The Best 2017 Cars

10 Best Cars of 2017

With the New Year upon us, it is time to look at the best and brightest new cars. From efficient drivetrains to infotainment and safety technology, there has never been a more competent crop of cars in the history of the automobile.

Even though sedans continue to give way to compact SUVs, the traditional sedan layout is still one of the best scoring segments. Read on to learn about the top scoring cars in U.S. News & World Report rankings, and see if one of these new cars is right for you!

2017 Honda Accord

Ranking: No. 4 Among Midsize Cars (Details Below)

The tried and true Accord sedan has a decades-long reputation of quality. Though the last several years and beyond have seen a shared aesthetic, the 2017 Accord is very advanced, and ranks fourth in U.S. News & World Report midsize car ranking. A Sport SE trim is new for 2017.

2017 Nissan Maxima

Ranking: No. 4 Among Large Cars (Details Below)

Nissan has long pushed the Maxima as a four-door sports car. This generation truly looks the part, with a blacked out C-pillar, signature LED headlights, and an aggressive front grille. The Maxima backs that look up with a potent 300-horsepower V6 engine that returns 30 mpg on the highway.

2017 Buick LaCrosse

Ranking: No. 4 Among Large Cars (Details Below)

In redesigning the LaCrosse, Buick has reinvented the car that essentially created the modern large front-wheel drive sedan market. The new-look LaCrosse is instantly more luxurious, more modern, and more technologically advanced. It is powered by a new 310-horsepower V6 engine that returns 31 mpg on the highway (on front-wheel drive models)/

2017 Kia Forte

Ranking: No. 4 Among Compact Cars (Details Below)

Kia’s compact sedan has been freshened for 2017 with a sterner looking front end. More than just a fresh face, the Forte is available with safety gear typically found on larger cars, such as forward collision alert with autonomous braking and adaptive cruise control.

2017 Volkswagen GTI

Ranking: No. 4 Among Compact Cars (Details Below)

As compact cars go, few are as fun and refined as the Volkswagen GTI, combining all the best attributes of the upscale Golf hatchback with a turbocharged 210-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder. For 2017, the GTI loses the two-door model, but gains a Sport model that brings output up to 220 horsepower.

2017 Chevrolet Malibu

Ranking: No. 3 Among Midsize Cars (Details Below)

The Malibu has gone from also-ran, to competent vehicle, to among the best in the midsize car segment. The 2017 Malibu has an impressive lineup of engines, including a 1.5-liter base engine that gets 27 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway, and a 2.0-liter engine that makes 250 horsepower.

2017 Kia Cadenza

Ranking: No. 2 Among Large Cars (Details Below)

Kia may have taken stabs at going upscale in the past, but the Cadenza is the first honest go of it. The beamy, upscale styling is backed by a long list of standard features and a potent V6 engine that delivers 290 horsepower, all while returning 20 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway.

2017 Mazda3

Ranking: No. 3 Among Compact Cars (Details Below)

Available as either a sedan or a hatchback, the Mazda3 is a fun-to-drive compact car that delivers as much practicality to your commute as it does excitement. The handling is superb, the acceleration is strong with the 2.5-liter engine, and fuel economy is fantastic at 28 mpg in the city and 37 on the highway.

2017 Honda Fit

Ranking: No. 1 Among Subcompact Cars (Details Below)

The smallest car on this list has one of the biggest scores of 2017. Aside from being the walkaway winner in U.S. News & World Report’s subcompact car rankings, the Fit delivers impressive fuel economy– topping out at 40 mpg on the highway.

2017 Hyundai Sonata

Ranking: No. 1 Among Midsize Cars (Details Below)

In a segment once dominated by the Camry and Accord, the Sonata is the king of the midsize cars in U.S. News & World Report's rankings. Its sporty styling is backed by a comfortable ride and a host of standard features.

2017 Hyundai Sonata

Score: 8.8 out of 10 (Details Below)

The Sonata is big on cabin and trunk space and features smart tech for accessing that space, like the hands-free power trunk that can sense the key fob and open the trunk on its own. Up front, technology like the BlueLink infotainment system is very intuitive.