10 best new cars from 2019

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February 18, 2019

We drove dozens of cars to prepare for 2019 – we know it, a big chore. From our choice of car of the year to our favorite ultra-luxury vehicle, to crossovers that we think are at the top of the pack, these are the ones we wanted to come back to over and over again. Especially if the money was not an object.

Car of the year

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Have you just settled in a Tesla Model 3 or are you in a mobile kiosk in Scandinavia-Silicon Valley? Can I order an Algorithm Enhanced Latte from this screen?

Welcome to the future of the automobile, the human. Model 3 has only three buttons, and the austerity of the glass roof cabin suggests that they are there because the government has said so. You unlock it with your phone or a key card. And almost everything you need to do, with the exception of braking, acceleration and steering, is done via a 15-inch touchscreen mounted in the center of the dashboard, which is actually a long and uninterrupted vent. You can precisely control its airflow by moving your fingers on the screen.

But how is that, you know, a moving vehicle? A blow of horn. This silent and sporty car proves that if this is the paradigm of the next chapter of the automobile, even ordinary cars will be extraordinary in a future without gasoline. As a high-torque electric car, it never feels slow. Need more adrenaline? The Performance version, equipped with an additional engine, can accelerate to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. It's faster than a Porsche Boxster.

The problem with a Tesla? After a few hundred miles, I got so used to the gentle acceleration and the sleek, minimalist interior that when I jumped into my Lyft after dropping the 3, I've had the impression of having entered the past, where we might as well have been burning coal. for the heat. If you've always thought that Tesla owners had a superiority complex, you probably never drove it.

Performance car of the year

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People often ask me: what car would you buy if money was not an object? Then I will ask for clarification: is this the only car I can own? Would I take him on the track? Does he need a back seat? Convertible? How comfortable? And then, generally: Wait, where are you going?

This is not my favorite question. Yet, I understand why someone asks for it. I think they're waiting to hear about a car they've never really met. They want to hear something singular, special, out of this world. They want to know what a fast acceleration with a sloping roof looks like – alas, people want it to be a convertible – and how awesome it is to ruin the tunnels and blow up your eardrums.

Ask me this today and I will tell you that it is the McLaren 570S spider that I covet. I like that the British company only designs two-seater sports cars with no intention of creating crossovers. I like that, as Silicon ValleyRuss Hanneman says, the car has the doors of a billionaire – they turn around. Really, this should be a prerequisite for all really special cars. I like the fact that she stayed true to the analog, electrohydraulic steering, as opposed to the numb electronically assisted steering of almost every other car. I like the way management talks to you, talking to you about small holes and imperfections on the road that you would never have seen before. It's a car that makes you feel really good with asphalt, despite the fact that it was designed by extraterrestrials. I like that when people see the car, they say, "It looks like it was designed by extraterrestrials." I like the fact that I'm driving a technology looted in Area 51. I like that it's not McLaren's mystique. I'm attracted to – as a relatively new society, it's practically nonexistent – but rather to the strong, visceral sensations that the 570S Spider provides. I like the fact that it's weird. Original. Over there. Bring me to your boss.

Bargain of performance of the year

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Driving the Civic Type R, it's signing a contract type. Do you promise to strangle it? Well, because it just comes in sticks. Do you agree to drive a Gundam robot? Great, because, well, look at it. Do not worry, almost all too aggressive elements improve aerodynamics in one way or another. Tell the elders that they do it when they give him a quizzical look. Kids, who know this car from Forza racing video games, will be the best informed, they will give you a boost and give you the chance to be caught off guard. This is not the most powerful machine on the road, but it is part of this rare car category, like the Subaru WRX Sti or the Volkswagen GTI, where you can actually feel all the power; where you hold the scheme near the red line and use each part of the engine. That's where the Civic Type R sings. You can tell it to the highway policeman.

