Why You Should Wait to Buy Your Next Vehicle

Nothing is worse than buyer’s remorse. Getting that brand-new item only to have it feel old and outdated shortly after because you didn’t know something fresher and better was coming soon. If you’re in the market for a car and like the newest thing, don’t have regrets.

We’ve compiled this list of 10 vehicles that are coming soon and are definitely worth waiting for. And 2026 is a big year for many established nameplates, with long-awaited new generations and evolutions that have been the subject of rumormills for years. So, if you haven’t been following car news closely, here’s the 10 vehicles you should definitely be aware of.

For this list, we narrowed down the long list of vehicles coming in 2026 until we were left with the 10 that are likely to be some of the most desirable, either for their performance, their value, or just their natural popularity and pent-up demand. Vehicles that haven’t been revealed yet weren’t considered, and we also disqualified anything likely labeled as a 2027 even if they may be arriving in the 2026 calendar year.

Toyota RAV4

It’s safe to say that the RAV4 is hands-down the most important vehicle on this list. It’s the best-selling non-truck in America, and the old one has been around for seven years. There’s a huge shift, though, with the new-and-improved 2026 RAV4.

It goes all-hybrid for the first time, and it gets more power, more electric range for the plug-in hybrid powertrain (which is also available on more trims now) and a fresh exterior and interior with bigger screens. We don’t have pricing for this one yet, but it’s possible that any price increases could be offset by potential fuel economy improvements. The current RAV4 is still fine, but the 2026 is definitely worth waiting for.

Subaru Outback

The 2026 Subaru Outback also makes a big shift when the new generation arrives at the end of 2025. It’s finally ditching its lifted-wagon styling thanks to the discontinuation of the Legacy, and evolving into more of an SUV, although it’s still unibody, and now has, let’s just say, controversial styling.

If you can get past that, it also ditches Subaru’s lackluster infotainment system for a Toyota-based system that should be miles better, and they’ve added more buttons than the last generation (an unusual but very welcome move these days).

It does only carry over powertrains from the last generation for now, so those hoping for a hybrid Outback will have to keep hoping and waiting. The more rugged Wilderness trim makes a return though, and now offers more amenities than before, like ventilated seats. The only reason (aside from styling) for not waiting for the 2026 is the pricing, which has risen significantly.

Mazda CX-5

The current Mazda CX-5 has been around for nine years, which is one of the longest lifespans in the industry currently, so this new 2026 Mazda CX-5 can’t come soon enough. The new version will bring a longer wheelbase and 4.5 inches of extra length overall, enabling it to have best-in-class rear legroom, a wider rear door opening, and a bigger cargo area, according to Mazda.

Up front, there’s an available and massive 15.6-inch touchscreen. That screen does mean the loss of physical HVAC controls though. There are other niceties, like a panoramic moonroof available as well.

Mechanically, it’ll carry over the 2.5L naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder, but the calibration for the engine has been improved. There doesn’t seem to be a turbo option anymore sadly, so if you’re after more power, get the old one while you can.

Jeep Cherokee

The Jeep Cherokee is finally returning after a two-year hiatus, and it’s coming out swinging with bold, boxy styling that pays homage to the older Cherokees, along with a standard hybrid powertrain. That allows it to get a claimed 37 MPG combined, a big improvement over the old Cherokee, and it’ll also have “unsurpassed” towing for its segment.

The trade-off is that you do drop a good bit in horsepower from the old Cherokees of the last generation that offered nearly 300 hp from a different turbo 4-cylinder, and a V6 before that. Base engine buyers will get an upgrade at least, going from 180 hp in the old non-turbo 4-cylinder to 210 hp now.

This new Cherokee should be a nice improvement inside, too, with a 10.25-inch digital cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen along with 30% more cargo space. It should be at dealers late this year.

Lexus ES

Lexus really surprised everyone when they revealed the next-generation ES earlier this year. While the standard hybrid 4-cylinder was expected, considering the moves Toyota and Lexus have been making recently, the all-electric variant was a shock, as was the bold styling and new interior design direction.

For those that like what they see, the 2026 ES has lots of improvements that’ll be well worth the wait. For fans of gas propulsion, the ES 350h uses the usual 2.5-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder that is now on its sixth generation of this powertrain, and will do 243 hp and likely have fuel economy improvements as well.

For those seeking the ultimate smoothness and quietness, the two electric versions, the 350e (FWD) and 500e (AWD) will give you that, while also offering the most power ever in an ES with that 500e variant, or a fairly impressive range of roughly 300 miles with the 350e variant.

