"With only three newcomers on the list in 2019, it's obvious that car shoppers are brand-loyal and willing to reward the automakers that stick to winning formulas with their hard-earned dollars year after year," said Ivan Drury, senior manager of industry analysis at Edmunds. "However, this year's list wasn't without a few surprises. The competition in the luxury SUV segment has gotten intense, and compelling all-new entries from Audi and Lincoln ousted perennial favorite Mercedes out of the SUV winner's circle."

Honda dominated the Edmunds Buyers Most Wanted Awards for a second year, holding steady at four vehicles out of ten in the standard categories. Honda took home honors for the Civic, CR-V, Accord, and Odyssey in the Compact Car, Compact SUV, Midsize Car, and Minivan segments, respectively. In the luxury categories, Mercedes and Lexus took home two trophies each. Porsche, Audi, and Lincoln rounded out the luxury categories with one winner each.  Although the winners were consistent in 2019 compared to 2018, Edmunds analysts say that may not be the case when 2020 comes around.

"There are a number of new redesigns and launches in the coming year that might drastically reshape the Buyers Most Wanted Awards for next year," said Drury. "SUV categories will remain hot and tightly contested, but it will be most interesting to pay attention to the resurging truck segments as new models from Chevy and Ram may give the Ford F-150 its biggest test yet, and the new Ford Ranger might upend the Toyota Tacoma."

Winner of the Compact Car category, the commuter/2019-honda-civic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2019 Honda Civic is a deserving choice as the maker has recently expanded its reputation for safety and reliability to include performance and handling. The newest additions to this nearly classic car include a swankier interior and everyone’s favorite Sports trim available on more models. Fancy safety features include lane keep assist and forward collision warning.

The 2019 Honda CR-V gets points for practicality. Safe, affordable, and boasting a smooth ride, the compact SUV is worthy of its place at the top of the Edmunds’ list. Fans report this year’s model is more fun to drive, thanks to features like a turbo engine and a reworked suspension and frame. The SUV keeps families safe with add-ons like blind spot monitoring and cross-traffic alerts. And an always popular factor with an SUV -- the CR-V has a large cargo space that’s easy to access and low enough to the ground to make loading easy.

Simply racking up the points, the company also got top marks in two other models: the Honda Accord and the Honda Odyssey. This year, the Accord takes home lots of praise from the NHTSA and the IIHS. Some upgrades take the safety up a serious notch, and drivers report a luxurious interior. The Odyssey seems bent on affixing the title of luxury to the rather frumpy minivan reputation, too, with sliding seats, proximity key entry, and heated seats.