Electric BMW SUV Takes Top Honors, but Upstart Rivian Lands Two Models in the Top Five
With their attractive blend of cutting-edge design, advanced technology, and energy efficiency, electric vehicles (EVs) are taking center stage in more auto showrooms nationwide. And now, the new 2023 AAA Car Guide is here to help consumers navigate this evolving automotive marketplace by ranking and rating the newest vehicles, including EVs. The Guide provides consumers with reviews, based on testing by AAA Engineers, highlighting how many advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are included in the vehicle, along with other criteria and information.
Announced today at the New York International Auto Show, the 2022 BMW iX xDrive50 earned the overall top score for the 2023 edition of the AAA Car Guide. All but one of the category winners for 2023 is electric - the gasoline-powered Kia Carnival SX took the minivan category. Meanwhile, tiny Rivian Automotive placed two models in the top five – the R1T Adventure pickup (Pickup Truck category winner) and the R1S Launch Edition SUV.
2022 was notable for soaring gas prices, with the national average for a gallon of gas hitting a record $5.01 in June. Consumers responded by purchasing more than 760,000 EVs, a 65% increase from 2021. Of the 71 vehicles reviewed for the 2023 AAA Car Guide, 19 are pure electric.
The 2023 AAA Car Guide includes comprehensive reviews of each vehicle based on 13 criteria, including the number of ADAS safety features, fuel efficiency, emissions, braking, handling, ride quality, and acceleration. These vehicles are tested, scored, and placed in one of six vehicle type categories by the Automotive Research Center (ARC) of the Automobile Club of Southern California, a member of the AAA federation of motor clubs.
Additionally, there are three categories based on price.
“EV sales gain more traction each year, but we know that consumers still have a lot of questions about them, such as battery life and ease of charging,” said Mary Maguire, AAA Northeast Vice President of Public and Government Affairs. “That’s where the AAA Car Guide comes in handy. It’s an easy-to-understand resource that takes some of the stress and guesswork out of car-shopping by providing the vital information consumers need to make the right choice.”
For those in the market for newer used vehicles, the online AAA Car Guide website also contains links to the two prior editions in 2022 and 2021.
Each of the 2023 AAA Car Guide winners has numerous ADAS safety features and achieves high fuel efficiency. The highest scoring ranked by category are:
Category Vehicle
Overall 2022 BMW iX xDrive50 (electric)
Small 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV 2LT (electric)
Midsize 2022 BMW i4 M50 (electric)
Large 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4MATIC Sedan (electric)
Pickup 2022 Rivian R1T Adventure (electric)
SUV 2022 BMW iX xDrive50 (electric)
Minivan 2022 Kia Carnival SX (gasoline)
Best Under $35K 2023 Toyota Camry Hybrid SE Nightshade (hybrid)
Best $35K - $50K 2022 Kia Carnival SX (gasoline)
Best Over $50K 2022 BMW iX xDrive50 (electric)
Winners, detailed evaluation criteria, vehicle reviews, and an in-depth analysis of the ADAS technology can be found at aaa.com/carguide. AAA also provides consumers with other resources like the Your Driving Costs calculator and Used EV Car Buyer’s Guide to help with car buying decisions
The AAA Car Guide also contains detailed information about AAA’s recent research on current automotive technologies such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and headlight effectiveness.
