Who are the best car show hosts?
With the rising interest in automobiles comes the need for crystal-clear analysis that gives insight into the chassis, design, speed, and overall quality of these automobiles.
Since the 20th century, when cars became firmly rooted in mainstream culture, car shows that provide these analyses have become a thing.
From BBC’s Top Gear, Amazon Prime’s The Grand Tour, CNBC’s Jay Leno’s Garage, Chris Harris’s on Cars, to Discovery Channel’s Wheeler Dealers, all of these car shows present car’s analysis in a terrific way which have appealed to viewers for years.
However, this car shows’ success has ultimately depended on the hosts, each of which have taken various approach in analyzing cars.
The fancy car remodifications, the incredible drive at bizarre locations, and of course, the controversies between these hosts and prominent car manufacturers have infused life into these shows.
While every car show hosts boast of the understanding that made them a prominent face on the screen, their talents have played a significant role in their success.
As a result, grading these talented hosts can be challenging.
However, MotorsTell presents the top-15 best car show hosts based on popularity and show success upon extensive research.
Ranking the Best Car Show Hosts Ever
15. Tanner Foust
The name Tanner Foust will be greeted with more enthusiasm in the world of motor racing than automotive journalism.
A seasoned racer, Foust has emerged victorious in over a dozen racing events.
On four occasions, Foust has emerged champion in Rally, Super Rally, and Gymkhana tournaments of an annual extreme sports event, X Games.
He has also won the Drift tournament, Formula D.
His impeccable portfolio in racing made him the ideal candidate for hosting America’s Top Gear version, which aired for six seasons.
During the 72 episodes long series, Foust did an impressive job reviewing cars from a racer’s perspective.
14. Rutledge Wood
Few people know more about NASCAR, its cars, and racers than Rutledge Wood.
The man who regularly appeared on Fox NASCAR and NASCAR Raceday panels appealed to viewers.
No wonder he became a part of the Top Gear America trio.
Aside from impeccable car reviews and analysis, Rutledge made the six seasons motoring series fun, as he was the center of most of the jokes told on the show.
His talents, which have earned him recognition, have seen him venture into other non-motoring shows such as The American Barbecue Showdown and Floor is Lava.
13. Chris Harris
Chris Harris needs no introduction in the automotive journalism world.
Chris Harris boasts about half a million followers on YouTube, where he aired his Chris Harris on Cars series before becoming part of the Top Gear series.
A man with refined taste in cars, Harris made headlines after knocking head with automobile giants Ferrari and Lamborghini, who banned him from reviewing their cars.
Currently hosting the BBC automotive review television series, Harris’s interest in cars extends to the world of racing.
He has raved in racing events such as 24 Hours Nürburgring, where he finished 4th in 2010, his best finish in the event.
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12. Matt LeBlanc
Seeing a Hollywood star reviewing cars can be surprising, but Matt LeBlanc has successfully convinced us that he is just as good in reviewing vehicles as he is in acting.
Most fans recognized LeBlanc for his role as Joey Tribbiani in the Friends television series and its spin-off series, Joey.
That seems like a good portfolio, but what does it have to do with cars?
That’s what we also thought, until he did a terrific job when he co-hosted BBC, Top Gear, for three years.
Before joining the Top Gear team, LeBlanc appeared as a guest in the show where he drove in the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment.
11. Doug DeMuro
Unlike most car show hosts on this list, Doug DeMuro’s car show is exclusive to YouTube.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t command the huge following as the guys on the big screen do.
His YouTube channel has about 3.74 million subscribers, and his videos have garnered more than a billion views.
Aside from his YouTube channel, DeMuro had written articles for big names in the automotive journalism world such as Autotrader.com, The Truth About Cars, and Jalopnik.
Notable car enthusiast Jay Leno has invited the YouTube sensation to his Jay Leno’s Garage car show.
DeMuro has owned about 25 cars, which is a fair number for an automotive review expert.
10. Dennis Gage
At the end of every episode of My Classic Cars, Dennis Gage never fails to remind his viewers to “Honor the timeless classics.”
Renowned for his handlebar mustache, Gage has an exciting enthusiasm that makes every episode of his show that airs on TNN fun to watch.
