for that one, which could be quite expensive.
Moving on, there is something new to fit every budget if you're willing to wait a little longer for models that got their initial reveal this year but won't appear until 2024 comes into its own. For example, EV fans might get mesmerized by the Kia EV9 – an all-electric variant of the ever-popular Kia Telluride. However, if you don't need three rows and still want to go electric (other than a Tesla Model 3 or Y, that is), there are also the Honda Prologue, MINI Countryman EV, as well as one of my personal favorites – the little Volvo EX30.
Suppose you don't need a fully electric vehicle but still want to be a little more sustainable than the rest of the pack. In that case, the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is returning (as the Prado or 250 version known from overseas) to America with only hybrid power under the hood: 326 hp and the i-Force Max inline-four setup from the N400 Toyota Tacoma. Big pickup truck fans will undoubtedly take a look at the Ram 1500 Ramcharger because it has a curious range extender status. Still, I fear potential faults when dealing with such a complicated assembly.
As far as sports cars are concerned, if 2023 was the year of the Corvette Z06, then 2024 will surely be the year of the C8 Corvette E-Ray. The all-new Mercedes-Benz E-Class or BMW 5 Series is another easy pick from the pack if you want a German executive sedan. However, I would also recommend looking at the refreshed 2025 Cadillac CT5 because that American saloon is aging like fine wine. Last but not least, if you're feeling adventurous and want to stand out in any crowd with people asking, 'What on Earth is that thing?' you probably won't be wrong choosing an Ineos Grenadier! Unless you don't like the rugged charm of a Land Cruiser Defender, that is. In that case, you could always recommend something for me in the comments section.
So, without further ado, let's jump right into the middle of the action. If you're living in Europe, you could easily select the Dacia Duster as the best upcoming vehicle launched in 2023 – if you're strapped for cash. The reason I want to highlight this little crossover SUV is simple – it's still back-to-basics, just like its predecessors, but now looks like something created during the 21st century.
Now, let's delve into a different region – Japan. Actually, I could probably select the same vehicle for Australia, too, since they drive on the same side of the road. Without any thinking, my pick for these two regions would be the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser without a doubt. It's adventurous, prepared for anything, and comes with great technology and powertrains.
All right, we can now focus on North America. Again, if you're on a tight budget, I recommend looking at General Motors' new entry-level brand. That's Buick nowadays, instead of Chevrolet, by the way – and they recently launched the first-ever 2024 Envista. It's dirt cheap at a starting MSRP of $22,400, it doesn't look awkward like the Chevy Trax or Trailblazer, and it's also fashionable with its coupe-SUV looks.
Concurrently, if you're not refraining from spending big and driving big, you might want to purchase a 2024 Tesla Cybertruck Foundation Series – it costs $122,135 with destination and order fees included. However, it's a great deal because of the tri-motor setup, standard Full Self-Driving capability, charging equipment with PowerShare, and limited-edition goodies.
Alas, I wouldn't recommend settling for a Chevrolet Equinox EV or Blazer EV at the moment because General Motors is still ironing out the many issues it has with software. We have talked extensively about GM – so how about recommending something from Ford and Stellantis? Well, as far as the Blue Oval company is concerned, that's pretty easy – the S650 Ford Mustang (GT or Dark Horse) is on many people's 2024 bucket lists, and for the right reasons, not just because there are no more Challenger and Camaro foes in production.
From Stellantis, it is a bit harder, though. We could always stride on a classic route with the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but let's try to be different – so the Dodge Hornet is my pick from them. This is the American brand's first compact SUV after the retirement of the Jeep Liberty-based Dodge Nitro in 2011, and compared to the Alfa Romeo Tonale sibling, it's less expensive and has many restyled bits and pieces that make it compatible with Dodge's ethos – plus it also comes with two vastly different powertrains, a 2.0-liter turbo or a 1.3-liter plug-in hybrid setup. Sure, I would recommend taking home a TRX, too. Still, Ford just came out with the 720-hp Ford F-150 Raptor R after the facelift applied to the 2024 F-150, and I'm afraid I can't recommend anything other than the most potent ICE-powered pickup truck on the market. However, you'll have to wait a while for that one, which could be quite expensive.
Moving on, there is something new to fit every budget if you're willing to wait a little longer for models that got their initial reveal this year but won't appear until 2024 comes into its own. For example, EV fans might get mesmerized by the Kia EV9 – an all-electric variant of the ever-popular Kia Telluride. However, if you don't need three rows and still want to go electric (other than a Tesla Model 3 or Y, that is), there are also the Honda Prologue, MINI Countryman EV, as well as one of my personal favorites – the little Volvo EX30.
Suppose you don't need a fully electric vehicle but still want to be a little more sustainable than the rest of the pack. In that case, the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is returning (as the Prado or 250 version known from overseas) to America with only hybrid power under the hood: 326 hp and the i-Force Max inline-four setup from the N400 Toyota Tacoma. Big pickup truck fans will undoubtedly take a look at the Ram 1500 Ramcharger because it has a curious range extender status. Still, I fear potential faults when dealing with such a complicated assembly.
As far as sports cars are concerned, if 2023 was the year of the Corvette Z06, then 2024 will surely be the year of the C8 Corvette E-Ray. The all-new Mercedes-Benz E-Class or BMW 5 Series is another easy pick from the pack if you want a German executive sedan. However, I would also recommend looking at the refreshed 2025 Cadillac CT5 because that American saloon is aging like fine wine. Last but not least, if you're feeling adventurous and want to stand out in any crowd with people asking, 'What on Earth is that thing?' you probably won't be wrong choosing an Ineos Grenadier! Unless you don't like the rugged charm of a Land Cruiser Defender, that is. In that case, you could always recommend something for me in the comments section.
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