To bring you the very best automotive content on MotorTrend.com, MotorTrendOnDemand.com, and across all of our other channels, we get to drive and ride in a great number of cars all over the automotive market. From track-testing the hottest supercars to driving mainstream sedans, crossovers, and trucks, we make the most of the access we get. But which cars made the biggest impression on the Motor Trend staff during the 2016 calendar year? From a commercial van and turbocharged hatchback to rare Italian exotics, keep reading to see if your favorite made the list.
Check out Motor Trend favorites from 2015 RIGHT HERE.
2016 Ford Transit
For two weeks prior to moving from Connecticut to California, my wife and I needed to eliminate more than a ton-and-a-half of our possessions—be it furniture, clothes, or things you need in the Northeast you never need in L.A. With unpredictable weather all around, a truck was out of the question. But the Ford Transit and its 130-inch wheelbase swallowed a bed, couches, deck furniture, a mannequin, and moving boxes galore. And every place I stopped—from Goodwill and a consignment shop to the moving company—people gawked. They wanted to know all about the $40,980 Transit and its fire-engine-red paint job. Pretty much everyone thought it was the coolest thing ever. But it was more than its looks. The van’s 3.5-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine hauled, umm, stuff. Despite its high profile, the Transit barely budged off its line when hit by crosswinds produced by the backwash of nearby Hurricane Hermine. And although driving a big box usually translates into lots of road roar, the decent stereo powered by the intuitive Ford Sync 3 system proved up to the task. –Mark Rechtin
2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
Although I first drove the Dodge Charger Hellcat two years ago, the 707-hp 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 still impresses. The engine reminds me of the 2003 Ford Mustang Cobra SVT I owned in college. Except on steroids. It might not be track-ready, but who doesn’t like to go sideways on dry pavement at half throttle? –Jason Udy
2017 Lotus Evora 400
I’ve had a soft spot for Lotus cars ever since James Bond drove his angular Giugiaro-penned Esprit S1 (“Wet Nellie”) into the Mediterranean in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me. Some 13 years later, a paramour let this newly minted Chrysler engineer drive a fourth-gen rounded-corner Esprit. It rocked my world with its sharp handling and supple ride. Cars like the Elise and Exige always seemed a bit raw for my tastes, and the initial Evora grand tourers left me cold, but the extensive redo that resulted in this year’s 400 at last matches legendary Lotus ride and handling with abundant power, a delightful shifter, a stirring exhaust note, and the continued promise of Toyota reliability (at least for the engine’s innards). After only a few hot laps at Gingerman Raceway, I felt comfortable exploring and exploiting its handling limits—the true sign of a great driver’s car. Even the interior seems to have been professionally trimmed, unlike in those Esprits. It’s a legit quasi-supercar again, and it’s ripe for Q-Branch modification. –Frank Markus
2017 Kia Soul Turbo
The combination of a 201-hp 1.6-liter turbo-four and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is exactly what the Soul needed. Sure, the car’s available naturally aspirated 2.0-liter had decent power, but this new powertrain combo lets you have your cake and eat it, too. Not only do you have a car that’s pretty quick, but you’ve also got the most efficient gas-powered Soul. And it rides well, is reasonably fun to drive, and has a ton of space, a long warranty, a class-above interior, and a user-friendly infotainment system. All for less than $30,000 fully loaded. How’s that for a value proposition? –Stefan Ogbac
2016 Mercedes-Benz S550 4Matic sedan
The S-Class sedan excels on so many levels that it’s not surprising Mercedes dominates the flagship luxury sedan class. Few automakers can match the heritage and cachet of Mercedes, but even if they could, it would still be tough to overtake the class leader—just ask BMW. The S550’s ride is smooth, the 449-hp sedan is quicker than most will ever need it to be, and the interior looks great. Plus, there’s a near-endless array of options to choose from. Despite the S-Class’ starting price just barely below $100,000, the Mercedes is the best-seller in its class. Although other high-end luxury cars have their appeal, too, the S550 expertly blends a great driving experience with emotional appeal, exquisite color-customizable ambient lighting … and glowing, twirly speakers. –Zach Gale
$6,400, 1,540-watt audio systems offer impressive sound quality, but how cool are the @mbusa S550's glowing, twirly speakers? #Iliketheater #mercedes #sclass #s550 #mercedesbenz #burmester #MTGarage
A video posted by Zach Gale (@zachgale) on
Jun 20, 2016 at 7:32am PDT
2016 McLaren 570S
I had never driven the McLaren 570S and was excited for my last run of the day up the ribbon of asphalt that is CA-198, our Best Driver’s Car “closed-road, professional drivers” hill climb. Then a tap tap tap came at the passenger window, followed by a, “Hey, Ed, mind if join you for a ride?” Normally, I’m all about giving joyrides, but the request came from Aaron Link, one of Chevrolet’s lead development engineers, on hand to babysit the pre-production Camaro 1LE also in our competition. Link’s name might be familiar, as he’s the test driver who set the Camaro Z/28’s blistering Nürburgring Nordschleife times. I nodded yes but immediately felt pangs of performance anxiety not experienced since elementary school piano recitals.
