Indholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2025 i MotorTrend

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, I’m not talking about Toyotathon—it’s Of The Year season! After a year of planning and logistics, more than three months of rigorous testing and debating, and weeks of writing, editing, photographing, and filming, we couldn’t be prouder to present MotorTrend’s 2025 SUV, Car, and Truck of the Year. A reminder of how it all works: A vehicle must be new or significantly revised to earn an invite to an Of The Year competition, and each one is evaluated not against the other entrants but rather against our six key criteria: performance of intended function, advancement in design, engineering excellence, value, efficiency, and safety. After driving for multiple days and hundreds of miles at automaker proving grounds and in the real world,…

Thoughts on Performance Vehicle of the Year I enjoyed your fall issue and the Performance Vehicle of the Year stories—particularly the comments on the Ferrari 296 GTB. The price is a bit off-putting (a half-million?!), but one big concern is squeaks and rattles. I could buy an old ’Vette to enjoy that. Your criticisms about the haptic controls made me do a double take, too. I thought I was reading about a 2023 VW GTI! But my real worry would be the stress of driving an expensive car like this in real life—even though you indicated the Ferrari is comfortable puttering on the highway. But when I imagine driving this thing on Southern California highways with the way so many other people drive, I would be a nervous wreck. Dave…

PROS Looks mostly good • Great one-pedal drive mode • Available hands-free highway tech CONS Soggy driving experience • Packed full of Chevrolet parts • Better EVs cost much less Not every automaker can engineer a familiar identity through its lineup. Acura does. The premium brand from Honda instills a focused, engaging personality into its vehicles while retaining the renowned quality and value of its parent company. For its first EV, Acura revives a nameplate from a controversial model—but while the original ZDX was ahead of its time, the 2024 ZDX lags. The new ZDX is built on promising fundamentals. Acura is still developing its own EV platform, so it tapped an unlikely partner for ready-to-go tech: General Motors, specifically the architecture underpinning the the Cadillac Lyric and Chevrolet Blazer…

PROS Strong value • Solid brakes • Surprisingly good ride and handling CONS Weak engine • Could be more spacious • No Sport mode At last year’s SUV of the Year test, we were charmed by the Chevrolet Trax. This year, it was the larger Equinox that arrived with a value play in the competitive compact SUV segment, and we were charmed once again. The fourth-generation Equinox is a bread-and-butter vehicle for GM, even with the addition of the fancier 2025 Equinox EV to the menu. (The two share neither a platform nor sheetmetal so were judged separately.) To feed the appetite of those who want an affordable SUV with an internal combustion engine, the 2025 Equinox got bigger and more rugged looks, reshuffled its trim offerings, and maintained a…

PROS Gorgeous interior • Retains rear headroom • More luxurious than ever CONS Not sporty • Confused personality • Reduced cargo space We’ve made peace with the existence of SUV “coupes” even if they don’t make logical sense. The customer is always right in matters of taste, as the full saying goes, and customers like the style of these vehicles more than maximum carrying capacity. And if style is the goal, it’s hard to do better than the Genesis GV80 Coupe 3.5T e-Supercharged. As good a job as Genesis did restyling the GV80 SUV’s exterior into a fastback, the real triumph is inside. Our SUV of the Year judges couldn’t compliment the cabin enough, calling it “absolutely exquisite,” “absolutely gorgeous,” and “terrific-looking” among other praise. Our team was particularly enamored…

PROS More than just sporty—incredibly fun • Practical, spacious, versatile • Rapid charging CONS Harsh ride with constrictive seats • Range isn’t great • Tenuous SUV credentials We adore the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Our 2023 SUV of the Year features expressive styling, brilliant packaging, and refined road manners, not to mention its fast charging and strong safety credentials, among other distinctions. After 18 months with an Ioniq 5 for a long-term review, pretty much all we could gripe about was its lack of a rear windshield wiper and shorter-than-indicated range. We admire it so much that some on our staff have even wisely chosen one as their personal daily driver. For 2025, the Ioniq 5 returned to our SUVOTY competition, and this time it arrived packing preposterous power, innovative driving…

PROS Nostalgic interior • Retro exterior • Cheaper than a restomod Defender CONSTerrible steering • Too heavy for its engine • Rattles on rugged terrain What happens when a petroleum billionaire who happens to be a classic Land Rover Defender fanboy gets rejected when he tries to resurrect the classic Defender on its deathbed? You get the 2024 Ineos Grenadier, his own take on the original Land Rover 4x4 and one of the most curious vehicles in some time. The Grenadier has no interest in how modern life has redefined what an SUV is and can be. Instead it looks to reach back to the roots of the term. Fashioned after the rugged SUVs of old, not only the aforementioned Defender but also the Hummer H1, G-Class, and others, it…

