The EV landscape shifted fast heading into 2026, and the Driveway crew has opinions. On Episode 45, Elliot, Matt, and Dave take stock of where the industry stands, then get into the fun part: picking their favorite electric vehicles across four categories.
Our Favorite EVs of 2026 | The Driveway Podcast #45
The Driveway Podcast
Episode 45
Published: March 18, 2026
Table of Contents
The State of EVs in 2026
Best EV Crossovers
Best Value EVs Under $40K
Best Luxury EVs
Best Electric Truck
How to Listen
The Hosts
The State of EVs in 2026
The federal EV tax credit ended last fall, and automakers and consumers alike are still adjusting. Dave, CarGurus' resident EV expert, walks through where things stand: demand pulled forward ahead of the deadline, federal emissions mandates rolled back, and a used EV wave incoming as lease-return vehicles hit the market this spring. His advice? If you're open to a used EV, now is a great time to shop.
The crew also mourns the F-150 Lightning's cancellation (though it may return as a range-extended hybrid), reflects on the Hyundai Ioniq 6 going away, and eyes a future episode on Chinese EVs, which Dave says are coming to the US and will "blow everyone's doors off."
On the question of how much range is enough: Matt draws the line at 260 miles (just enough to make the round trip to his parents and back), while Dave settles on 250 as his floor. Both agree that 300 is gravy and that anyone fretting below those numbers is probably overestimating their daily needs.
Best EV Crossovers
Elliot: Hyundai Ioniq 9
Elliot's pick is the three-row, all-electric Ioniq 9, which he'd already have leased if his wife hadn't turned around in the driveway and walked back inside without a word. The exterior is a sticking point (Dave has some colorful opinions), but inside it's purpose-built for family duty: cavernous, quiet, great sightlines, and plenty of cargo space. Range is around 350 miles and lease deals hover around $500 a month for a well-equipped trim.
Matt: Honda Prologue
Matt's pick is the Honda Prologue, which sits on GM's Ultium platform but keeps something GM's own EVs don't: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It's bigger than it looks in photos, sharp in any color, and has been the thumbnail for CarGurus' best EV lease deals roundup for months running. A fully loaded all-wheel-drive Touring can be had for around $269/month with roughly $5,000 at signing.
Dave: Subaru Trailseeker (or Toyota bZ Woodland)
Dave's recency-bias pick is the new Subaru Trailseeker, essentially an electric Outback, which he and Matt just spent time reviewing. It starts at just under $40K, delivers 281 miles of range, 375 horsepower, and standard all-wheel drive, and charges at up to 150 kW via NACS. Dave's only real complaint is the blue leather interior (which YouTube viewers seem to actually like). The Toyota bZ Woodland is its kissing cousin, very similar under the skin, though it starts about $4,000 to $5,000 higher.
Best Value EVs Under $40K
Matt: Hyundai Ioniq 5
The Ioniq 5 dropped to $35,000 for 2026, a jaw-dropping price for what the crew largely considers the best EV on the market. The entry-level front-wheel-drive single motor isn't a powerhouse, but even the SE and SEL trims sneak in under $40K MSRP. Matt takes the SEL, the last all-front-wheel-drive trim before the all-wheel-drive versions push past the cap.
Elliot: Ford Mustang Mach-E
Elliot's pick starts at $37,795 for the Select rear-wheel-drive trim, well under $40K. He loves the proportions, the styling, and the Mach-E's place in EV history as one of the cars that got people paying attention. His one gripe: the giant vertical touchscreen and its rotary knob look cool but aren't the most intuitive to use daily.
Dave: Nissan Leaf (New Generation)
Dave is currently testing the redesigned Leaf, which loses the quirky hatchback silhouette in favor of a slightly crossover-leaning stance. It starts at $30K for the S+ trim and tops out around $40K fully loaded. Build quality and materials feel genuinely premium. The caveats: no true one-pedal driving (a meaningful miss for EV fans), a narrow cabin with two adults up front, and a software glitch affecting the climate display on the test unit. Dave still calls it a great secondary car and expects a software update to resolve the issue soon.
Best Luxury EVs
Matt: BMW i4
Matt's case for the i4 is simple: it's a BMW 4 Series that happens to be electric. It drives like one, looks like one (oversized kidney grille aside), and delivers sports-sedan performance without asking you to give anything up. Lease deals have been strong enough that the i4 has been the CarGurus best EV lease deals cover car for months running.
Elliot: Volvo EX90
Elliot picks the EX90 on looks and Dave's driving impressions alone, and gets a brief but honest debrief in return. Dave liked the design and the Volvo pedigree but found the real-world experience frustrating: everything lives in the touchscreen, range estimates were unreliable, the key fob has no buttons, and small annoyances compounded over a week of driving. At $77,990 base (around $81K with AWD), the value proposition is debatable. Elliot stands by the pick on aesthetics.
Dave: Cadillac Vistiq
Dave's shortlist included the Escalade IQ, the Vistiq, and the Lucid Air. Pressed to pick one, he goes Vistiq. It's a large three-row electric crossover, well-executed inside and out, loaded with GM's best EV technology, and priced around $79,390. Comparable to the Volvo but with more room and, in Dave's view, a significantly better overall experience. The Lucid Gravity is also on his radar, with a test drive scheduled in the coming weeks.
Best Electric Truck
The crew lands on two picks with different use cases in mind.
Elliot and Matt: Rivian R1T
Elliot's pick is the R1T, a truck that could just as easily land in the luxury category, and Matt cosigns it fully. It's capable from the base trim up, the gear tunnel is a genuinely clever feature, and the R1S driving dynamics both hosts have experienced give them high confidence in the truck version. If you're choosing one EV truck with no asterisks, this is the one.
Dave: F-150 Lightning (while you still can)
Dave's contrarian pick: the F-150 Lightning is technically discontinued, but there are still over 150 brand-new examples within 50 miles of Pasadena. If you don't tow, don't live somewhere that gets cold, and want an electric truck that looks exactly like a truck, the Lightning remains one of the most sensible EV pickups ever made. Lease deals are still available on Ford's site.
The honest conclusion from all three: nobody has yet built the definitive electric truck for the traditional truck buyer. The Rivian skews coastal and premium; the Lightning had range and cold-weather limitations; the Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV are as close as it gets today, but they're expensive and make a statement. That's the gap the market still needs to fill.
How to Listen
Have a question for the team? Send an email to editor@cargurus.com
