Volvo Sedan earns top spot among 50 vehicles reviewed
Charlotte, N.C. (June 19, 2020) – As businesses reopen and more motorists hit the road, AAA is offering buyers some guidance with the release of its new AAA Car Guide, a consumer resource on the latest and greatest in vehicle technology.
The AAA Car Guide provides consumers with reviews based in part on how many advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are included in the vehicle as well as a number of other criteria. The majority of the category winners for 2020 are either electric, plug-in electric hybrids or hybrids, signaling that eco-friendly vehicles tend to offer the most cutting-edge vehicle technology.
“The AAA Car Guide is a great resource for buyers and eliminates the guesswork when it comes to finding the right vehicle,” said Tiffany Wright, AAA spokesperson – The Auto Club Group in the Carolinas. “With so many safety features available on vehicles these days, it can become overwhelming for buyers and this guide helps them understand just what they are purchasing.”
The 175-page guide includes comprehensive, easy-to-read reviews of each vehicle, which are based on 13 criteria, including braking, fuel economy, emissions, handling, ride comfort, acceleration and the number of ADAS safety features. These vehicles are tested, scored and placed in one of five vehicle categories by the Automotive Research Center (ARC) of the Automobile Club of Southern California, a member of the AAA federation of motor clubs.
The AAA Car Guide is an evolution of the popular AAA Green Car Guide, the book that focused on fuel-efficient, low-emitting cars and trucks. The 2020 version has expanded the types of vehicles it reviews and ranks to include vehicles that are all new or completely redesigned and that include the latest automotive safety technology, including advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
Highest ranked by category are:
| Category | Vehicle |
| Overall | 2020 Volvo S90 T8 E-AWD R-Design (plug-in hybrid) |
| Small | 2019 Nissan Leaf SV Plus (electric) |
| Midsize | 2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE (hybrid) |
| Large | 2020 Volvo S90 T8 E-AWD R-Design (plug-in hybrid) |
| Pickup | 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 2WD Crew Cab SLT (diesel) |
| SUV/Minivan | 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited (plug-in hybrid) |
| Best Under $30,000 | 2019 Honda Insight 4-door Touring (hybrid) |
| Best $30,000-$50,000 | 2019 Kia Niro EV EX Premium (electric) |
| Best Over $50,000 | 2020 Volvo S90 T8 E-AWD R-Design (plug-in hybrid) |
As buyers return to the market, industry groups such as the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) are providing dealerships with guidance on how to safely interact with car buyers. This includes procedures on keeping employees and customers safe, cleaning and disinfecting dealership facilities and vehicles and safely handling sales operations. Some dealerships are even modifying their buying process and offering to deliver vehicles to customers for test drives.
The AAA Car Guide is designed to help consumers navigate new car buying since many of the latest models come equipped with some sort of advanced safety system, many of which go by different names. In fact, previously AAA analyzed 34 vehicle brands sold in the United States to identify the number of unique names manufacturers use to market ADAS. For example, automatic emergency braking, standard on 31% of 2018 vehicles, has 40 names for just this one feature. As a result, AAA along with other safety organizations has called on the industry to move towards common naming to help clear the confusion for consumers.
The AAA Car Guide also contains a compendium of AAA’s recent research of current automotive technologies and topics, such as advanced driver-assistance systems, gasoline quality, the advantages of synthetic oil, reduced tire traction in wet-weather driving, and headlight effectiveness.
Winners, detailed evaluation criteria, vehicle reviews and an in-depth analysis of the ADAS technology can be found at aaa.com/carguide.
About AAA – The Auto Club Group
The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America with more than 14 million members across 14 U.S. states, the province of Quebec and two U.S. territories. ACG and its affiliates provide members with roadside assistance, insurance products, banking and financial services, travel offerings and more. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 60 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA’s mission is to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve traffic safety. For more information, get the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.