From the initial launch control blast off in the 570S, my eyes went wide, and Aaron quickly became missing Link; I was only reminded of his presence a few seconds later when he grabbed for the door handle after I hit the brakes at 130 mph for the first left turn. I was immediately in sync with the McLaren—fully focused and intoxicated by its immediate response and surprising speed. Clearly so was Aaron, who exclaimed after the first couple of turns, “Wow … it really accelerates off the corners.”
But a great driving car isn’t just about speed. It’s about how it makes you feel. And in front of Mr. Race Car Driver, I was feeling pretty spectacular as I cracked off perfectly timed upshifts thanks to the 570S’ thoughtfully designed Race mode display. The howl of rising engine speed and big colored dots at the top of the instrument panel, right in my line of vision, signaled the exact moment when a blip of the paddles was required; green dots … red … then one single blue and an audio BINK! Pop back the plus paddle, and off we went. On the cool-down stretch back to the start, the guy sitting next me may have said, “Nice driving.” I can’t recall. What a fantastic ride. –Ed Loh
2017 Porsche 911 Carrera
Usually automakers like to send us test cars loaded with juicy options. But the best car I drove in 2016 was a base model, the least powerful car in the range, on the smallest wheel/tire combo, in a stock color. The only options fitted to it were heated and cooled sport seats and red seat belts. And it was perfect.
The Porsche 911 Carrera made me fall in love with driving all over again. Sure, there are faster, more powerful, and more adrenalin-charged 911s. But the Carrera’s responsive 370-hp turbocharged flat-six, telepathic steering, and sublimely communicative chassis combined with the oily rifle-bolt action of the seven-speed manual made me wonder whether any of them are really worth the extra money. This is the 911 I would own. –Angus MacKenzie
2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S
I’ve been doing this for 21 years, driven at least 3,000 vehicles in that time, and track-tested about 1,600 of those. The most powerful of those was a 1,000-horsepower twin-turbo Ford GT wearing Hoosier slicks, and for a time, that was one of the fastest cars I ever pointed down the drag strip (11.2 seconds at 132.4 mph). There have been quicker/faster cars since then, but nothing prepared me for the 2017 Porsche 911 Turbo S. With a mere 580 horsepower but with the advantage the most effective launch control in the business, an engine hanging off its rear axle, and power being sent to all four wheels, it literally lifted its front wheels off the ground and propelled itself into our record books.
Motor Trend has never tested anything quicker to 30, 40, and 50 mph, missing the record 0–60 by 0.1 second to a Porsche 918 Spyder and a Ferrari LaFerrari, both multimillion-dollar hypercars. Scanning the acceleration column, there are no double-digit time-to-speed lines [0–30 (0.9), 0–40 (1.3), 0–50 (1.8), 0–60 (2.5), 0–70 (3.2), 0–80 (4.0), 0–90 (5.0), 0–100 (6.0), and even 0–100–0 (9.7)] until the quarter-mile mark (10.5 at 131.8). Most memorable car of the year? No. Probably the most memorable car of my career. –Chris Walton
Mercedes-Benz G500 4×4 Squared
By far the best, most outrageous, and most amazing vehicle that I drove and photographed this year was the Mercedes-Benz G500 4X4 Squared. This highlighter yellow monstrosity drives better than a normal G-Wagen thanks to its widened track, and it makes the driver feel like they can go anywhere and over anything.
