2026 Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX Winners: OEMs look to redefine the in-cabin experience

Knobs, buttons and other changes to user experience are coming back as evidenced by the dozens of vehicles evaluated by Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX.

WardsAuto judges tested 28 vehicles, selected for their new or heavily refreshed vehicle interiors and user-experience technology, from February to April 2026. Of them, the 10 winners that stood out showcased interiors and UX functionality that will undoubtedly help close the sale in new-vehicle showrooms and, in the process, help the industry evolve a step beyond the past 10 years of vehicle design.

To evaluate the vehicles, judges experienced the nominees during their daily driving, and rated them based on a variety of metrics, such as aesthetics, comfort, materials, fit and finish, connectivity and infotainment, displays and controls, as well as advanced driver-assistance system content and value.

The list of winners includes a surprisingly diverse group of vehicles. The pricing offers a case in point: Manufacturers’ suggested retail prices for the vehicles WardsAuto tested ranged from the $35,000 Nissan Sentra SR sedan to the $250,000 Corvette ZR1X. In between are seven SUVs and an EV luxury sedan.

One of the biggest surprises to judges this year was how many mid-priced vehicles were available with premium features. As an example, the $45,000 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line evaluated by WardsAuto included massaging seats, a feature typically seen at higher price ranges.

Overall, judges found nearly all of the winning vehicles had a few shared features:

• Interiors that impress with attractive colors and textures
• Comfortable seats, with many including heating and ventilation, and some massaging seats
• A healthy number of physical knobs and buttons that make it easy to adjust climate control and infotainment, rather than hard-to-find virtual buttons on a touch screen
• Fast connectivity with personal devices and convenient wireless phone chargers
• ADAS features that are easy to use and not distracting
• Nearly all vehicles had sustainable interior materials or offered them in other trim levels

The market’s turn away from battery-electric vehicles is also evident in this year’s 10 Best, with only two full-electric vehicles, the Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ Electric and Porsche Macan 4S SUV. And even though they were among the most expensive on the testing list, judges found stand-out interiors were complemented by improvements in the charging experience: Both the CLA and the Macan offer two charging ports — a port that accommodates a North American Charging Standard DC high-speed charging connector, and another for Level 2 charging. For people who charge regularly, not having to fiddle with adapters is a big thumbs-up.

The most expensive test car, the $250,000 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, has an interior that is a combination between an Italian supercar and jet fighter cockpit. It is yet another winner that has a tech feature we’d never seen or dreamed about: The ZR1X has a massive carbon-fiber splitter on the front of the car for aerodynamics. It’s only a few inches above the pavement and can be damaged severely by speed bumps or steep parking lot entrance ramps. The brilliant solution Chevy engineers came up with is a front-end lift system that will raise the front of the car up to two inches to clear such hazards. All you have to do is push a little button on the console.

On the opposite side of the coin, buying a really nice vehicle in the $35,000 range when the average vehicle price now is $50,000 seems impossible – but Judge Bob Gritzinger said the Nissan Sentra SR offers an impressive array of technology for the money, including sporty drive modes and handy auto brake hold, along with Pro Pilot Assist that provides full-range adaptive cruise control and lane keeping. “This is a tech toolbox not even some more expensive nominees can match,” said Gritzinger.

The above examples highlight how every vehicle evaluated had something unique to offer, but the top 10 vehicles selected as Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX are helping redefine the user experience and responding to consumer taste.

To help automotive industry executives learn more about what made each vehicle shine, WardsAuto will be publishing a dedicated profile of each winning vehicle throughout the month, and the vehicles will be showcased at the AutoTech conference near Detroit in early June.