Your say: 2026 New Car Buyer’s Guide

In case you missed our announcement for the 2026 New Car Buyer's Guide, here’s a quick overview to get you up to speed.
 
You know we know cars – we test more than 300 vehicles per year – so handing a single trophy to a vehicle out of more than 60 brands and 550 models feels, well, insincere.

So, this year, our team of experienced journalists and car experts have created a guide that covers five vehicles segments that cover most lifestyles and customer needs. Think of it as a car shopping list for 2026, or a cheat sheet for whenever anyone says “what car should I buy?”

Want to know more? Read up on which segments we cover and how we judged the cars in our New Car Buyer’s Guide FAQ.

Now – to your feedback. Our carsales editorial team has reviewed your comments across our New Car Buyer’s Guide city cars segment videos – and we’ll cover all the other segments – to hear what you had to say.

Great minds think alike, Matt. With the recent increase in Chinese challenger brands entering Australia, Leapmotor B10 is one of the few that delivers the best blend of value and versatility.

This small electric SUV is offered from $37,888 (plus ORCs) for the Style and $40,888 for the Design Long Range (LR).

You are spot on when it comes to the emphasis on B10’s safety. It secured a 95 per cent score for child occupant protection – matching the highest result under ANCAP’s 2023-2025 criteria – alongside a still-impressive 93 per cent for adult occupant protection.

With a five-star ANCAP rating and a premium interior, the Leapmotor B10 is a serious contender in our city car segment.

Great comment here, and although we didn’t include the Corolla Sedan in our YouTube video, it does feature in our written article.

If it’s practicality you’re after, such as a significantly larger 470L boot – almost matching the Camry’s 490L to 520L capacity – then the Corolla sedan is definitely worth putting on your shopping list.

Great question from Muzza. Perhaps if you keep a car forever, then this argument rings true. But most Australians go through eight to 12 cars over their driving lifetime.

Ownership costs – especially depreciation – is usually the biggest financial hit when it comes time to sell. In a 2019 carsales report, our team explored just how significant those costs can be, using cars like the Toyota Corolla as an example.

In light of that, selling a Toyota Corolla after five years and a Leapmotor B10 after five years will mean it’s far cheaper to run.

Want us to see your comment? Subscribe to carsales on YouTube and drop a comment on our New Car Buyer’s Guide videos.

Next time we’re diving into our Tradie Vehicle segment, so get your comments in now and you could be featured in an upcoming editorial article.

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Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au