With only a short weekend to shoot, I headed into the desert and found some amazing locations. My wife and fellow photographer, Jessica Walker, lent a hand behind the wheel for some awesome sandy drift shots, and then I literally buried my camera in a hole to get the low angle static shots at the end of the day.
The day and a half we spent left an impression, and I hope to climb (physically climb—it’s huge!) back into one someday. –William Walker
Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen Fun
One of my least favorite vehicles to drive on-road delivered one of the best days I have ever had in a vehicle because we took the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen off-road—up the Schöckl Mountain in Graz, Austria, on a path reserved only for the Gelandewagen. More amazing than the crawl up the mountain was the wild ride back down in the hands of the professional drivers who had us bumping off the headliner and sides of the SUV at what felt like a breakneck pace. The icing on the cake was back at the Magna test facility, where we got in some G500 4×4 Squared versions for traction control testing—no hands on the wheel as it stayed the course on a slick pad—and then six full donuts when the system was turned off. Final capper: airborne in a 6×6. Unforgettable, all around. –Alisa Priddle
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata
Lots of keys have been in my pockets this year, but none have made me happier than the ones to our long-term 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata. I’ve had plenty to report on the zoomy Mazda (see my latest updates here), and after racking up more than 30,000 miles, there’s no doubt that the Miata is the best car I’ve driven in 2016, if not ever. –Erick Ayapana
2015 Lamborghini Aventador SV
Yes, yes, it seems blatantly obvious and lazy to pick a half-million-dollar car as my favorite drive of 2016, but I have a good reason. Twelve-cylinder Lamborghinis have always been poster cars, and that’s about it. Whoever said “don’t meet your heroes” was probably talking about a post-Countach, pre-Gallardo Lamborghini. They’re wickedly quick in a straight line, but all those Italian ponies only had the one trick. They never stopped well and really didn’t turn well. The Aventador SV changes all that.
With it, Lamborghini has finally made its flagship car truly worthy of the poster. There was a hint in the Murciélago SV that maybe, just maybe, the company cared about the total performance of its premier car and not just its outright speed. The Aventador SV has made that public with a Kanye-worthy special event. It’s not all noise and fury anymore. Now it’s a car that’s finally as fun to drive as it looks. Rather than scary to flog and in need of excuses, the Aventador SV grabs you by the scruff of the neck and demands you do the same, for which you will be rewarded.
To top it all off, it’s become a launching point. The Centenario, by all accounts, is an even better handler, and there’s no reason to believe Lamborghini will go backward now that it’s achieved a breakthrough. –Scott Evans
Lamborghini Centenario
The best car I drove this year was the Lamborghini Centenario. Yes, it costs more than $2,000,000. Yes, there are only 40 being made—20 coupes and 20 convertibles. Yes, they all sold out after potential customers were shown a napkin sketch. And yes, most of us will never see, let alone drive, one. None of that changes the fact that the admittedly odd-looking Lambo was the best car I drove in 2016.
