These Are The 25 Best Cars In The Country

We’re fast approaching the annual automotive award season, and the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) finalists have been whittled down to a “Best of 2025” list, with five trucks, 10 cars, and 10 utility vehicles making the cut. The 2024 NACTOY winners were the Toyota Prius, the Ford Super Duty, and the Kia EV9. This year, Toyota has the best shot at another award with three finalists, followed by BMW, Honda, and Hyundai with two each.

North American Car Of The Year

Finalists for the 2025 Car of the Year are a diverse bunch that includes offerings from Germany, Japan, Korea, Italy, and America. On the one end of the scale, we have the cute little Fiat 500e, and on the other, luxurious monsters like the latest BMW M5 and the Cadillac Celestiq. Large and small, highly-priced and affordable, there’s a car for every taste in this category. In no particular order, the finalists are as follows:

• BMW 3 Series
• BMW M5
• Honda Civic Hybrid
• Kia K4
• Mercedes-Benz E-Class
• Porsche Panamera
• Toyota Camry
• Cadillac Celestiq
• Dodge Charger EV
• Fiat 500e

North American Truck Of The Year

This year, all of the finalists in the Truck of the Year category fall into the midsize category, and two of them are all-electric. One is the recently updated Rivian R1T, while the other is the GMC Sierra EV. Interestingly, the R1T’s architectural relation, the R1S SUV, failed to make the cut for the Utility Vehicle of the Year, but there’s a lot more competition in that segment, as we’ll see shortly. First, these are potential winners of this year’s North American Truck of the Year award:

• GMC Sierra EV
• Rivian R1T
• Ford Ranger
• Ram 1500
• Toyota Tacoma

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North American Utility Vehicle Of The Year

This category has been overrun with electric vehicles for 2025 – only three of the 10 finalists operate under combustion power. This highlights just how important the crossover and SUV niches are to automakers; OEMs know that buyers choose utility vehicles more often than any other type of car, and if these EVs can convince buyers to switch from combustion, they’ll help accelerate a switch in other niches. If the 2025 Utility Vehicle of the Year finalists are any indication, the future of the segment looks bright. Again in no particular order, these are the utility vehicles that 50 professional automotive journalists rank above all others for 2025:

• Chevrolet Equinox EV
• Honda Prologue
• Volvo EX90
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
• Jeep Wagoneer S
• Porsche Macan EV
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Lincoln Nautilus
• Toyota Land Cruiser
• Volkswagen ID. Buzz

Some Caveats To Consider

While the NACTOY awards are certainly among the greatest accolades a vehicle can achieve, it’s worth noting that these awards are not based fully on first-person experience. Several of these vehicles – like the Wagoneer S, the new Dodge Charger Daytona, and the GMC Sierra EV – have been included based on their specifications and styling; these vehicles are yet to be driven in final production form by anyone outside of the respective automaker. It’s also worth noting that a recommendation can be pulled if the vehicle appears to be unlikely to reach customers within the year that the honor is awarded; the Volvo EX90 was removed from 2024 NACTOY contention after it became clear that customers would not receive the vehicle before 2025, hence its inclusion this year.

The Jeep Wagoneer S could also be delayed if quality control standards are not met. The electric Dodge Charger ought to be safe, though, as Dodge has just opened orders for the first run of production vehicles. Pricing for the initial launch models has also been revealed. Which of these vehicles deserves the overall win in its category? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and we’ll revisit them in January when the prizes are handed out at the Detroit Auto Show on January 10, 2025.