Luxury car of the year

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The term GT has lost its meaning over the years. It's as if car manufacturers read the first line of the word "frequent flyer" on "A performance and luxury car capable of driving at high speed and over long distances" – and decided to grant letters to everything with four wheels and a leather seat.

I'm not a big puzzle for categorization – you would go very quickly by analyzing the niche automotive world. But I'm in the archetypes, and, good man, nothing deserves more these two letters that the Bentley Continental GT 2019. Grandiose? Let's take a look at some of the options available: quilted double diamond rich saddle leather seats; an infotainment screen that swivels the James Bond style to reveal three dials with diamond knurling; a variety of beautiful veneers, ranging from redwood to stone. (Yes, stone.) This gives a BMW a plebeian air. Tourer? I traveled about eight hundred miles on the car in a week. Silk. Butter. Cloud. My notebook was filled with these three words again and again. The air suspension is eating away at bumpy roads. The W-12 accelerates effortlessly at all speeds, with very little drama except a polite and bassy thrum, but nothing else. He likes curves and corners, despite his size and weight.

Indeed, the name, in this case, is apt. Does your GT give you the impression that the continent is shrinking under its twenty-two inch wheels? Does this make you want to buy good wine and Renaissance paintings during your trip? No? So maybe it's not a GT.

Year-old yacht of the year

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The essential feature of the new Rolls Royce Cullinan is motorized seats that stand out elegantly from the hatchback. This is a great place to enjoy a cocktail based on the trunk's drink module, which looks like a James Bondian picnic basket. You will need a driver to drink, but most Rolls Royce owners already have one. So please: Enjoy, good sir.

There are some who do not like the idea of a prestigious brand like Rolls Royce coming out with an SUV – it's like giving what the new rich want – but there's a story of Rolls Royces used for activities ruder than the cocktail hour. They were driven as hunting vehicles in the 1920s and early 1980s. During the First World War, Lawrence had used silver armored ghosts in the Arabian desert during the First World War. However, it takes more than a solid historical narrative to enter the ultra-luxury SUV market. The Cullinan is built on the Rolls Royce platform, unlike vehicles like the Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus, which share a lineage with the Audi Q7 and the Porsche Cayenne. And so, this British land yacht feels custom and singular. It carries all RR trademarks: car doors with removable umbrellas, quiet driving (thanks to foam-filled tires and about 220 pounds of sound-absorbing material in the cab) and a cloud-like ride. Surprisingly, it even behaves this way when you leave it, if you decide. And you should. Or ask your driver. Nothing like a martini with a mountain view.

Sport sedan of the year

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It has never been easier to be an iconoclast buyer of luxury compact sport sedans. If you feel the need to get out of the triumvirate of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C Class, you have to look at the sublime Alfa Romeo Giulia, which was an Esquire car of the year 2017. And you J & 39 will have one more thing to add to the comparison list this year: the Genesis G70. A Geni-what-now? Genesis is Hyundai's new luxury brand and the G70 is an amuse-bouche of what must be a team filled with talents like Luc Donckerwolke, former design director at Bentley, Lamborghini and Audi, as well as Albert Biermann, who has oversaw the development of BMW M cars. Their challenge is also a gift: a clean slate without historical baggage. They must create luxury and meaning from nothing. It's not an easy task, but the G70 makes it an impressive rookie. It's a remarkably quiet, yet truly dynamic, sporty machine that may be more fun to drive than its German counterparts. Give a shot.

SUV of the year

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To understand the religious appeal of the G-Class, just listen, even before putting the ignition. Close the door. Do not be a wimp, give him some muscle. I mean, how is this satisfying thunk, right? And then the analog, arm a shotgun ker-chunk door locks? You would almost like paparazzi or zombies to pursue you to accentuate this surge of invincibility. No car feels better prepared to face the apocalypse (with style!) Than this hand-built Austrian masterpiece, which has undergone its first major overhaul since 1979. Mercedes-Benz has put it all implemented to maintain its improbability. icon – it was originally intended for military service – just that, iconic.

