The latest Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch reports show that new-vehicle shoppers continue to prefer SUVs over sedans, hybrids over pure electric vehicles, and that affordability and fuel efficiency are factors gaining importance with shoppers. While consideration was stable or down for most non-luxury brands in the period, Kia and Subaru saw gains. In the luxury market, consideration for the Audi brand also notably increased year over year.
“The limited number of brands that gained consideration in the first-half highlights how selective vehicle shoppers have become,” said Vanessa Ton, senior manager of Market & Customer Research at Cox Automotive. “With affordability challenging many households, the strength of SUVS, which are typically more costly, was a surprise at first. But we recognize that value-oriented SUVs are the heart of the market right now, providing shoppers the right mix of attributes and usability.”
The Brand Watch reports are perception studies that track vehicle and brand consideration among new-car shoppers using Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand, and intending to purchase within a year. The study captures brand and model consideration and familiarity, tracks 12 factors that ultimately influence purchase decisions, and is based on approximately 12,000 shopper interviews each year. Consideration for electrified vehicles is also documented. Reports for luxury and non-luxury segments are available separately. The current findings, posted below, are based on surveys conducted in the first half of 2026.
Hybrid and SUV Consideration Grows.
Hybrid consideration reached a new high in the latest report, with 22% of shoppers considering a new hybrid during the first half of 2026, up from 20% a year earlier. At the same time, EV consideration softened, with 10% of shoppers considering a new electric vehicle, down from 11% in the first half of 2025. Toyota placed five models in the Top 10, most-considered electrified vehicles, all hybrid models, while the Honda Accord Hybrid and Mazda CX-50 Hybrid joined the list for the first time in H1 2026.
Across both luxury and non-luxury segments, SUV consideration reached new highs in shopper consideration, according to the latest reports. Luxury SUV consideration climbed to a record-high of 79%, up 4 points year over year, while luxury sedan consideration fell to 39%. In the non-luxury market, SUV consideration rose to an all-time high of 71%, while sedan consideration dropped to 25%, a record low.
In the non-luxury segment, Subaru and Kia were the only brands to show consideration gains among shoppers, with Subaru supported by stronger interest in the Crosstrek and Forester Hybrid and Kia benefiting from value-oriented SUV strength and higher demand for the Carnival minivan. In luxury, Audi was the only Top 10 brand to improve, helped by growing consideration for the A3 and A5 sedan.
Affordability, Driving Performance and Fuel Efficiency are More Important to Shoppers
While durability and safety continue to be the top factors that influence purchase consideration among all shoppers, affordability and fuel economy have increased in importance in the past five years. For non-luxury shoppers, driving performance has also gained in importance.
Through the first half of 2026, Honda was far and away the leader in delivering on factors that influence purchase behavior, leading in 9-of-12 consideration drivers, including durability/reliability, affordability, driving comfort and driving performance. In the luxury segment, a single brand did not dominate like Honda, but Lexus and Lincoln both scored top positions in 3-of-the-12 factors.
Review the H1 2026 Kelley Blue Book Brand Watch reports.
For more information about the Kelley Blue Blook Brand Watch reports or for general media inquiries, reach out to the Cox Automotive Communications team.
