This Is The Jalopnik Employees Fleet As We Head Into 2026

You probably did it! You survived 2025, because it’s now the very first day of 2026. Do you are feeling any totally different? Are you excited for the 12 months forward? We positive are. Right here at Jalopnik we made it via 2025 with at the very least a few of our workers intact, and we have already instructed you our favourite vehicles we drove final 12 months, so now it is time to inform you all precisely what we personally drive or trip when not whipping round work autos. This can be the shortest checklist we have but put collectively, provided that we could have the smallest full-time workers Jalopnik’s ever had, however at the very least we nonetheless handle to maintain issues attention-grabbing. High quality of autos over amount of autos.

Sometime, all of us could attain the highs of David Tracy and Bradley Brownell’s ranges of Jeep and bike hoarding. At present, although, most of us stay in main cities the place house is at a premium, and vehicles and bikes take up lots of house. We do not precisely make automotive warehouse cash round right here, however we’re all making the perfect of the house and money we have out there. Properly, perhaps besides Andy. He may have some work. 

The only real member of my fleet is my 2017 Mini Cooper S 4-Door Hardtop, and that is a-okay with me. Working on this enterprise, individuals usually ask what my dream automotive is or what automotive I’ll get subsequent, and so they’re shocked to search out out that I’m proud of what I’ve. My Mini does the whole lot I would like, whether or not that be a roomy, environment friendly commuter with a kickass sound system, or whether or not I determine to take a detour and thrash on it a bit within the canyons. 

I put in a thicker 24-mm Whiteline rear sway bar a couple of years again, and the one different factor I upgraded this 12 months had been the all-season runflat tires, which I changed with some sticky Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 summer time tires. These two modifications actually carry the automotive to life within the twisties with out punishing me on extra mundane drives. I like my automotive immensely, however I did simply tick over the 100,000-mile mark and my CarMax MaxCare guarantee expired in the summertime, so I am a bit cautious of potential bills. But it surely’s really been fairly rattling reliable over the course of the 60,000 miles I’ve added to its odometer. Should you’re searching for a zesty little automotive, I implore you to depart your poisonous masculinity at residence and hop behind the wheel of a Mini. It has introduced me countless smiles, and I hope that continues for one more 100,000 miles.

I kicked off 2025 by changing my total fleet abruptly — that’s, somebody stole my BMW F800GS and the superb of us at Progressive purchased me a Suzuki GSX-8R to interchange it. I could also be losing interest of 270-degree parallel twins, the two.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder of bikes, however this Suzuki will serve me completely for some observe time I need to put in subsequent 12 months. It is received a broad powerband, easy torque, and a driving place that is comfy sufficient to trip to the observe whereas nonetheless purposeful sufficient to trip on it. 

I additionally expanded the fleet a bit this 12 months, including an Orbea Terra H40 to my bed room. Certain, it overlaps my mattress just a little bit with its pedals, however my Brooklyn condominium does not precisely have one million sq. ft to mess around with. I’ve preferred taking it across the metropolis in the summertime, as a result of it is actually quicker than my bike — principally as a result of the bicycle will get its personal lane with none pesky site visitors. Plus, train is meant to be “good for you” or one thing. 

I am nonetheless whipping round my 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 that I purchased in April 2024, and I nonetheless completely adore it. Truly, I like it much more now than I did once I first purchased it. It is only a really glorious automotive. I’ve owned some cool vehicles in my day, however by no means have I owned one thing that received this a lot optimistic consideration, and that I continuously am wanting again at every time I park. It is also the primary automotive I’ve owned that I really care about holding (comparatively) clear.

I put round 5,000 miles on the CLS this 12 months, and it has been principally flawless. I lastly placed on a much-needed set of latest tires — Michelin Pilot Sport 4 all-seasons to interchange the decade-old Pilot Sport 3 all-seasons it had — and wow, are you able to consider that made an enormous distinction? I additionally needed to placed on a brand new belt tensioner and spend an annoying amount of cash to get an SRS warning mild cleared, which fortunately was only a wiring drawback as a substitute of truly needing a driver’s seat aspect airbag, however in any other case it has been flawless. It seems the automotive remains to be utilizing its authentic battery from 2006, too, and it is working simply superb.

Truthfully, I feel I am gonna maintain my CLS for a very long time. It is simply fabulous. it makes me smile, driving it relaxes me, residing with it’s a dream. OK, filling it up sucks, particularly as I get round 11 mpg from its V8 round city, however then I ground stated V8 and I am not as mad. It is received a six-disc CD changer, and I have been having fun with shopping for discs of my favourite new music and blasting it from the Harman Kardon surround-sound system. Better of all, it fulfills a childhood dream. I’ve beloved the CLS from the second the idea was revealed once I was 9 years outdated, and that child could be so comfortable to understand how comfortable proudly owning one makes me.