The real showstopper is the availability of the Executive Package that gives you heated, ventilated, massaging and reclining rear seats, with the passenger side even getting an ottoman. Unfortunately, it’s only for the 350e version.

Honda Prelude

After 25 years, the Honda Prelude is finally returning. For Prelude fans who have been waiting, the new Prelude looks to pick up right where the old one left off, continuing the tradition of being a sporty 4-cylinder, two-door coupe.

This time round, it’s hybridized, using the excellent Honda hybrid 4-cylinder powertrain that everyone is now familiar with from the CR-V, Accord and most recently, Civic. It’ll make the same 200 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque as the Civic, but there will be a new S+ drive mode that allows simulated shifts even though the Prelude has no actual transmission.

For those happy with a slick hybrid coupe that aren’t looking to set performance records, it’ll likely be the most efficient coupe on the market if the 50 MPG rating of the Civic is anything to go by. And it sounds like it’ll be a great handler at least, with Honda giving it the suspension, front and rear track, and Brembo front brakes from the Civic Type R. Plus it gets an opening rear hatch for better practicality.

We don’t have pricing at the time of writing, but hopefully it’ll be reasonable when it arrives late this year.

Rivian R2

The long-awaited Rivian R2 is finally scheduled to arrive for the 2026 model year, and it’s a big deal because its $45,000 starting price will open up the brand to a whole new segment of buyers.

Even though it was revealed over a year ago, we don’t have any concrete specs for it yet other than claims of over 300 miles of range and a sub-3 second 0-60 mph time. But it’s safe to assume that the single, dual and possibly even tri-motors from the R1S and R1T will be put into service. It will also likely be the most off-road-capable EV in its segment and incorporate other fun touches like a sliding rear hatch window, just like a Toyota 4Runner.

Nissan Leaf

The new Nissan Leaf is another really big deal for a couple of different reasons. First, it ditches the humble hatchback design of the past two generations and becomes a crossover for 2026, instantly increasing its appeal.

Second, despite the big improvements, it still retains the crown of the cheapest EV you can buy new – for now at least – starting at just $31,485 including destination, and that’s before an even lower-cost model arrives later in the model year. At that price, you’ll get more range than before (up to 303 miles), more power (214 hp from a front-mounted motor), and a more spacious vehicle in every way other than cargo space.

If you can live with that, you’ll also get dual 12.3-inch screens and even things like 64-color ambient lighting and a Bose stereo with speakers in the headrests on the highest trim. For the first time there’s also a heat pump to help with winter range losses, and a liquid-cooled battery, so the battery won’t degrade in hot conditions as quickly as the last one.

This one might just make the strongest case for waiting for the new one, which in this case isn’t a long wait either. It should be on sale this fall.

Kia EV4

Another big win for affordable EVs will be the Kia EV4. While we don’t have pricing yet, it’s about the size of their entry-level gas-powered K4 and has other cost-cutting concessions, like going from an 800-volt electrical system like other Kias, to just 400 volts instead, suggesting that Kia is targeting a nice low starting price.

There will be two batteries to pick from – a 58.3 kWh pack that provides 235 miles of range, and an 81.4 kWh pack that does an impressive 330 miles of range – both powering a 201- hp front motor. The rest of the car is pretty impressive, too, with all of Kia’s best interior technology and a good amount of space for a car this size, just like the K4.

It’ll arrive in the first quarter of 2026.

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X

Our last entry is the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, a car that anyone who’s shopping in this segment is already well aware of, but it’s too awesome to skip. For the unaware, the wonderfully crazy engineers at Chevrolet decided that the 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged flat-plane crank V8 that does 1,064 hp and propels the ZR1 to a 2.3-second 0-60 mph time and a 233 mph top speed simply wasn’t good enough.

The fix? Strap-in improved versions of the electric front motor and battery from the E-Ray for all-wheel-drive grip and an extra 186 horsepower.

The result is a sub-2-second 0-60 mph time, and a sub-9-second quarter-mile time, although top speed likely won’t be higher since the front motor quits contributing once you’re over 160 mph.

Crazy numbers, and the final one is the price. All this madness only costs $207,395, roughly $30,000 more than the regular ZR1. If you’re already spending nearly $200k on a Corvette, you might as well dish out the extra few bucks to get the top version. Especially since you’ll be getting a car that can embarrass many seven-figure hypercars in the performance department.

Sources: Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, Jeep, Lexus, Honda, Rivian, Nissan, Kia, Chevrolet