PROS Good brake feel • Comfortable interior • Excellent hands-free driving assist and lane centering CONS Needs more range • Cramped third row • Some quirky ergonomics The 2024 Kia EV9 won a lot of awards last year, which might lead you to wonder why it’s competing for our top accolade now. Timing is everything: Kia scrambled to get us an early build of the three-row electric SUV in 2023, but corporate red tape meant it couldn’t be driven on public roads. Rules are rules, so although we were intrigued by the first mainstream three-row EV last year, we had to disqualify it. Fast-forward a year, and Kia is back with the top-trim EV9 GT-Line AWD, and we’re impressed. The styling is still fresh, and the vehicle features clever packaging…

PRO Three distinct powertrain options • Finally, a three-row Lexus crossover! • Lots of cargo space CONS Meh exterior • Meh interior • TX 350’s odd brake feel After more than two decades of waiting for a Lexus-branded three-row SUV in the spirit of the RX, the TX has finally arrived. And it’s … fine. Joining the GX and LX in the Lexus family of three-row SUVs, the TX is the most affordable of the trio, and it’s a great blend of spaciousness and value. A 275-hp turbo I-4 is standard in the TX 350, but there’s also the TX 500h hybrid with 366 horsepower and the 404-hp TX 550h+ plug-in hybrid. So far, so good. Lexus bases the TX on the new Toyota Grand Highlander, a large three-row SUV…

PROS Icon status • Built like a vault • Drives better than ever CONS Money, money, money, money • Rear screens suck • We already said it’s expensive, yeah? There was a bit of hand-wringing when Mercedes-Benz announced the engine in its entry-level G-Class SUV would only have six cylinders. Gone is the old G 550’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, replaced by a 3.0-liter supercharged inline-six. Like most things on the internet these days, those fears were almost totally unfounded. Power with the mild hybrid I-6 is up to 443 hp from 416, though torque is down to 413 lb-ft from 450. Sure, everyone (supposedly) wants a V-8, but as buyer’s guide director Zach Gale pointed out: “There will come a day when the owners won’t have a V-8 reference point.…

PROS Pleasing new design • Great on sand and dirt • Attractive MSRP CONS Needs more horsepower • Infotainment feels dated • Lacks innovation Conventional wisdom says you shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken. Sound advice, right? The all-new 2025 Subaru Forester leans into that philosophy, following the same tried-and-true formula that has earned it legions of fans. But lacking any real innovation or wow factor, it merely stays on the lead lap, content to cater to loyalists rather than win converts. Let’s start with what’s new. The Forester was redesigned inside and out for the 2025 model year and now sports a look that brings it in line with Subaru’s overall design language. We wouldn’t call it conventionally beautiful, but it is handsome and purposeful, and the design is perhaps…

PROS Improved infotainment • More range and power • Spacious cabin CONS Less wind and tire noise, please • Those freaking window switches • Anodyne driving experience Volkswagen’s ID4 launched in America for 2022 and landed with a definitive “meh.” We tested a launch-year model for 12 months and found it to be generally fine, but buggy and slow infotainment, poor voice controls, and middling charging speeds conspired against its fairer qualities to prevent a full-throated recommendation. Not to mention the asinine, penny-pinching decision to combine the controls for all four windows into just two switches. Now, 2024 VW ID4 Pro models have better infotainment, more range, and more power. That’s all well and good, but our criteria and crack judging panel awaited the updated electric SUV at our latest…

PROS Solid performance • Cabin appointments • Relatively quick charging CONS Polarizing M60 variant • Complex infotainment system • Overall efficiency A couple of years ago, the BMW i4 silently rolled up and almost stole the Car of the Year Calipers. Then during last year’s competition, the brawny i7 and its baller rear-seat entertainment system had the judges jotting down similarly positive notes. Now it was the i5’s turn to show off its electrified bona fides. But after evaluating the new 5 Series EV, there wasn’t the same enthusiasm for this i in the eyes of most judges. Why was that? Good question. On paper, at least, the i5 hews to much the same formula as its i4 and i7 EV stablemates. Like the other rollouts, the i5 launched with…

PROS Excellent hybrid powertrain • Refined ride and handling • Great build quality and value CONS Gas version underpowered • Small screens • Mediocre backup camera quality Honda’s storied Civic, a 2022 Car of the Year finalist, is back with consequential changes not immediately noticeable from the curb. The 2025 Civic drops its available turbocharged engine in favor of a hybrid powertrain, while its entry-level engine is replaced by a new Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter four-cylinder. The lineup still consists of front-drive, four-door sedans and hatchbacks, with each body style available in three or four trim levels. Entry-level LX (sedan only) and volume-selling Sport (the entry-level hatchback) trims get the new gas engine, while the top two levels, Sport Hybrid and Sport Touring Hybrid, as you’d probably already guessed, get the new…

