Over the past year, trucks and SUVs have found
themselves in even more households, with SUVs
climbing farther up the list of top sellers than ever
before, displacing compact cars and mid-size sedans
in the process. Rushing to capitalize on the popularity
of these vehicles and the higher prices they
command, automakers continue to pepper the market
with new entries. For 2018, in addition to a number of
major redesigns to segment stalwarts—among them
the Chevrolet Equinox and Traverse, Audi Q5, BMW
X3, and Ford Expedition—a number of completely new
nameplates joined the party, including the Toyota C-
HR, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Range Rover Velar, and
Volkswagen Atlas.
Unlike the free-for-all format of 10Best Cars , where
all 10 spots are open to any excellent entry, here we
organize the vast market of trucks and SUVs into 10
categories: seven for SUVs, two for pickups, and one
for vans. The SUV segments are broken down into
subcompact, compact, and mid-size, each with a
luxury and nonluxury sector, plus a combined large
category, as the prices of rigs such as the Chevy
Suburban and the Ford Expedition are fully luxury. We
invite any all-new or substantially redesigned models
with a base price less than $80,000—plus any that
were eligible last year but weren’t available for
evaluation—to prove themselves against last year’s
winners in a weeklong face-off that involves close
scrutiny, lots of data collection, and plenty of behind-
the-wheel time by our entire editorial team.
To successfully ascend to the winner’s circle, vehicles
need to impress in three ways. The first is by offering
a strong value proposition—not to be confused with a
low price, as we’re strong believers that vehicular
excellence is worth paying for. It must also inspire in
how well it fulfills its mission and that of the segment
in which it competes. And, finally, it has to be
engaging to drive. Not because the pickup truck or
minivan that exhibits the least amount of body roll
should win—after all, that type of dynamic behavior
would likely be at odds with its job—but there’s no
reason those with large families, large hobbies, or
other reasons for driving a large vehicle should have
an experience that’s less than confidence inspiring.
With thousands of miles driven, second- and third-row
seats evaluated for space and comfort, cargo holds
and interior storage pockets measured, and new
features assessed, these vehicles are the 10 that
comprehensively stood out from among their peers as
the best currently on offer in their respective
categories.

Click here to see the winners and pictures: http://
tinglecars.us/2018/04/28/2018-10best-trucks-and-
suvs/