Car and Driver has published its 10Best list since 1983, and a handful of nameplates keep landing on it year after year. The tallies below come from the magazine’s recent lists, and one Honda sedan sits far ahead of everything else. Here are ten cars that have collected the most 10Best trophies.
1. Honda Accord: The Undisputed Leader
Honda’s own announcement says the Accord has made the list 40 times, including the last 28 years in a row. That run makes the midsize sedan the most decorated car in the award’s history and the reason this list has a clear number one.
Consistency is the story here. Few models stay on an editors’ list through so many redesigns, and the streak reflects the magazine’s steady preference for well-rounded, engaging family cars. Honda also reports 99 total awards across its lineup, the most of any brand, and the Accord supplies a large share of that lead.
2. Chevrolet Corvette: America’s Sports Car
The Corvette holds 26 wins through 2025, first honored in 1985, according to a SlashGear awards tally. Both the Stingray and the E-Ray were named to the 2026 list as well.
The total shows how long the editors have favored the Corvette’s performance for the money. It is tallied through the 2025 list, with the 2026 recognition arriving on top of it. Sports cars tend to be the editors’ favorites, and few have stayed as consistently rewarded as this American icon over so many model generations.
3. Porsche Boxster and Cayman (718): Porsche’s Mid-Engine Pair
Porsche’s Boxster and Cayman, grouped as the 718, have 26 wins since 1998 and have missed the list only twice, per the same SlashGear awards tally. That puts them level with the Corvette on the total.
A small two-seat coupe and roadster earning that kind of loyalty says a lot about how the editors weigh steering feel and balance. The pair is a benchmark for driver-focused cars. Sharing the total with the Corvette places a German and an American two-seater in a dead heat, a rivalry that enthusiasts have followed for years.
4. BMW 3 Series: A Former Regular
The BMW 3 Series earned 20 wins between 1992 and its last award in 2014, according to a SlashGear awards tally. For years the compact sedan was close to a fixture on the list.
The final win came more than a decade ago, a reminder that the list rewards what is best now, not past reputation. The 3 Series still ranks high in total trophies. Sedans from rival brands have since taken more of the attention, so the count is best read as a record of a long and successful era.
5. Volkswagen Golf GTI: Hot Hatch Streak
The Golf family counted 19 wins through 2025, including a run from 2007 to 2022, and the Golf returned on the 2026 list. The SlashGear awards tally treats the hatchback line as one continuous winner, with the GTI as its sportiest form.
Sixteen straight years is a rare stretch for any car. Buyers who want a practical hatchback with some spirit have long seen this one endorsed by the magazine. Shoppers who see the badge on a compact hatchback are looking at a family of cars that editors kept returning to for well over a decade.
6. Mazda MX-5 Miata: Roadster Royalty
The Mazda MX-5 Miata has 19 wins, and the magazine’s 1990 citation said Mazda had reinvented the sports car, as recorded on the Car and Driver 10Best page. The little roadster has stayed a favorite ever since.
Low weight, light controls and a modest price have kept the Miata on editors’ lists across generations. Its trophy count shows that affordable fun can rival far pricier machines. Shoppers can compare it against far costlier sports cars and find that the magazine has often placed the small Mazda right alongside them.
7. Honda Civic: Compact Workhorse
Honda’s release says the 2026 award was the Civic’s 12th win, a quote that gives the compact car a place among the leaders. Only a few models have reached double digits.
The Civic is far more common on American streets than most cars here. Its trophy total shows that a mainstream commuter can also win over enthusiast editors. Sedans and hatchbacks with this reliability record often serve first-time buyers, which makes the magazine’s repeated praise useful beyond the enthusiast crowd.
8. Ford Mustang: Pony Car Original
The Ford Mustang has 11 wins and was one of the original ten honored in 1983, based on the Car and Driver 10Best page. The pony car has stayed in the conversation for decades.
Few nameplates can claim a role in the very first list. The Mustang’s total sits just above the Honda Prelude, and its long history keeps it among the award’s most recognizable names. Several generations have come and gone since, with the car changing shape and power many times, yet the nameplate has kept earning attention from the magazine.
9. Honda Prelude: Coupe of the Nineties
The Honda Prelude has 10 wins, spread across 1984 to 1986 and 1992 to 1998, according to the Car and Driver 10Best page. Its trophies come mostly from a stretch in the 1990s.
The coupe is no longer sold in the same form, yet its record still ranks in the top ten. That shows how strong the run was for Honda’s sporty models in those years. Older readers may remember it as a stylish alternative to a family sedan, and its ten trophies keep that reputation alive in the record books.
10. Honda CR-V: The SUV Standout
Honda’s announcement credits the CR-V with a seventh 10Best win and a fourth straight Trucks and SUVs award in 2026. It is the only sport utility vehicle on this list.
Small crossovers dominate American sales, so the CR-V’s steady recognition reflects what many buyers actually drive. Its win comes from the separate trucks and SUVs category. Buyers shopping for a family vehicle can read that streak as steady editorial confidence in one of the best-selling models in its class, even as rivals multiplied.
More from Morning Overview
- A handful of car engines are so tough mechanics say they almost never wear out
- The NSA is again telling phone owners to switch off one location setting
- Supplements now rank as the fifth-leading cause of death from liver disease.
- Herbal supplements are landing Americans in the hospital with liver damage, doctors warn