PROS Excellent ride • Tremendous brakes • New infotainment system CONS Difficult-to-use cruise control • Poor lane keep assist • Existence of the superior Taycan The 2024 Porsche Panamera four-door GT has hit the market in updated form. With a new front end and beautiful new taillights integrated into a mini ducktail, it follows Porsche’s usual formula of taking an excellent car and making it about 3 percent better. There are many Panameras in the model lineup; for COTY, we were only able to evaluate the rear-drive base Panamera with the updated 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. This third-generation Panamera also features a redesigned interior with large new displays, including an available third screen for the passenger, like the infotainment system in the electric Porsche Taycan. The…

PROS Indelible impression • Huge inside • Surprisingly athletic CONS Limited cabin flexibility • Missed packaging opportunities • Relatively expensive We’ve been here before. Volkswagen’s last cleaver slammed between boomers and their money, the New Beetle, was an unexceptional car with exceptional retro appeal. Surely the new ID Buzz, VW’s Microbus revival, is another soon-to-fizzle nostalgia ploy. It sure looks like a miss against our Car of the Year criteria—at least on paper. Anything “retro” swims upstream against advancement in design, and the $61,545 opening ask bends the upper stratosphere of minivan pricing. Then there’s its 234 miles of range, which lives in the basement of expectations for EVs. But in our real-world range test, it comes awfully close to that estimate—just 6 miles shy—and charges at a respectable 176…

PROS Big battery means big range • Rear steering • Folding midgate CONS Big cost • Questionable torque management • WOW mode is obtuse Chevrolet’s Silverado EV hit the scene with some impressive numbers—440 miles of range, a 205-kWh battery, blazin’ fast DC charging, and dual motors sending 754 horses and 785 lb-ft to a set of 24-inch wheels. Unlike the Ford F-150 Lightning, this truck is not merely an electrified Silverado but an EV built from the ground up. The Silverado EV further shows off with four-wheel steering, a four-corner air suspension, and a folding midgate that will have you nostalgically whispering “Avalanche.” Cost-conscious tradesfolk looking to electrify their fleets can spec the Silverado in WT trim with coil springs, a more utilitarian interior, and what Chevrolet claims to…

PROS AWD model is really good off-road • Relaxed, refined driving manners • Feels extremely well built CONS Can get very pricey • Slow even without cargo • Short on modern conveniences When it comes to Truck of the Year, people generally think of … trucks. But full-size vans can offer the same utility and more. Thus our competition included the eSprinter 2500 cargo van—a compelling electric option for businesses looking for a cleaner fleet—and the updated diesel-powered Sprinter 2500. Among more exciting entrants vying for the Golden Calipers, a couple of German cargo boxes might seem bland and destined to watch this competition from the sidelines. However, after hauling and off-roading them with the rest of the crew, it’s clear the Sprinter isn’t just for the nine-to-five or nomadic…

PROS Stylish and modern exterior design • Powerful hybrid powertrain • A version for every personality CONS The one you want is expensive • Both engines lack refinement • Painfully tight rear seats Two decades have passed since the Tacoma molted out of its compact skin and ushered in what we now know as the midsize pickup. That metamorphosis resulted in a lot of hardware during award season, including our Golden Calipers. Now with the first ground-up redesign since 2005, the Tacoma gets another shot at the crown. The Tacoma lineup consists of eight trims and four represented at TOTY: TRD Sport, TRD Off-Road, Trailhunter, and Limited. We give Toyota credit for advancement in design—this new Tacoma lineup offers what is perhaps the best-looking midsize truck interior and exterior on…

As we kicked off our annual Of The Year evaluations, uncertainties hovered like always before our annual sport-ute soiree in California’s Mojave Desert. But things were going mostly to plan. Luck was partially to thank: Unlike years past, no roads were closed, Honda Proving Center’s off-road course was fully operational, and ambient temperatures stayed below 100 degrees. Easy breezy? No way. This year’s SUVOTY roster listed more than 30 vehicles, but some compelling invitees—the Volvo EX90, Porsche Macan EV, and Toyota 4Runner, among others—couldn’t make it. Alas, unfinished software caused some automakers to hold off. Our judges are accustomed to this program’s rigors, and two newcomers brought fresh perspectives. Associate editor Andrew Beckford’s participation is the first time we’ve had a Black judge in 75 years of OTY contests. Guest…

PROS Attractive exterior styling • Surprisingly good on low-traction surfaces • Firm but comfortable ride quality CONS Interior materials are a letdown • Charging speeds trail the best • Steering needs more life Audi was among the first legacy automakers to fire a response when Tesla rose to prominence, launching multiple E-Tron concepts and models over the past 15 years. Now many of the German automaker’s models are receiving mid-cycle updates, including the Audi Q4 E-Tron, a compact EV whose improvements went way beyond the typical feature shuffling. New battery chemistry, more range, updated styling, and more horsepower earned the Q4 an invite to our 2025 SUV of the Year test, but were they enough to put it in the mix for a win? What didn’t change much is the…