My massive fleet replace this 12 months is that, nicely, there isn’t a extra fleet. I’ve offered off each my 2007 BMW Z4 3.0si and 2006 Ford Explorer. Sure, I do know it is blasphemous to be an automotive journalist and not using a automotive, however let me put it to you this fashion: I’ve now received extra time to check out the vehicles I am reviewing and sharing with you. If you consider it, going all in on press vehicles means my fleet as solely grown. In 2025 I drove over $10,000,000 price of vehicles, and also you examine lots of them. Certain, some have not confirmed up on the positioning but, however I am going to get to these finally, too.

Giving up my vehicles wasn’t a straightforward resolution by any means. Properly, the Explorer was. I did not actually care about that factor, however the Z4 took lots out of me. First, it value a hell of lots to get it into promoting situation, after which there was the entire means of itemizing it on Automobiles & Bids and figuring out a take care of the vendor, nevertheless it was all price it. Truthfully, I simply wasn’t driving it sufficient. Prior to now two years, I drove the Z4 perhaps 200 miles. That wasn’t truthful to the automotive, and it actually wasn’t truthful to me, since I used to be paying for insurance coverage on a automotive that did nothing. Now, it is off at a brand new residence down the shore in New Jersey. The brand new proprietor tells me he is dailying it, which is admittedly nice to listen to. Sooner or later, I am positive I am going to get one other automotive, however so long as the press vehicles are flowing and Zohran Mamdani’s subway system retains displaying up, it will not be for some time.

AD: Andy offered his Explorer and his Z4 months in the past, and he nonetheless hasn’t changed them with the Moto Guzzi he stated he needed manner again when he took the MSF. I depart it to you, commenters, to inform him he wants to repair this. With sufficient of us, absolutely we will peer strain him into shopping for one thing he desires anyway. 

The MTA’s R142 subway vehicles are the workhorses of my fleet. Residing in New York Metropolis, I do not personally personal a automotive. I used to personal a 2015 Toyota Corolla for my day by day driver, however stopped driving it after I began commuting to Manhattan. If I must drive anyplace within the metropolis or on a visit, I simply borrow another person’s automotive. Whereas I may purchase a automotive, it actually would not be financially accountable or well worth the effort. I actually should not be paying for insurance coverage and combating for road parking on a automotive that I am going to drive perhaps as soon as every week at greatest. I’ve the posh of getting North America’s greatest public transportation system to make use of whereas I save up for a automotive I genuinely need.

I offered my trusty 2015 Volkswagen Sportwagen TDI two months in the past, and I will be sincere, I miss that automotive on a regular basis. But it surely was wanted by my sister and her massive household whereas it was simply taking over house in my storage. Plus, for some time now, I’ve felt like I would like the storage house for one thing new and much more enjoyable. My husband has a boring workhorse automobile (a 2019 Ford Escape I had nothing to do with) for hauling groceries and canine so I’m at present on the hunt for our just-for-fun automobile.

I’ve thought-about a variety of autos, from a 1960 Ford Thunderbird convertible to a Saturn Sky to just a little Nissan Pao. As you may see, my standards is fairly vast ranging. I simply need one thing that is enjoyable and quirky and just a little bizarre. One thing that speaks to me and could be enjoyable within the solar. I do not care if it drives like a shoebox. This automotive is for cruising round city at 35 mph, not canyon carving. It has been enjoyable buying and shortly I am going to get critical about making a name, however till then I’m carless.

It actually does not have the longest vary or the quickest cost time, however I am nonetheless completely proud of my little purple 2024 Fiat 500e and principally charging it with an excellent, old school wall outlet. It additionally stays an excellent day by day driver, even in a decidedly rural space. Would extra vary have been good on my summer time highway journey? In fact. But it surely nonetheless dealt with that drive higher than I anticipated, and now that it is winter, it handles chilly temperatures much better than its predecessor.

Talking of the previous-gen 500e, I nonetheless have my child blue 2015 500e, however I am at present planning to promote it this spring. Now that my girlfriend and I stay collectively, we simply haven’t got the house. Or at the very least we cannot if we need to make room for her ‘64.5 Mustang convertible. As a lot as I like my 500es, I would say that is a reasonably straightforward resolution to make, even when the Mustang is an automated.