The Best Electric Vehicles to Buy in 2026, According to Consumer Reports – Jalopnik

There may have been a time when it felt like the only decent electric vehicles on the market were Teslas, but thankfully that’s no longer the case. You could even buy an electric Subaru if you really wanted to. But should you? EVs offer lower maintenance costs and less mechanical complexity, but they can also have many software bugs that range from merely annoying to absolutely irritating.

So, if you’re looking for a new car and want it to be electric, which options are your best bet? Depending on where you get your buying advice, you might get a wide variety of recommendations, but especially if reliability is an issue, it usually helps to check what our friends at Consumer Reports have to say based on the data they collect from hundreds of thousands of survey respondents every year.

And, conveniently, Consumer Reports just came out a list of the EVs they most recommend. Let’s see which EVs made the cut.

The Model 3 has a less controversial style, drives well and offers access to Tesla’s Supercharger network, which could make road trips more convenient. On the other hand, you don’t get access to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, the controls all suck (especially the turn signals), and whether you like it or not, you’re announcing to the world that you’re on Team Elon. You know, the “gestures with the right arm“billionaire whose AI chatbot helps creeps virtually undress small children? Be better than that.

On the other hand, if you have a big enough budget not to be put off by a six-figure price tag, then you’ll want to consider the Porsche Taycan. Initially, the Taycan didn’t quite have the range to take on Tesla, but more recent updates have improved the range a lot, with some models offering a range of over 300 miles. But while it’s a lot more fun to drive than your typical EV, the back seats aren’t exactly huge, so keep that in mind if you need to stash a few grown-ups there on a regular basis.

As long as you don’t get too hung up on Ford calling it a Mustang, the Mach-E is about as good as two-row electric SUVs get. It looks good, drives well, and impressed the Consumer Reports test team. However, if you don’t care much about the handling, you might want to look at the Equinox EV and save a few bucks. It’s not perfect, especially if you want Apple CarPlay, but it turns out Chevrolet learned a few things building the Bolt. Plus, you can get the Equinox EV with GM’s excellent Super Cruise driver assistance system.

If you have the money and can get past what’s going on with the styling of the BMW iX, you’ll probably be even happier with your purchase than if you bought the RZ. Developed from the ground up as a true luxury SUV, it impressed the CR team so much that it is their top-rated electric luxury SUV. Of course, not everyone will be able to tolerate the iX’s design, especially considering the base version starts at $76,600.

In addition to an improved ride, you also get many of the same features that led so many buyers to pick up the regular F-150, including a spacious cabin. But without the petrol engine it’s also much quieter, and instead of hiding an engine under the hood, there’s a trunk up front that’s actually big enough to be useful. And while you probably won’t buy an electric pickup with long-distance towing in mind, the F-150 Lightning can still tow up to 10,000 pounds.