
Best AWD Luxury Small Cars for 2026
These are the best AWD luxury small cars based on iSeeCars' analysis of each vehicle’s reliability, resale value and safety.
The best AWD luxury small car is the Lexus IS 350 with an iSeeCars Score of 8.4 out of 10. The iSeeCars Score factors in reliability (based on iSeeCars’ proprietary analysis of a vehicle’s longevity), value retention (based on iSeeCars’ analysis of 5-year depreciation) and safety (based on NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings) of each vehicle. The second best AWD luxury small car is the Lexus IS 300 with a Score of 8.4. Behind the IS 300 is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class with a rating of 8.3.
The best AWD luxury small car is the Lexus IS 350 with an iSeeCars Score of 8.4 out of 10. The iSeeCars Score factors in reliability (based on iSeeCars’ proprietary analysis of a vehicle’s longevity), value retention (based on iSeeCars’ analysis of 5-year depreciation) and safety (based on NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings) of each vehicle. The second best AWD luxury small car is the Lexus IS 300 with a Score of 8.4. Behind the IS 300 is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class with a rating of 8.3.
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Iseecars score 8.4 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 45500
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 8.7 / 10
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Value Retention 8.5 / 10
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Safety 8.0 / 10
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Iseecars score 8.4 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 40535
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 8.7 / 10
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Value Retention 8.4 / 10
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Safety 8.0 / 10
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Iseecars score 8.3 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 49650
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.2 / 10
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Value Retention 7.6 / 10
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Safety 10 / 10
4. Audi A5 (coupe)
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Iseecars score 8.0 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 48400
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.6 / 10
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Value Retention 8.4 / 10
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Safety Not Available
5. Mercedes-Benz C-Class (coupe)
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Iseecars score 7.9 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 49550
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.6 / 10
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Value Retention 8.2 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score 7.9 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 42200
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.4 / 10
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Value Retention 8.3 / 10
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Safety Not Available
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.6 / 10
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Value Retention 7.5 / 10
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Safety 8.0 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.4 / 10
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Value Retention 7.6 / 10
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Safety 8.0 / 10
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.5 / 10
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Value Retention 7.6 / 10
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Safety Not Available
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.4 / 10
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Value Retention 7.5 / 10
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Safety 8.0 / 10
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Iseecars score 7.6 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 42750
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.3 / 10
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Value Retention 7.9 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score 7.6 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 53300
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.1 / 10
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Value Retention 8.0 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score 7.5 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 40000
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.4 / 10
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Value Retention 7.5 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score 7.5 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 48000
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.0 / 10
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Value Retention 7.6 / 10
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Safety 8.0 / 10
15. INFINITI Q50
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Iseecars score 7.4 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 43050
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.3 / 10
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Value Retention 7.4 / 10
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Safety Not Available
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 7.0 / 10
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Value Retention 7.6 / 10
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Safety Not Available
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 6.9 / 10
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Value Retention 7.6 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score 7.2 / 10
- Starting MSRP: 51200
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 6.9 / 10
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Value Retention 7.4 / 10
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Safety Not Available
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 6.6 / 10
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Value Retention 7.6 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 45620
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 8.9 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 48550
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability 8.770349736293557 / 10
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Value Retention 8.8 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 50600
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 8.2 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 36000
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 8.1 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 66100
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 7.9 / 10
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Safety Not Available
Mercedes-Benz A-Class
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 33950
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 7.9 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 52000
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 7.8 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 43450
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 7.8 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 102100
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 7.8 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 79900
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 7.6 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 57900
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 7.6 / 10
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Safety Not Available
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 46300
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 7.5 / 10
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Safety 8.0 / 10
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Iseecars score Not Available
- Starting MSRP: 43995
iSeeCars Best Car Rankings are calculated based on an analysis of data from over 12 million cars that assesses how long each vehicle lasts and how well it retains its value over time, along with safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association
See how we rank these cars-
Reliability Coming soon
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Value Retention 7.3 / 10
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Safety Not Available
Related Rankings
How We Rank These Cars
The best AWD cars rank vehicles by iSeeCars Score which is based on our proprietary assessment of a vehicle’s reliability, resale value and safety (based on ratings from IIHS and NHTSA).
The iSeeCars Score is an analysis of three factors: reliability, resale value and safety. It is calculated based on the latest research and analysis by our data science team. The data analysis comes from over 12 million new and used vehicles in our Longest-Lasting Cars and 5-Year Depreciation Studies, combined with NHTSA and IIHS Safety Ratings.
Vehicles are scored in three categories:
Reliability
The reliability score represents an analysis of iSeeCars' proprietary research on the longest-lasting vehicles.
Value Retention
The value retention score is based on our data science team's statistical analysis and prediction of 5-year depreciation from MSRP to determine which cars hold their value best, using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data to adjust for inflation.
Safety
The safety score is calculated based on the last five years of crash test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and incorporates the latest Top Safety Pick information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).































