5 more new cars to avoid at all costs, and 5 options to consider

For car buyers, 2025 was a year of encouragement. If you were in the market for a new vehicle in the first half of last year, consider yourself lucky.

After a 25% tariff on automotive imports was announced in March, many car dealers snapped up new vehicles before the price hike reached dealers.

CivicScience’s February consumer survey found that six in 10 Americans would switch to an alternative brand or stop buying the affected product if their favorite brand was affected by the tariffs.

Last year, major automakers were paying buyers up to $2,000 to switch brands through so-called “victory cash incentives” that were often stacked on top of other offers.

Retail consumers will spend $620 billion on new vehicles in 2025, according to Automotive World, citing JD Power data, a nearly 6% increase over the previous year. However, the growth was driven by a threat that never really materialized.

“Despite much speculation about a large increase in new vehicle prices due to the tariffs, the actual increase, as J.D. Power correctly predicted, has been muted,” the firm said.

The average retail transaction price for all vehicles in December was estimated at $47,104, an increase of $715 (1.5%) over the same period last year. Excluding EVs, which are more expensive on average than conventional combustion engine vehicles, average car prices rose 1.4% to $46,807.

If you’re one of the six in 10 Americans looking to switch car brands, TheStreet has put together a Consumer Reports list of popular vehicles to avoid and consider here instead.

Here are five other vehicles to consider in 2026.

Founded in 1936 by a group of workers fired from a product-testing firm called Consumer Research, Consumer Reports is a multifaceted nonprofit organization that aims to educate consumers about products and help them make informed purchasing decisions.

It does this by directly purchasing and testing products, administering detailed surveys to its members about the products they own and use, and investigating the veracity of manufacturers’ claims.

• Installation: 1936 (as a consumer union by former employees of Consumer Research, fired after they tried to unionize)

• Headquarters: Yonkers, NY

• Leadership: Marta Tellado (President and CEO)

• Employees: Around 500 to 600

• Members: At least 6 million

• Mission Statement: “Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit member organization that works with consumers to promote truth, transparency and fairness in the marketplace.”

Consumer Reports’ slogan, “Smart Choices for a Better World,” encapsulates the organization’s mission. CR aims to educate and inform the public by providing objective information about popular products, helping consumers make “smart choices” when purchasing major items.

For this list, Consumer Reports uses ratings and rankings based on tests and what its members tell them in surveys.

This review focused on the top-selling models (based on sales and registration data) in nine different categories. Alternatives to these popular models are in the same category but have higher ratings.

Cars to avoid will be listed first, while CR-recommended options will appear second.

• Price range: $63,500 – $168,700

• CR MPG: 18 overall/ City 12/ Hwy 26 mpg

• Consumer Reports rankings: #12 of 17

• Price range: $67,600 – $129,700

• CR MPG: Overall 23/ City 15/ Hwy 33

• Consumer Reports rankings: #1 of 17

• Price range: $43,945 – $60,465

• CR MPG: Overall 27/ City 21/ Hwy 32

• Consumer Reports rankings: #7 of #7 Minivans, 3-Row

• Price range: $41,390 – $53,490

• CR MPG: Overall 31/ City 26/ Hwy 34 mpg

• Consumer Reports rankings: #1 of 7

• Price range: $47,400 – $57,900

• CR MPGe: Overall 95/ City 101/ Hwy 88 mpge

• Consumer Reports rankings: #10 of 22

• Price range: $39,990 – $59,990

• CR MPGe: 123 overall/ city 130/ Hwy 115 mpge

• Consumer Reports rankings: #1 of 22 Electric SUVs

• Price range: $23,995 – $29,995

• CR MPG: 34 overall/ city 21/ Hwy 54 mpg

• Consumer Reports rankings: #21 of 22

• Price range: $29,395 – $33,595

• CR MPG: Overall 44/ City 39/ Hwy 48

• Consumer Reports rankings: #1 or 22

• Price range: $29,200 – $38,250

• CR MPG: Overall 44/ City 36/ Hwy 51

• Consumer Reports rankings: #9 of 10 Midsize Cars

• Price range: $29,100 – $37,025

• CR MPG: Overall 48/ City 40/ Hwy 54

• Consumer Reports rankings: #1 of 10 Midsize Cars

Related: US car buyers reverse major trend in second half of 2025

This story was originally published by TheStreet on January 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Automotive section. Add TheStreet as a preferred source by clicking here.