There are plenty of fantastic new cars on the market for 2019, and wading through them to choose the right one for you can be tricky. That’s why we’ve compiled a shortlist of the seven best cars for you. We took into account the reviews of several top-tier publications and looked at things like crash ratings from the National Highway Transportation Safety Board and the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety and fuel-efficiency to determine the best cars of 2019. For the purposes of this list, we excluded SUVs, crossovers, and pick-up trucks. We’ll cover those in subsequent lists. For more on the best cars of 2019, read on.
Best Cars
2019 Toyota Yaris
The 2019 Toyota Yaris is a great little sub-compact car that is essentially a rebadged Mazda2. That means it gets nimble handling, fun driving dynamics, and impressive fuel economy. In fact, the 2019 Toyota Yaris is also one of our top picks for cars that get excellent gas mileage, as well. While the Yaris hasn’t been rated by NHTSA, the IIHS gave it an overall rating of good, though the headlights get a poor rating. The Yaris comes in two different body styles—a sedan and a hatchback and starts around $15,500.
2019 Hyundai Accent
The 2019 Hyundai Accent gets great reviews all around for its nimble handling, roomy cabin and trunk, and great price. NHTSA hasn’t rated the Hyundai Accent yet, but IIHS gave it a Top Safety Pick rating in its crash tests. It, too, comes in a variety of body styles, including a hatchback and sedan, and comes with Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000 mile warranty—one of the best in the business. Funny enough, the Hyundai Accent is also a top pick for best gas mileage cars for 2019, as well.
2019 Honda Civic
The 2019 Honda Civic is a perennial favorite of auto writers and reviewers. With a variety of body styles and engine offerings, it can truly be customized to what you need. The IIHS gives the four-door sedan an overall rating of good, while NHTSA gives it a five-star crash rating. It, too, is on our list of best gas mileage cars for 2019. Bonus: It starts under $20,000.
2019 Mazda3
The Mazda3 is another vehicle that consistently ends up on car writer’s best-of lists. For a good reason, too—the 2019 Mazda3 is fun to drive, dynamic, and offers an excellent bang for your buck. While it’s slightly pricier than a Honda Civic, it offers a lot of great features like standard safety, a wide variety of body styles and trims, and great reliability. NHTSA hasn’t rated the Mazda3 yet, but the IIHS gave it its Top Safety Pick award for 2019. The Mazda3 is also one of the top-rated for its fuel efficiency, too.
2019 Honda Accord
Honda does it again with the 2019 Honda Accord—a stellar mid-size car that gets excellent gas mileage, stellar reliability, and offers a wealth of engines, styles, and trims to meet buyer’s needs. NHTSA gives it a five-star rating, and the IIHS gave it it’s Top Safety Pick award for 2019. It gets an EPA-rated 33-miles per gallon so you won’t be spending a ton at the pump either.
2019 Kia Stinger
The 2019 Kia Stinger is a relatively new entrant into this list since it’s only been around since 2018. With prices starting in the low $30k range, the Stinger bridges the gap between economy car and luxury car very well. It gets Kia’s well-known best-in-industry 10-year/100,000 mile warranty as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. IIHS gave the 2019 model its Top Safety Pick+ rating, and NHTSA has yet to rate it. It is also on our list for the best cars of 2018, as well.
2019 Toyota Avalon
If you’re looking for a full-size sedan with great reliability and good road manners, look no further than the 2019 Toyota Avalon. The IIHS gave the 2019 Toyota Avalon its coveted Top Safety Pick + award, and NHTSA gave it a five-star crash rating. The EPA says that the Avalon gets an estimated 26 miles per gallon combined.
The Bottom Line
Whether you are looking for a full-size commuter car or a compact car to run about town in, these seven best cars for 2019 will serve you well. Available in a variety of engines (hybrids included), transmission (yay for manuals!), and body styles (how about a hatchback?), you can customize the vehicle to meet your specific budget and needs.