The show, which debuted in 1997, has over 400 episodes and is one of the longest-running car shows.
9. Mike Brewer
With more than half a dozen cars shows to his name, it’s safe to call Mike Brewerva car show veteran.
Famous for hosting the Discovery Channel car show Wheeler Dealers, Brewer doesn’t have many mechanical skills as his former Wheeler Dealers co-host Edd China.
However, he makes up for this shortcoming with his flawless presenting style.
8. Danny Koker
HISTORY’s Pawn Stars’ success laid the path for Danny Koker, the man dubbed The Count, to own his car show, counting cars.
The show, which is the third spin-off series of Pawn Stars, is another avenue for viewers to continue to enjoy Koker’s extensive knowledge of vehicles.
With Koker and his team, junks and scarps are treasured as they build dream cars from these bits.
7. Aaron Kaufman
For those who haven’t seen any episode of Gas Monkey Garage, describing the magic Kaufman does with is hand may seem fictional.
A talented mechanic and noteworthy cat show host, Aaron Kaufman was one of the powerhouses of Discovery Channel Fast N’ Loud, before he went on to host his show, titled Shifting Gears with Aaron Kaufman.
One of his best car transformations on Fast N’ Loud is the Ford Model A, the first car ever tea stormed in the series.
Kaufman and the rest of the crew’s transformation made the car a worthy investment when it sold for a huge price.
6. Richard Rawlings
A buddy of Kaufman, Richard Rawlings is one of the principal figures in the series, Fast N’ Loud.
Adept at transforming run down and beat down cars, Rawlings played a crucial role in the Ford Model A transformation in the Fast N’ Loud series.
Aside from Fast N’ Loud, Rawlings also hosts Garage Rehab, a car show which airs on Discovery Channel.
5. Jay Leno
Jay Leno may seem to be the odd one in this list, but he has as much interest in cars as everyone else on this list.
One of America’s most successful late-night television hosts, Leno, is widely known for hosting The Tonight Show with Jay Leno before he embraced his love for cars and began presenting Jay Leno’s Garage show on CNBC.
If you doubt Leno’s love for cars, his car collection will surely convince you.
The comic star owns about 286 vehicles, with several of them being vintage cars.
4. Richard Hammond
One of the trio who made Top Gear what it is today, Richard Hammond, aka The Hamster, is one of the most successful and best car show hosts in the world right now.
Currently, hosting The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime, alongside his two former Top Gear buddies, Hammond’s isn’t just interested in cars, but also engineering.
His interest in engineering has seen him host multiple documentaries that center on that subject.
Hammond has had ghastly accidents as aired episodes for Top Gear and The Grand Tour, but that has not prevented the star from doing what he knows how to do best.
3. James May
His addition to the Top Gear squad breathes a new spark of excitement as he and his famous buddies had a great rapport that saw them present the show for more than a decade.
A man who loves cars, James May’s interest has expanded to science and technology, wine culture, and even toys.
May loves to analyze the knowledge behind things.
He has presented over a dozen shows and documentaries which centers on all his interests.
May, alongside his Top Gear former hosts, currently presents The Grand Tour, available on Amazon Prime.
2. Jerry Seinfeld
What does a comedian have to do with reviewing cars?
Well, Jerry Seinfeld doesn’t review cars the orthodox way but does it in a stylish manner that fuses automotive facts and the perfect humor dose.
Seinfeld hosts Netflix’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which centers on guests’ reactions to that episode’s cars.
His guests’ reaction to the cars is very entertaining; no wonder the series has garnered over 100 million views.
1. Jeremy Clarkson
Sitting atop the list is no other than Jeremy Clarkson, Top Gear’s overlord, and kingpin.
Even when he was ousted from his throne, so to say, Clarkson rebounded in the most dramatic manner to retain his spot as the best car show host in the world.
Alongside James May and Richard Hammond, Clarkson firmly rooted the foundations of Top Gear.
After a disagreement between BBC and the television bigwig, he and his Top Gear buddies, alongside producer Andy Wilman, moved on to form another car show entitled, The Grand Tour.
A weekly columnist for The Sun and The Sunday Times, his presenting exploits extends beyond automotive journalism.
He currently hosts The Grand Tour, and ITV revamped show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?
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