New vehicle shoppers primarily want two things in their next ride - better fuel efficiency and more driver assist safety features.

According to AAA, nearly 80 percent of drivers want automakers to focus on improving fuel economy, and 76 percent want active driving assistance systems, such as automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, and adaptive cruise control.

Addressing these desires can be accomplished with the newest batch of electric vehicles, which are often the most technologically cutting-edge and the most fuel-efficient.

Many of the world’s major automakers have announced plans to dramatically increase electric vehicle production or phase out gasoline-powered vehicles entirely by 2035.

The AAA Car Guide helps consumers navigate the changing automotive marketplace by ranking and rating the newest vehicles available for sale, including alternative fuel vehicles.

For the 2022 edition of the AAA Car Guide, the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium AWD earned the overall top score. Researchers noted this Mustang has a dramatic new profile, is powerful, electric, quiet, quick, roomy, and fun to drive.

The AAA Car Guide contains reviews that highlight how many advanced driver assistance systems are included in the vehicle along with other criteria and information.

All category winners for 2022 are electric, plug-in electric hybrid, or hybrid vehicles. In addition to being highly fuel-efficient, the winners are also loaded with the latest in advanced driver assistance systems.

In 2021, electric vehicle sales rose to nearly 477,000, representing 3.3 percent of total vehicle sales - a whopping 81.5 percent increase over 2020 sales. Of the 62 vehicles reviewed for the 2022 AAA Car Guide, six are electric.

“The growth in EV sales this past year is evident as we see more and more electric vehicles on the road,” said Mike Hoshaw, vice president of automotive services, AAA East Central. “Our research shows consumer preferences are changing because of factors like higher gas prices and the gradual phasing-out of gasoline-powered vehicles in some areas.”

The 2022 AAA Car Guide includes evaluations of each vehicle based on 12 criteria, including the number of ADAS safety features, fuel efficiency, emissions, braking, handling, ride quality, and acceleration.

These vehicles are tested, scored, and placed in one of five vehicle categories by the Automotive Research Center of the Automobile Club of Southern California, a member of the AAA federation of motor clubs.

Industry analysts forecast the COVID-19 pandemic, the semiconductor chip shortage, and the proliferation of EVs will affect the availability, types, and prices of new and used cars in 2022. For those in the market for newer used vehicles, the online AAA Car Guide also contains links to the two prior editions in 2021 and 2020.

Winners, detailed evaluation criteria, vehicle reviews, and an in-depth analysis of the ADAS technology can be found at AAA.com/CarGuide.

The AAA Car Guide also contains detailed information about AAAs recent research on current automotive technologies and topics, such as advanced driver assistance systems, gasoline quality, headlight effectiveness, and safely transporting a pet in the vehicle.

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AAA East Central is a nonprofit association with 72 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members. Follow AAA on Twitter and Facebook.