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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The 2018 Detroit Auto Show, the North American International Auto Show held in January 2018, did not produce an official top-ten ranking. The ten vehicles below are an editorial selection drawn from Cars.com’s winners-and-losers roundup, Car and Driver’s list of 12 highlights, and manufacturer announcements for the Volkswagen Jetta and Toyota Avalon. The strongest thread through the show was pickups, but the list also covers SUVs, sedans, a hatchback, a special-edition Mustang and one prototype.
How this list was built
Each outlet made its own choices. Cars.com named the 2019 Ram 1500 its Best in Show, a judgment by its editors rather than a jury appointed by the show. Car and Driver published its highlights separately, and the two lists overlap only in part. Volkswagen and Toyota announced their own debuts. Because these are individual editorial calls, the sections below group the vehicles by type. They are not ranked from first to tenth.
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Pickups: the show’s central story
Three trucks drove most of the coverage, and reviewers did not respond to them in the same way.
2019 Ram 1500
The Ram 1500 was the headline truck and Cars.com’s Best in Show. Its editors praised a package that combined capability, comfort, technology and efficiency. They pointed to cabin improvements, an available 12-inch screen and 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance. These are the 2018 impressions of the truck as shown at the event, not a later evaluation of how it drove or performed in ownership.
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2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
The redesigned full-size Silverado was one of the show’s major reveals. Cars.com reviewers liked its exterior and the rear-seat access in the crew cab. Some of them felt the cabin had not moved far enough beyond the redesigned Ram, so the Silverado’s interior was the point of disagreement.
2019 Ford Ranger
The Ranger’s return to U.S. showrooms gave the show its third major pickup story. Cars.com reviewers welcomed the mid-size truck but noted that it looked much like the version sold in other markets. Car and Driver framed the reveal as the return of a long-anticipated model to the U.S.
SUVs, including a prototype
2019 Jeep Cherokee
The Cherokee was a refresh rather than an all-new SUV. Coverage at the show pointed to revised front styling and the addition of a 2.0-liter turbo engine. The reveal was about updating a known model rather than introducing a new one.
2019 Acura RDX Prototype
The RDX shown in Detroit was a prototype, not a production vehicle on sale at the event. It appeared in both Car and Driver’s highlights and Cars.com’s roundup, which is why it belongs on a list of the show’s most discussed vehicles, but readers should treat it as a preview of a future model.
Cars and hatchbacks
2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt
The Bullitt was a special-edition Mustang that honored the film Bullitt. Car and Driver highlighted it as a marker of the film’s 50th anniversary. It was the show’s most overtly nostalgic entry.
2019 Hyundai Veloster
Hyundai showed a redesigned Veloster hatchback, with the high-performance Veloster N adding a performance angle. Cars.com reviewers disagreed about how compelling the car would be. The entry here reflects the case Hyundai made at the show, not a later driving assessment.
2019 Kia Forte
The new compact Forte was included in Cars.com’s roundup. Its editors compared the styling and interior favorably with the new Jetta. That is a reviewer’s opinion, not a measured comparison of the two cars.
2019 Volkswagen Jetta
The seventh-generation Jetta made its world premiere at the show. Volkswagen said it was the first Jetta built on the MQB platform. Its January 15, 2018 announcement also cited 17.5 million Jetta cars produced. That figure is a historical total as of that announcement, not a current production count.
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Toyota announced that the all-new Avalon would make its world premiere at the 2018 show. The company described it as its flagship midsize sedan, which made it the most traditional sedan on the list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The ten at a glance
| Vehicle (model year as shown) | Category | Production or prototype | Why it stood out in 2018 coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Ram 1500 | Full-size pickup | 2019 model, as shown | Capability, cabin technology, mild-hybrid efficiency |
| 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | Full-size pickup | 2019 model, as shown | Redesigned exterior, crew-cab rear access |
| 2019 Ford Ranger | Mid-size pickup | 2019 model, as shown | Return to U.S. showrooms |
| 2019 Jeep Cherokee | SUV | 2019 model, as shown | Revised front styling, 2.0-liter turbo |
| 2019 Acura RDX Prototype | SUV | Prototype | Non-truck SUV preview |
| 2019 Ford Mustang Bullitt | Special-edition coupe | 2019 model, as shown | Film anniversary tribute |
| 2019 Hyundai Veloster | Hatchback | 2019 model, as shown | Redesign, Veloster N performance angle |
| 2019 Kia Forte | Compact sedan | 2019 model, as shown | New compact sedan |
| 2019 Volkswagen Jetta | Compact sedan | 2019 model, as shown | Seventh generation, first MQB Jetta |
| 2019 Toyota Avalon | Midsize sedan | 2019 model, as shown | All-new flagship midsize sedan |
What this list does and does not establish
- The vehicles are described as they were shown in January 2018. Model-year labels refer to that show, not to current new-car availability, pricing, specifications or reliability.
- Award and preference decisions belong to the outlet that made them. None of them is a consensus ranking.
- Reviewer comments are qualitative. Nothing here is an instrumented head-to-head test.
- Only the RDX is identified as a prototype. Every other vehicle is presented as a 2019 model.
The clearest conclusion from the 2018 show is that trucks set the agenda. The Ram 1500 and Silverado 1500 redesigns and the Ranger’s U.S. return made pickups the story, while the sedans, SUVs and special editions filled out a lineup that was broader than the truck coverage alone suggests.
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