For those who do not know it, or for those who look at it, jostle La Cienega, its more natural environment these days, the new G-Class always looks so toned. But in reality, it shares only five harmless parts with the previous generation, such as the spare wheel cover, the door handles and the sun visor. While the old G-Class was charming and bizarre (the rear seat did not leave much room for the legs, and the car looked like a tank), the current version retains its off-road prowess while managing to become a much smoother and more luxurious SUV for the vehicle. modern world. Mercedes-Benz has created a better G-Class, but you will want it for the same reasons as anyone, perhaps more than ever: it's the most powerful antidote against the proliferation of almost every other car of the category. road. Here to stay square and stay that way.

Cabriolet of the year

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Where do fast cars come from? In 2003, the speed of 0 to 60 ° C of Ferrari Enzo, the high-end demon of the Italian manufacturer, was 3.1 seconds. Portofino 2018 reaches 60 years in 3.4 seconds. In 15 years, the entry-level Ferrari has become, at least in a straight line, almost as fast as the brand's unique halo car. How good is it to convince your better half that Portofino is something you deserve for your hard work? Not clear. But there is one thing that these numbers prove without a doubt: the Portofino is a real Ferrari, end to end.

The predecessor of the car, California's "entry-level", also had to bear this strange burden. The V-8 front engine was for everyone: a Mercedes SL, a Camaro, a Mustang. To be a Ferrari, your engine had to be mounted at the back or center, and preferably a screaming V-12. But the California has quickly become the best-selling Ferrari car of all time, and Portofino should also win this title. Although it is a convertible with a hard top, it retains a slender and graceful appearance, as if the Cali worked for all 30 years. His duality is wonderfully balanced. It's a bold, noisy, sporty couple, but turn the Manietto into Comfort mode and just purrs softly for easy driving at sunset. The Portofino is a Ferrari that checks so many boxes. Hard top. Convertible. Sports car. Four places. Cruiser. Honey, can we have one, right?

Electric car of the year

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Electricity becomes normal in the Nordstrom car park. Over the next few years, luxury brands from Audi to Mercedes Benz will offer all their own electrified vehicles. Jaguar's iPace sets a high bar as the first to enter the valet service. Why? It's a bit normal.

While choosing a Tesla may give the impression of giving up the tribe of gasoline vehicles for the cult of electric vehicles, the Jaguar is not there to turn you into a radical automobile. Its interior is as familiar as any other Jag and its exterior is relatively familiar. Of course, if you've ever talked to a car designer, you know that doing "normally" is not easy. Take a closer look and the exoticism of the iPace begins to appear: the front passengers are sitting far in the car, the wheels are stretched to the corners and the hood has a huge grip on the car. air that passes air over the sharply tilted windshield improve aerodynamics. Then you drive it and its uniqueness emerges: lots of torque, excellent cornering power and real off-road capability. The car even has some racing credentials: iPaces will be part of the first international race series for electric production vehicles, the Jaguar I – PACE eTROPHY. Being normal never felt more special.

Crossbreeds of the year

Twenty-eight was the year where crossovers were officially better sold than sedans. Even Ford, the manufacturer of the first US sedans, announced that it was no longer going to sell them in the United States. While it's easy to hate the omnipresence of the crossover, it's hard not to understand the lure of the balance between space and fuel economy. Here are our favorites.

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This crossover wants to be a sports car so much, so much. And you know what? He's pretty much at it.

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An angular design with clever festoons makes for one of the most interesting cars on the road. It's just the right amount of weirdness.

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Go for the Signature Interior, a $ 2K upgrade, and you'll get the most comfortable back seat in the compact SUV segment, with reclining seats, cushioned screens and a large panoramic roof.

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Thanks to the large space and a slightly higher ride height, it feels much more sedan than crossover. Plus, it has a smooth buttery engine. It is the most iconoclastic Beemer on the road.

This article was originally published in the March 19 issue of Esquire. Subscribe now

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