PROS Snazzy cockpit • Spacious cabin and cargo area • Great design CONS Too heavy and feels like it • Slow and socially awkward charging • Lacks phone mirroring The Equinox EV swaggered in on the coattails of last year’s SUV of the Year–winning Chevrolet Blazer EV with a hot design, proportions that struck many as superior, and an impressive value proposition predicated on a promised $35,000 starting price. Sadly, that loss-leader model had yet to hit the production line at the time of our testing, and the loaded RS AWD example Chevy sent us tiptoes deep into the Blazer EV’s price range, which dulled its value luster. Still, the judges’ initial impressions were quite positive. Big, high-resolution screens and round outboard A/C vents seemingly plucked from the Camaro parts…

PROS A simply rad creation • Looks great • As fun on-road as off CONS Why so heavy? • Why so inefficient? • Feels too flimsy for six figures The GMC Hummer EV is a vehicle we hate to love. Corner almost any SUV of the Year judge, and alone they’ll whisper the praises of this bonko-ridiculo Hummer SUV. Put us all in a room together, however, and the hand wringing begins. “An egregious waste of precious resources, not to be encouraged,” technical director Frank Markus bellowed. Features editor Scott Evans observed, “It’s gigantic and hard to find parking for, it’s grossly inefficient, and it’s all power and no brakes, which just feels like a recipe for disaster.” So yes, at 8,673 pounds the Hummer is hugely fat, helping to…

PROS Charming personality • Excellent ride quality • Surprisingly good in slippery stuff CONS Slow charging • Underwhelming base model • Price overlaps with better Ioniq 5 There it is. There’s the Hyundai Kona we knew. We were wondering where it went, as the gas-powered version that competed in last year’s SUV of the Year competition seemed to have lost its charm. This year, the new Kona Electric was in the running, and it’s clear where all the personality went. Indeed, while the most recent redesign offered more space and features for a similar price, that appealed more to the head. Our hearts were left wanting. Now that we’ve driven the Kona Electric, both head and heart are satisfied. Mostly. Last time around, Hyundai designed the Kona with a gas…

PROS Well priced • Great mpg • Flexible cargo area CONS Loud powertrain • Ride isn’t luxury-car smooth • USB-A, not the newer USB-C in the third row It’s always something, isn’t it? For years, we asked Infiniti to give the QX60 a different engine, and once it finally does, we’re still somewhat unsatisfied. The popular luxury three-row SUV has always leaned toward value as a differentiator, but loaded non-luxury three-rows have never been better. As the pressure builds on price-sensitive luxury SUVs from below, how well does the Infiniti hold its own? The 2025 QX60’s story starts with its new variable-compression turbo engine (VC-Turbo). We’ve never been fans of its tuning in the smaller QX50, which has a CVT automatic. That’s why we were thrilled (absolutely thrilled!) to hear…

PROS Fresh design • Land Cruiser–besting Over-trail capability • Strong value CONS Cramped third row • Insufficient design differentiation • Chassis vibration Some of us questioned the wisdom of building a cheaper North American Land Cruiser using the same bodywork as the Lexus GX. But this range-topping GX 550 Luxury+ strikes us all as a giant leap forward for the GX brand in terms of panache and refinement, and darned if it didn’t give us Geländewagen feels. To ensure we weren’t just hallucinating, we brought both the Land Cruiser and the GX 550 forward as finalists, along with the Mercedes-Benz G 550. Here’s how the Lexus fared. Design-wise, Land Cruiser variants with the round headlamps look a little more like the G 550, but inside it’s the Lexus that better…

PROS Modern lithium-ion powertrain • Up to 44 mpg • Quiet ride CONS Expensive • Small rear door openings • Needs more space Lexus’ entry-level compact SUV isn’t all-new, but it received a significant mid-cycle update that transforms both its powertrain and the nameplate. The 2025 UX 300h now features a hybrid system borrowed directly from the new Toyota Prius, the vehicle that earned MotorTrend’s 2024 Car of the Year honors. The 300h designation replaces the outgoing 250h, marking Lexus’ first model equipped with this powertrain. The hybrid system upgrades include a new lithium-ion battery, replacing the previous nickel–metal hydride unit, and a power boost that increases output to 196 hp, up from 181 before. The UX 300h’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine remains paired with two electric motors, but some of…

PROS Scintillating driving dynamics • Strong off-road chops • The V-8 Cayenne S is back! CONS Your wallet will get PTSD • Hybrid’s brakes need a little more work • Weirdly low-res backup camera The Porsche Cayenne roared into our SUV of the Year testing on the back of its refresh for 2024; powertrains were shuffled, the styling was futzed with, and the interior technology was upgraded. It’s always been a sensational SUV to drive, but would these updates push it over the top? Making the case were two price-eligible (sub-$150,000) models, an E-Hybrid and an S. The former teams a 174-hp, 339-lb-ft electric motor with a 300-hp, 309-lb-ft 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 to make a combined 463 horses and 479 lb-ft. That is highly impressive from the model sitting just…