Why so sweet? The unhinged brutality of the Aventador Superveloce has made it one of the five cars I’d most love to own (the other four are a Caddy CTS-V wagon with a stick, AMG G63, Morgan 3-Wheeler, and Icon FJ44). You take all the murderous fury of the SV and add in four-wheel steering and active aerodynamics, and you’re left with a car than can beat all other cars to death. Put another way, the Centenario allowed me to do two things I’d never thought I’d do: catch an instructor on a racetrack, and turn left at 170 mph. I’m in still in awe. –Jonny Lieberman
2017 Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Dogleg
In a year filled with spectacular cars such as the Porsche 911 R and the McLaren 570S, I had the best time in an Aston Martin that dates back more than a decade. The V12 Vantage S is a known quantity, but the addition of a clutch pedal to this stunning sports car made it better than even I could imagine. The transmission is a seven-speed dogleg, meaning first gear is down and to the left. That alone puts the Aston in special company, but then the gears are nearly as short as a Miata’s. Driving the Aston in town, it rips through the gears like a hyperactive subcompact, only with the wail of one of the sexiest-sounding V12s in production today. Wrapped in one of the sexiest-looking cars ever produced. With spectacular steering and handling that’s a perfect match for what I love: going sideways. People keep asking me which I preferred—the Aston or the Porsche 911 R. Both are back-to-basics, manual-transmission, rear-drive $200,000 sports cars. Although the 911 R is, in objective terms, the better car, the truth is that I’d buy the Aston if I could. –Jason Cammisa
2017 Hyundai Elantra Eco
My best drive of 2016 was the launch of the Hyundai Elantra Eco. Not so much because of the car, though it was very good, but because of the free-form drive route. We were given an Elantra and a gas card, but the itinerary was entirely up to us. Departing from Hyundai’s factory in Montgomery, Alabama, I embarked on a tour of the South that took me through three states. The trip enriched my understanding of an unfamiliar region and allowed me to reconnect with family in Tennessee. Here’s hoping 2017 brings more opportunities for discovery. –Alex Nishimoto
2017 Mercedes-AMG SL63
When the subject line, “Car for the weekend?” hit my inbox three months after I started my new role for Motor Trend, butterflies filled my stomach. It’s the dream of every new employee to one day get the keys to a press car, especially if it’s something you’d never be able to afford with your day job. Luckily for me, my weekend ride was the 2017 Mercedes-AMG SL63 and, as equipped, was just shy of $175,000. It wasn’t the twin-turbo V-8 or retractable hardtop that made this my Best Ride of 2016. It was the experience of being in a high-dollar luxury performance car for the first time in my life. I was able to drive something others dream about—heck, that I dreamed about growing up. Although I’ve driven quicker, more expensive cars since, this was an experience I will never forget. –Chris Bacarella
2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R
For my best car driven in 2016, it came down to the Shelby and the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell. It’s probably more exciting to hear about the Mustang than the Tucson (which is fabulous in its own right). The Shelby’s sweet 8,250-rpm song can and does lead to addiction, and the car has the folkloric driver’s combo of a naturally aspirated V-8, manual transmission, and rear-wheel drive. I’ve also had to move, stack, and store many sets of wheels and tires this year, and the GT350R’s lightweight carbon-fiber wheels made that exercise noticeably easier. Please, OEMs, lighter wheels for 2017. –Benson Kong
Lucid Air
Maybe I just have a short attention span. And I am as easily hypnotizable as a chicken with a line drawn in front of it. But I must admit that the Lucid Air I’ve just seen and ridden in has me in full chicken stare. Admitted, what I saw is still an unfinished car (though not by much), the ride was in an engineering prototype stripped of an interior, and I didn’t actually drive anything at all. But what I’ve witnessed here is a glimpse of where the automobile is heading, whether it’s teensy Lucid leading the charge or an established goliath. It’s a path toward industrial design motifs, not automotive ones, thoughtful integration of an part-time autonomous human-machine interface (not a clumsy afterthought, tack-on addition), sophisticated natural-voice communication, lots of beautiful touchscreens—and obviously an electric drivetrain. Strange and fascinating, all at once. –Kim Reynolds
Arctic Trucks Toyota Hilux AT38
For as long as I live, I’ll never forget the hubris of my first 15 minutes behind the wheel of an Arctic Trucks Hilux. We’d spent most of the morning on-road shooting gorgeous photos, so I was eager to finally break off the highway and on to a snow-covered Icelandic tundra.
Our guide, Jón, suggested I shift the heavily modified Toyota into four-low and air down the massive balloon tires before we rolled into the powder.
“What for?” I recall thinking to myself. “Isn’t this what the big tires are for?”
Not wanting to be rude to our Icelandic host, I hopped down from the truck and aired the tires down.
“All right, four-wheel drive low, and go!” Jón said excitedly. “I think we’ll be fine in four-high,” I responded, reasoning that with the tires aired-down and with the conditions what they were, four-low would’ve been overkill.
“OK,” he said with a knowing smile.
I shifted into four-high and dipped into the throttle as the truck lurched forward into the snow.
I made it 15 feet before getting stuck.
“I told you four-low!” –Christian Seabaugh
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