5 more new cars to avoid at all costs and 5 alternatives to consider

For car buyers, 2025 was the year of incentives. If you were in the market for a new vehicle in the first half of last year, consider yourself lucky.

After the 25 percent tariffs on auto imports were announced in March, many car buyers snapped up new vehicles before the price hikes hit dealer lots.

A February survey by CivicScience found that six in 10 Americans would switch to an alternative brand or stop buying an affected product if their favorite brand was hit by tariffs.

Last year, major automakers were paying buyers up to $2,000 to switch brands through so-called “conquest cash incentives,” which were often stacked on top of other offers.

Retail consumers will spend $620 billion on new vehicles in 2025, according to Automotive World, citing JD Power data, up nearly 6 percent from the previous year. However, the rise was driven by a threat that never really materialized.

“Despite much speculation about large increases in new car prices due to the tariffs, actual increases, as correctly anticipated by JD Power, have been muted,” the firm said.

The average retail transaction price for all vehicles in December was estimated at $47,104, an increase of $715 (1.5%) over the same period last year. Excluding electric vehicles, which are on average more expensive than traditional combustion engine vehicles, average car prices rose 1.4 percent to $46,807.

If you’re one of the six in 10 Americans looking to switch car brands, TheStreet has covered Consumer Reports’ list of popular vehicles to avoid and ones to consider here.

Here are five more vehicles to consider in 2026.

Founded in 1936 by a group of laid-off workers from a product testing firm called Consumers’ Research, Consumer Reports is a multifaceted nonprofit organization that aims to educate consumers about products and help them make informed purchasing decisions.

It does this by purchasing and testing products first-hand, administering detailed surveys to its members about the products they own and use, and investigating the veracity of manufacturers’ claims.

• Founded: 1936 (as consumer union by former Consumers’ Research employees fired after trying to unionize)

• Headquarters: Yonkers, NY

• Lead: Marta Tellado (President and CEO)

• Employees: Approximate. 500 to 600

• Members: At least 6 million

• Mission Statement: “Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit membership organization that works side-by-side with consumers for truth, transparency and fairness in the marketplace.”

Consumer Reports’ tagline, “Smarter Choices for a Better World,” captures the organization’s purpose. CR aims to educate and inform the public by providing objective information about popular products, helping consumers make “smarter choices” when purchasing major items.

For this list, Consumer Reports uses ratings and rankings based on testing and what its members say in surveys.

This review focused on the best-selling models (based on sales and registration data) in nine different categories. Alternatives to these popular models are in the same genre, but have higher ratings.

The car to avoid will be listed first, while the CR recommended alternative will appear second.

• Price range: $63,500 – $168,700

• CR MPG: Overall 18/ City 12/ Highway 26 mpg

• Consumer Reports Ranking: #12 of 17

• Price range: $67,600 – $129,700

• CR MPG: Total 23/ City 15/ Highway 33

• Consumer Reports Ranking: #1 of 17

• Price range: $43,945 – $60,465

• CR MPG: Total 27/ City 21/ Highway 32

• Consumer Reports Ranking: #7 of #7 minivans, 3 rows

• Price range: $41,390 – $53,490

• CR MPG: Overall 31/ City 26/ Highway 34 mpg

• Consumer Reports Ranking: #1 of 7

• Price range: $47,400 – $57,900

• CR MPGe: Overall 95/ City 101/ Highway 88 mpge

• Consumer Reports Ranking: #10 of 22

• Price range: $39,990 – $59,990

• CR MPGe: Total 123/ City 130/ Highway 115 mpge

• Consumer Reports Ranking: #1 of 22 Electric SUVs

• Price range: $23,995 – $29,995

• CR MPG: Overall 34/ City 21/ Highway 54 mpg

• Consumer Reports Ranking: #21 of 22

• Price range: $29,395 – $33,595

• CR MPG: Total 44/ City 39/ Highway 48

• Consumer Reports Ranking: #1 or 22

• Price range: $29,200 – $38,250

• CR MPG: Total 44/ City 36/ Highway 51

• Consumer Reports Ranking: #9 of 10 midsize cars

• Price range: $29,100 – $37,025

• CR MPG: Total 48/ City 40/ Highway 54

• Consumer Reports Ranking: #1 of 10 Midsize Cars

Related: US car buyers reverse major trend in second half of 2025

This story was originally published by TheStreet on January 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Auto section. Add TheStreet as a favorite source by clicking here.