PROS Gorgeous station wagon styling • Long driving range • Spacious rear seat CONS Groans under heavy acceleration • Tight cargo area • Watch your head on the way in OMG, a wagon! Can’t you just feel the excitement? Exactly one wagon-shaped vehicle has truly broken through in the U.S. over the past couple decades, and it’s called the Subaru Outback. Now picture a design that’s everything the rugged and chunky Outback isn’t, and you have the new Toyota Crown Signia. It feels like we’ve seen this story before. Toyota’s midsize two-row SUV journey met with failure first with the Venza in the 2010s and then another Venza-badged SUV that’s just now ending production. The 2025 Crown Signia is Toyota’s latest attempt to break through, and would you just look…

The new Lincoln Nautilus is MotorTrend’s 2025 SUV of the Year. Who among us saw this coming? Looking through our judges’ notebooks reveals the answer to be not many. But as early as day one of our five-day SUVOTY evaluation process, the Nautilus had definite-finalist if not certain-winner vibes swarming around it. Impressive, considering the competition it faced. We’re talking studs like the Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus GX 550, the Hyundai Santa Fe and its whale of a value proposition, the wonderfully ridiculous GMC Hummer SUV, and even the half Porsche 911, half Ford Raptor second-generation Rivian R1S. Oh, and don’t forget Mercedes’ mighty G-Wagen. Yet there was something about the Nautilus, an X-factor that touched our judges and ultimately placed the fine-looking midsize luxury SUV above all others.…

PROS Great city car • Charming • Bound to be rare CONS Too expensive • Can’t go far enough on a charge for most Americans • Too niche for its own good? MotorTrend’s Car of the Year competition is many things—a peek at evolving automotive tastes and technologies and a review of an entire model lineup on its own merits, for instance—but it is not a judgment about business cases. We don’t care if an automaker makes or loses money on a new car; we just want to know if it’s a car we’d recommend to our readers. The Fiat 500e is almost certainly destined to be a loss leader for Stellantis, yet it makes a strong case for Car of the Year. The flaws with the previous generation (2013–2019)…

PROS High-tech interior • Strong safety suite • Now available with AWD CONS Controversial styling • Lacks power • Slightly more refined competition For as good and diverse as it is, the Sonata lineup has missed one key element that many of its competitors have offered for some time: all-wheel drive. Hyundai finally remedied that by adding the brand’s HTRAC system to the Sonata’s SEL trim. It doesn't revolutionize the sedan’s driving experience, but it does what it needs to do—provide prospective buyers in cold-weather states with the option. The Sonata was updated in the styling department, as well, and it proved to be a hit-or-miss proposition with the judging crowd. Some found it to be a striking and refreshing upgrade to the old catfish look of the prior model,…

PROS Sporty looks • Spacious interior • Fun GT-Line trim CONS Fuel economy worsens • Lacks torque • Bawdy faux engine sounds Kia has worked over the past few years to make its lineup sportier—and more distinct from its corporate cousin, Hyundai—and the midsize K5 sedan has been something of a case study for those changes. With its strikingly modern and angular appearance and a new base powertrain for the 2025 model year, can it keep up that momentum or even build on it? Gaining 11 hp and new dashboard displays is a good start; losing last year’s turbocharger and some torque? Less so. We really want to like the updated K5, as it looks good to most of our judges and Kia obviously listens to customer feedback to better…

PROS Fast-charging capabilities • Outstanding handling • Vicious acceleration CONS Only OK range • Expensive with or without options • Can you spot the differences? It’s rare for an automaker to address every last issue we’ve had with a car, but Porsche isn’t like other automakers. With upgraded motors, batteries, and charging, this Taycan 4S represents a massive leap forward in EV tech, “fixing” things we didn’t even think were broken and propelling this sport sedan from being a fun if compromised performance car to a comprehensive (and still fun) technological marvel. The new Taycan gains a significantly improved electrical architecture. The most impactful change is the larger and lighter battery options and ripping-fast charging. The smallest battery pack is now an 89.0-kWh unit (82.3 kWh usable), and the upgraded…

Our 2025 Car of the Year is far from the sexiest choice. It isn’t a sleek, high-powered electric sport sedan, nor is it the long-anticipated rebirth of a ’60s cult classic. Instead, it’s a car that has been molded and refined since the 1950s with a clear purpose to make it just plain better. Smoother. Quicker. More efficient. More comfortable. Better at anticipating driver needs. And more luxurious—not in a trashy, in-your-face way, but quietly. Confidently. It’s a dependable constant, always what you need when you need it, nothing more, nothing less. For those reasons and more, this year’s Golden Calipers go to what might just be the best midsize luxury car of the 21st century: the 10th-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Advancement in Design The E-Class has long lived in the…

