Every year, the automotive industry strives to surpass the standards of the years before. In many cases, this involves simple corrections of issues from years before, often focused on areas of driver safety improvement or aesthetic alterations. Nonetheless, even simple fixes can improve the value of a vehicle and carry it head and shoulders above the previous year’s standards.
Of course, when determining the top 10 cars of 2019, it’s vital that we analyze vehicles from across the spectrum of automobiles since trucks, jeeps, sedans, and even supercars received updates for 2019. These vehicles largely received improvements to their performance specs and fuel efficiencies, although the year made good progress in safety and infotainment systems as well.
2019 Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is among America’s most beloved mid-sized sedans — and the 2019 year makes it clear why. Sitting between 192 and 250 horsepower depending on trim and model, the Accord sports responsive handling and a roomy interior capable of fitting the whole family. Fuel efficiency seems to have been a focus this year at Honda, because the base engine manages 30 miles per gallon (mpg) in the highway and 38 in the city, impressive for the mid-sized sedan class.
The Accord ships with the Honda Sensing system, a full suite of safety and driver assistance features designed to protect you from the hazards of the road. Adaptive cruise control and preemptive collision braking are only two of the top-of-the-line features you’ll benefit from when you buy a 2019 Honda Accord.
2019 Honda Civic
When you’re looking for practicality that doesn’t necessarily need to be wrapped in a shiny package, the 2019 Honda Civic is the right choice for you.
Although the Civic’s 158-horsepower standard engine is sufficient to move the vehicle around and get you where you need to go, an optional 1.5-liter turbocharged powertrain adds another 20 horsepower and gives more oomph to the vehicle all-around. When this optional powertrain is paired with the automatic transmission, it gets the 2019 Honda Civic’s best mileage estimate; 32 mpg in the city and 42 on the highway are great for the Civic’s class.
Like the Accord, the 2019 Honda Civic ships with the Honda Sensing system. Automatic high beams and lane departure warnings support the features noted above, working to keep drivers and pedestrians safe.
2019 Genesis G70
Moving away from family sedans and into the luxury sedan field, the Genesis G70 manages to make waves and establish a name for this relatively new automotive manufacturer in 2019. The G70 has been entirely updated for the 2019 year, sporting a new aesthetic that adds sleekness to a relatively blocky brand. It also features one of the strongest base engines of the class at 252-horsepower, giving this luxury sedan the power it needs to stand out amongst the competition. Inversely, fuel efficiency has suffered as it manages about 22 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway.
In keeping with the luxury style of the G70, it’s been updated with state-of-the-art safety features. Standard features like pedestrian detection systems are paired with optional features like rain-sensing windshield wipers.
2019 Volkswagen Golf
Like the sport from where it drew its name, the 2019 Volkswagen Golf is an athletic and sporty venture suited for drivers of all ages. This generation began in 2015 and has seen significant improvements since then — most visible in the form of 2019’s 170-horsepower engine. Since the Golf is reasonably small even within the compact sedan field, this engine moves the vehicle easily. The only place it suffers is in fuel economy, where 24 mpg in the city and 33 on the highway don’t quite manage to measure up to the competition.
The Golf’s standard safety features are relatively slim pickings, really boiling down to a single rearview camera, but there are far more optional safety features available for conscious drivers.
2019 Ford Mustang
If you’re looking for a muscle car but you want to benefit from the technologies and updates of the modern day, the 2019 Ford Mustang is an excellent choice.
Where the 2019 Mustang really shines is in the area of balance, where Ford has presented an all-around impressive vehicle. The basic powertrain starts at 310-horsepower, but muscle car enthusiasts may choose to kick things up to the next level with a 460-horsepower V8. Both vehicles ship standard with six-speed manual transmissions. Of course, the 310-horsepower engine provides notably better fuel efficiency, sporting 21 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway.
The Ford Mustang’s most interesting safety feature in 2019 is the MyKey system, which is great for drivers with teenagers who need to borrow the car. It allows you to limit top speeds and block inappropriate radio stations remotely, ensuring your child’s eyes are focused on the road.
2019 Subaru Outback
In 2019, wagons have fallen slightly by the wayside. Whether that’s a result of falling interest in wagons or elevations in quality across the board, you could be forgiven for expecting a significant reversal with the 2019 Subaru Outback.
Subaru has blended the smooth handling of a small car with the expansive storage space expected from a wagon. With 175-horsepower, the Outback doesn’t sport the engine power of more aggressive vehicles released in 2019. Despite the disappointing engine power, the fuel economy is relatively standard for the class, ranging between 25 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway.
Newly introduced in 2019, the Outback is equipped with Subaru’s unique EyeSight system. This safety bundle is packed with features intended on reducing the chance of a front-facing accident, namely through pre-collision braking and lane keep assist.
2019 Honda CR-V
Performance information has been relatively sparing for the 2019 model year. Honda is playing their cards close to their chest in the compact SUV demographic, where we can expect a resounding repetition of 2018. In 2018, the Honda CR-V rated among the best in its class, featuring a powerful engine and reasonably responsive handling. If we take the standards set in 2018 and project them for the 2019 year, the Honda CR-V should be an impressive compact sedan.
Despite Honda holding back performance info, they’re more willing to reveal the CR-V’s fuel efficiency and safety features. The CR-V’s fuel efficiency sits at 26 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway, wildly impressive for SUVs that usually guzzle gasoline. The safety features come as part of the Honda Sensing safety suite. This safety suite includes systems like lane assist and adaptive cruise control to help alert drivers of the things they miss while driving.
2019 Ram 1500
The Ram 1500 has been fully redesigned for the 2019 model year. As such, it blows most competitors out of the water with high towing capacity and a comfortable ride. The frame has been reduced in weight and the hauling capabilities have increased by 20 percent, making this an ideal vehicle for drivers who like to mix work with their pleasure. Of the two available engines, the 395-horsepower V8 provides all the power this truck needs to navigate the road and leave a mark on its competition. Estimated mileage for 2019 sit around 15 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway, similar to the ratings of competitors.
Rearview cameras come standard in this beefy truck, but you’ll likely want to add additional safety features like blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Like the 2019 Ram 1500, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has been fully redesigned for 2019. It’s been decreased in weight while the size of the bed and cabin have been expanded, increasing your ability to haul people and objects to your heart’s content. While there are five choices of powertrain on the 2019 Silverado 1500, the V8 engines — available in 355 and 420-horsepower — are the best choices for anyone who plans on hauling with their truck. Both engines get similar fuel efficiencies as the Ram 1500, sitting at 16/17 mpg in the city and 20/23 on the highways.
One area where the Silverado 1500 shines over the Ram is in standard safety features, where Chevy adds the Teen Driver function and allows for remote monitoring for concerned parents.
2019 Ferrari 488
Last but not least, the 2019 Ferrari 488 screeches into the public eye and sets a new standard for luxury in 2019. This rear-wheel-drive coupe carries a seven-speed automatic transmission and a 3.9-liter V8 engine that move this sports car easily around the road, measuring up to an estimated 660-horsepower. While fuel efficiency specs haven’t become available yet for the 2019 season, one can reasonably assume that this engine is a gas-guzzler.
Since the Ferrari 488 moves at such breakneck speeds, safety features are an important aspect of the design. As in previous years, the Ferrari 488 has been optimized to make it through collisions with the least possible damage.