Western Automotive Journalists, a various group of broadcasters, writers, editors, photographers and videographers, began about 30 years in the past. Members meet all year long to debate the always-changing business. An annual gathering to evaluate new automobiles is an automotive equal of velocity relationship.
The event was rebranded in 2023 as Better of the Bay. The latest third version, hosted by the Sheraton Sonoma Wine Nation Petaluma, included 12 manufacturers, 13 judges and 14 automobiles.
Throughout a two-day itinerary, reporters drove every of the automobiles in 40-minute classes on a loop course that encompassed a piece of freeway in addition to city and rural roads. Climate circumstances included sunny blue skies, overcast gloom and lightweight rain. Mud reigned throughout some gentle off-road photograph shoots.
As occurred in earlier years, the reviewers and their media retailers have been as diversified because the automobiles.
How would a syndicated columnist and consultant from Nationwide Public Radio price a 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona 4-door EV sedan? What would a weekly basic curiosity automotive columnist from the San Jose Mercury consider the 2026 Subaru Solterra EV?
The 2 reviewers and their colleagues mentioned the varied automobiles throughout social time. However the remaining enjoyable of the gathering was the nameless voting on departure morning.
Better of the Finest awards have been chosen in 5 classes: Below $50,000, Below $75,000, Over $75,000, Finest Know-how and Finest General.
Actually, the famend expertise knowledgeable probably had opinions far totally different from a author centered on excessive efficiency and with huge racecar information. Then once more, possibly not.
Employees from Web page One Automotive and Drive Store, the Bay Space fleet and occasion administration corporations, and several other carmakers’ public relations representatives offered help and business insights.
Whereas solely about 25 p.c of the automobile manufacturers bought in the USA was represented at Better of the Bay, the pattern crossed a number of segments.
The Below $50,000 group included: the 2025 Acura ADX, 2025 Alfa Romeo Tonale, 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid and 2026 Subaru Solterra EV.
The Below $75,000 choice included the 2026 Genesis GV60 EV, 2026 Genesis GV70, 2026 Honda Passport Transport, 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S EV, 2025 Kia EV6 EV and 2025 Toyota 4Runner.
The Over $75,000 group featured the 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona EV; 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 EV; 2025 Lexus 700h and 2026 Lucid Air Touring EV.
9 of the automobiles have been both electrical or hybrid automobiles and 12 have been sport utility automobiles. The least costly was the Kia Sportage Hybrid ($41,985). The Lexus LX 700h ($141,350) was the costliest.
Whereas a number of automobiles had beforehand been reviewed on this column, driving the choice was a reminder of two more and more true business traits.
Electrical automobiles nonetheless comprise a small share of the nation’s automobile gross sales. However the section has drastically modified the expectations of acceleration. Faster doesn’t imply unsafe. Slightly, it gives a extra environment friendly approach to keep away from driving predicaments.
What’s equally obvious is the enhancing design and materials high quality in automobile interiors. Primary designs and onerous plastics have been as soon as the norm and acceptable. Customized materials, seating dynamics and forwarding-thinking motifs are actually prevalent. Who knew a Jeep Wagoneer might be described as elegant and outfitted with a symphonic-level McIntosh sound system?
The Better of the Bay winners this yr have been: 2026 Subaru Solterra EV (Finest Below $50,000); 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S EV (Finest Below $75,000); 2026 Dodge Charger Daytona EV (Finest Over $75,000), 2026 Dodge Charger/2025 Kia EV6 (Finest Innovation).
In 2023, the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV SUV was voted the perfect general automobile. Final yr, the 2025 Lucid Air Pure obtained the highest honor. And this yr, the 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S EV obtained the Finest General prize.
One choose (me) commented: “A top-notch vehicle, with comfort, upscale appointments and a 300-mile range. Road trip? Let’s go.”