PROS Value-oriented Dual Motor • Bonkers Quad power delivery • Gorgeous interiors CONS Wheels hurt the ride • Untoward suspension noises • Uneasy at payload/towing limits We fell hard for the Rivian R1T in 2022, traversing the TransAmerica Trail in a pair of pre-prototypes loaded for overlanding. Not long after that exercise, it earned our Calipers. Three years later, Rivian is rolling out its second-generation R1T, which features three Rivian-designed powertrains, a thoroughly retuned suspension, and a revolutionary new zonal electric architecture credited with slashing weight, cabling, and response times for all onboard systems. These improvements don’t show from the outside, but in the hopes that experiencing them all would impress us enough to reclaim the title, Rivian sent us its full lineup: a Dual Motor loaded up with the…

Well, that makes it a clean sweep. All three winners of this year’s Golden Calipers entered their competitions as dark-horse candidates. Each was overshadowed by flashier, sexier, or more “newsworthy” candidates. In the truck realm, those frontrunners included a purpose-built 450-mile electric pickup with midgate and tailgate tricks up its sleeve, an apocalypse-ready, bullet-resistant origami EV bristling with 48-volt electrics and by-wire steering, and far newer versions of two popular midsize trucks. Alas, our exhaustive testing and evaluation process revealed flaws in these competitors and brilliance in the significantly revamped 2025 Ram 1500 lineup. Ram strategically sent us three very different trucks, chosen to vividly illustrate the breadth of what’s new for 2025, starting with its budget back-road bomber, a Tradesman-based, off-road-oriented Warlock. Under its humble work-truck costume lies some…

I can never resist a good oddball engine, and this one’s pedigree is impressive. See if you can bend your mind around it. Most of you reading this probably have at least a basic understanding of how an internal combustion engine works. Today’s four-stroke suck-squish-bang-blow concept was first demonstrated successfully by Nicolaus Otto and Eugen Langen in 1876. It involves a piston moving down to draw charge air (and fuel) into the cylinder, followed by an upstroke that compresses this mixture. Then ignition creates an explosion that drives the piston down, imparting work that turns the crankshaft, before a final upstroke forces the exhaust out. Just a few years later, Scotsman Dugald Clerk reckoned he might double the power and improve smoothness by halving the number of strokes, and by…

JUDGES/TESTERS Erick Ayapana Associate Road Test Editor Andrew Beckford Associate Editor Matthew Chudzinski Senior Technical Editor Kyle Conner Out of Spec Reviews Founder Miguel Cortina Mexico Editor Gordon Dickie Automotive Industry and Engineering Expert Scott Evans Features Editor Zach Gale Buyer’s Guide Director Erik Johnson Digital Director Jered Korfhage Technical Writer Alex Leanse Associate Editor Jonny Lieberman Senior Features Editor Frank Markus Technical Director Ryan Ono Content Coordinator Alisa Priddle Detroit Editor Eric Tingwall Testing Director Chris Walton Road Test Editor…

PROS Sporty driving experience • Decent second-row passenger space • Good interior design and materials CONS Polarizing looks • Stop/start function is rough • Transmission is awkward at low speeds SUVs are designed as multipurpose vehicles, but it’s rare when one single machine can fill several roles and perform all of them exceptionally well. Consumers nonetheless still tend to look for that do-it-all solution, and the BMW X2 is the latest in a long line of attempts to be that “everything” SUV. It’s attractive, sporty, luxurious, comfortable, and practical, but—spoiler alert—it doesn’t do all those things perfectly. It does get respectably close, though. Now in its second generation, the BMW X2 has a whole new look, more power, and more features than its predecessor. The xDrive28i trim now makes 241…

PROS Communicates like a Miata • Throws sand like a Sterrato • Comfy on-road ride CONS Suspect thermal management • Driving fun costs range • Less practical package Vehicles like the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally really pit our inner children against our rational adult psyches. Our editors all reveled in the Rally’s playful ability to pinwheel sand high into the sky while circulating our off-road test course—even if its approach/departure angles still don’t allow for serious Baja blasting. Hey, the exact same holds true for the headline-grabbing Porsche 911 Dakar and Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato. Those two cost about four times as much, and we’re highly skeptical they can truly quadruple the Mach-E Rally’s fun quotient, a factor that earns the Ford major credit against our SUV of the Year value…

PROS Excellent new design direction • Rides great • Good one-pedal driving mode CONS Lacks personality • Tiny cargo space • Pricier than the competition A good compromise requires both sides to give a bit. Working with GM allowed Honda to get its hands on a competitive EV platform quickly with minimal development costs, but it meant giving up control over the engineering and suppliers. The result, the Honda Prologue EV, is a good EV that lacks Honda’s typical personality. “The Prologue is a perfectly fine first EV for an average-sized or smaller family,” associate editor Bob Hernandez said, “and an acceptable SUV for 99.9 percent of the things SUVs do today.” This was a common sentiment. Our judges all agreed the Prologue is a pretty good SUV and a…

PROS Modern styling • Great value • Standard third row CONSHybrid needs a tad more hp • Transmission needs refinement • Wind noise The 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe makes a statement. With the launch of this new generation, the Santa Fe SUV received a new look, a standard third row, and tons of tech for an attractive price. Indeed, Hyundai turned around its midsize crossover, going from an average-looking SUV to a boxy and cool crossover. The new Santa Fe became an instant favorite of MotorTrend SUV of the Year judges, and it quickly earned a spot in the finalist round for its many nice attributes. Most judges were pleased with the performance from both the hybrid and gas engines. The 277-hp 2.5-liter turbo-four felt peppy for a family SUV,…

PROS Upscale, feature-rich interior • Hands-free driving tech available • Easy third-row access CONS Drives as big as it is • Attention-to-detail oversights • Still too similar to the Nissan Armada Luxury SUVs aren’t only about comfort and versatility. Projecting status and prestige is equally important. In this segment, the Infiniti QX80 has stumbled as its competitors have swaggered upward; swaths of leather and shiny metal accents have never sufficiently differentiated it from the more pedestrian Nissan Armada sharing its fundamentals. Infiniti desperately needed to change that narrative, and in many ways it has for 2025, as it’s clearly the best version yet of the big SUV. But some things never change. Infiniti didn’t hold back when redesigning the QX80. “It’s quite a significant upgrade over the outgoing model," Mexico…

PROS Rich interior • Standard power-reclining rear seats • Well-tuned EV mode CONS Driver display needs a redesign • Needs more electric range • Could charge quicker Ah, the Lexus RX 450h+. To the uninitiated, the name sounds like Lexus picked random characters out of a hat, but the SUV is actually the most expensive RX Lexus has ever offered. It’s also the very first plug-in hybrid RX, and we can’t help but think of it as a partially electrified alternative to the RZ EV. But as a competitor to German plug-in hybrid luxury SUVs? That’s a little more complicated. We’re fans of the Lexus RX. And no, we’re not talking about the original one that won MotorTrend’s very first SUV of the Year award and influenced an entire industry…

PROS Handsome outside • Upscale inside • Mazda-like I-6 version CONS Possibly the worst shifter ever • Literally a two-row CX-90, not a new model • Un-Mazda-like plug-in hybrid version When discussing the 2025 Mazda CX-70, the marque’s latest SUV, we collectively could not get past the CX-70 simply being a CX-90 with the third row removed and a new badge glued on. Like literally. Like all the sheetmetal between the two SUVs is the same. This strikes us as hugely lazy. Mazda didn’t even remove the third-row cupholders. Talk about mailing it in. But could this be indicative of something else? Before we drive the contenders at any OTY event, we introduce the vehicles to all our judges via notes we call “walkarounds.” When explaining the CX-70, we pointed…

PROS Massive update to a winning formula • Fixed the ride issues • Quickest SUV in the world CONS Price has gone up • No CarPlay or Android Auto • More buzzes, whirs, and rattles than we’d like Man, Rivian is not screwing around. The Cyberbeast version of the Tesla Cybertruck makes 845 hp, you say? Bam! The new R1S Tri Motor makes 850 hp. What’s that? The Model X Plaid makes 1,020 hp? The refreshed R1S Quad Motor makes 1,025 hp. The knives, so to speak, are out. The 10-cent overview of the second-generation Rivian platform is this: There are now three motor configurations to choose from—Dual, Tri, and Quad—and all of them use the brand’s own motors. Efficiency, especially in cold weather, is up across the board thanks…

PROS Charming design • Hybrid only • Fun to drive CONS Needs more oomph • Noisy cabin • $57,000 starting price The Toyota Land Cruiser was an instant favorite at SUV of the Year. The iconic off-roader has a lot going for it, making it a compelling finalist. Judges were impressed by its retro design and liked its hybrid powertrain and off-road charisma. Every judge praised Toyota for designing the Land Cruiser with a charming face, evoking the beloved models from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. The First Edition model we got drew high praise from our judges for its round headlights and the Toyota name spelled out across the grille, though we wished its interior also got a little more of the exterior’s charm. Its 2.4-liter turbo-four is assisted…

JUDGES/TESTERS Erick Ayapana Associate Road Test Editor Matthew Chudzinski Senior Technical Editor Mike Floyd Head of Editorial Operations Jered Korfhage Technical Writer Ryan Ono Content Coordinator Alisa Priddle Detroit Editor Billy Rehbock Associate Editor Christian Seabaugh Features Editor Alexander Stoklosa Deputy Editor Chris Theodore Automotive Industry and Engineering Expert Chris Walton Road Test Editor Justin Westbrook Senior Editor…

PROS New, more powerful 2.5T • RWD and AWD available • Still sport-sedan capable CONS Showing its age • Outdated infotainment • Somewhat snug cabin and trunk Genesis has run headlong into the proverbial rock-and-a-hard-place scenario when it comes to its G70 compact sedan. What to do about the former Car of the Year winner? Like so many sedans in general, it’s becoming an endangered species. Then add uncertainty about what should power it in the future, and it’s a formula for the G70 not being long for this world—at least not in its present form. Putting aside its future, the G70 is still a highly competitive, luxuriously trimmed, sport-oriented sedan in a rapidly shrinking market segment. For the 2024 model year, it gets a base engine it probably should…

PROS Great looks inside and out • Hybrid option’s on-paper mpg • Comfortable seats CONS Frustrating second-row seat functions • Firm ride • Hybrid option’s real-world mpg When Kia introduced the Carnival as the Sedona’s replacement in 2021, it was with the shtick that this sliding-door vehicle was a “multipurpose vehicle,” not a minivan. It was a three-row … thing, a vehicle more stylish and versatile than your average three-row midsize SUV, but a category-defying thing nonetheless. Kia remains adamant the Carnival is not a minivan, and to back that assertion, it’s given the un-van even more SUV touches for 2025—mainly, the upside-down-L-shaped headlight motif common to its latest Telluride, Sorento, and EV9—and added a hybrid option. No question, the Carnival remains attractive, its new lighting and squared-off snoot better…

PROS Winning powertrain • Good base value • Satisfies an enthusiast niche CONS No RWD model • A lot of the C-Class interior • Slower than the E-Class sedan The 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE coupe is brand new yet still represents a significant compromise. The German automaker recently took a step back and reconsidered its massive collection of coupes and convertibles, axing several models but finding room to amalgamate the former C- and E-Class coupes into the luxurious new CLE, which offers an interesting mix of both cars it attempts to replace. Did the gamble pay off? For starters, the new CLE we tested in 450 4Matic guise represents excellent value for the money. Under its hood sits a great powertrain, a gas-fired mild hybrid inline-six setup good for 375 horsepower…

PROS The best-handling Camry ever • Powerful and efficient hybrid system • Modern cabin CONS Minimal styling advancements • XSE model’s stiffer ride • Minor build-quality concerns Beyond being a midsize sedan, what is a Camry? Now that the ninth generation has arrived, Toyota presents a modified answer to that question, offering the 2025 model exclusively with hybrid powertrains, in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations. Otherwise, the Camry keeps its familiar sedan form factor; the roofline is identical to the outgoing model’s, though the front and rear fascias have been overhauled to conform with the rest of the Toyota lineup’s design language. Shoppers still have a choice between comfort-oriented LE and XLE trims and sporty SE and XSE variants. For Car of the Year, the range-topping XLE and XSE variants…

JUDGES/TESTERS Matthew Chudzinski Senior Technical Editor Aaron Gold Senior Editor Jason Gonderman Senior Editor Erik Johnson Digital Director Jered Korfhage Technical Writer Frank Markus Technical Director Ryan Ono Content Coordinator Alexander Stoklosa Deputy Editor Eric Tingwall Testing Director…

PROS Massive 440 miles of range • Well equipped • Quick charging CONS Polarizing exterior styling • Exclusively offered in Denali trim • Near-six-figure price tag Back in 2022 GMC’s over-the-top Hummer EV stole the show and nearly snagged the coveted title of Truck of the Year. Few production trucks have ever shown up with such a large presence and with as much drama as the Hummer EV. It was simply an unforgettable experience. Cue the company’s second act: the Sierra EV Denali Edition 1. With much of the truck’s underpinnings shared with both the Hummer EV and Silverado EV, the Sierra’s design does a lot of work differentiating it from those trucks. While the exterior drew mixed reviews, the interior really sets it apart. It’s both functionally different than…

PROS Unmistakable • Advanced EV tech • Steer-by-wire system CONS Unmistakable • The design’s many compromises • Rough edges While some—or maybe most—might see the Cybertruck as dumb performance art, others might rationalize its uncompromising adherence to Tesla’s jaw-dropping stealth-bomber-refrigerator design and tech-forward brand. But can something so obviously designed without any guardrails succeed when hemmed in by our criteria? Somehow, yes. There is engineering excellence in the quiet cabin, smooth ride, balls-out acceleration, and 48-volt supplementary electrical architecture and the first true steer-by-wire system it powers (with no physical connection or mechanical backups between the steering yoke and wheels). Judges raved about the setup’s satisfying response and ease of use. Performance of intended function? As an attention-grabbing, obdurate middle finger to the status quo, the Tesla is unmatched. That…

“America’s Killer Cars.” The headline is splashed across the cover of England’s highly respected weekly financial newspaper, The Economist, above a menacing front-on shot of a supersized pickup truck with a license plate that reads “XXXXL.” With a skull-and-crossbones badge on its massive grille, it looks as if it’s about to run right over you. More than 40,000 people die on America’s roads every year, making those roads nearly twice as dangerous per mile driven as those in other wealthy nations. And the death rate has increased over the past decade despite the adoption of more sophisticated passive safety systems and advanced driver assistance systems such as lane keep assist and automatic braking. The Economist’s reporting says the number of pedestrians killed by motor vehicles has almost doubled since 2010.…