2025 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Awards

Toyota Camry – Best Family Car

With fewer true family sedans to choose from, there are all kinds of different vehicles performing family duties these days. But for us, it’s still traditional midsize 4-doors that get the job done with the least fuss, and no vehicle elevates the segment more this year than the Toyota Camry.

It’s feature packed, with a standard hybrid powertrain for up to 51 miles-per-gallon Combined. An electronic all-wheel-drive setup that’s available with any trim, not to mention luxury car levels of comfort and technology, plus great all-around performance. Toyota has taken years of Prius innovation, combined it with a Lexus upmarket feel, added a touch of versatility from crossovers, to design a family sedan with true all-around capabilities. Making Camry an easy choice as our Best Family Car winner.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class – Best Luxury Car

For our Best Luxury Car award, it was another easy pick. With almost 100 years of producing the best in automotive design and luxury, Mercedes-Benz delivered on all counts with a new E-Class sedan. It has the stately presence of a full-size sedan, sumptuous materials throughout, multiple powertrain options, a spectacular driving experience, available all-wheel-drive, and enough tech to truly wow anyone lucky enough to enjoy the drive with you.

And an all-new E-Class is always a cause for celebration, as with its arrival a new benchmark is set for all luxury vehicles. Mercedes-Benz proves that even while pushing forward with EVs throughout their portfolio, you can still give your traditional buyers the experience they’re looking for. In a class full of special vehicles, it’s a special winner.

Genesis G70 – Best Sport Sedan

The definition of a sport sedan has clearly changed over the years, with upscale treatment for the driver now just as important as on track performance. And while Genesis remains a newcomer to the segment, their G70 sedan overachieves in all categories, including powertrain, with your choice of a standard 300-horsepower 2.5-liter turbo-4 or a 365-horsepower turbocharged 3.3-liter V6.

Not only can it hang with traditional European sport sedans on the track, but it’s truly comforting for the daily drive, and looks incredibly classy while doing it all. It’s the 2nd time the G70 has won our Best Sport Sedan award, and proof that Genesis is doing whatever it takes to fully infiltrate the sport luxury scene.

Dodge Charger Daytona – Best Sport Coupe

Take away two doors and you arrive at our Best Sport Coupe, along with some delightful surprises; it’s the Dodge Charger Daytona. The first Charger you actually have to charge. Yes, Dodge is back in the car making business, and their first BEV is also the first fully electric vehicle to win one of our awards outside the EV category.

And if you think swapping the HEMI for batteries and electric motors would somehow neuter Dodge’s obnoxious attitude, you’d be wrong, as they delivered a 670-horsepower beast that roars with the same attitude and sounds as every genuine muscle car that’s been rolling out of Detroit since the 1960s. It’s an EV that only Dodge could build, and we’re awfully glad they did.

Hyundai IONIQ 5 N – Best Performance Car

And it’s another EV that takes our Best Performance Car Award, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N. For us, it was the first EV we’ve driven that truly delivered a performance car experience for all the senses, making lap times in the IONIQ 5 N just as rewarding as any ICE car we drove this year.

Hyundai’s N performance brand left no stone unturned, giving their IONIQ 5 EV a track-worthy makeover, turning it into a pint-sized powerhouse performer that had us grinning ear to ear every time we got behind the wheel. Track days are going to look and sound a whole lot different from here on out, thanks to the IONIQ 5 N. It was the easiest choice we had this year.

Chevrolet Equinox EV – Best EV

The Chevrolet Equinox EV shares almost nothing with the gas-powered Equinox, which also won our Best Small Utility Award. The Equinox EV is a battery-electric ute with over 300-miles of standard range for just under 35-grand. Reason enough for our award. But the Equinox EV also looks fantastic, has the room and comfort families look for in a compact SUV, and common-sense tech that’s easy to use.

Porsche Macan Electric – Best EV

The Porsche Macan was a game changer when it arrived on the sport utility scene in 2015, and now you can get the same exact driving experience with all-electric power in the Macan Electric. Add to that, a standard 315-mile range that only drops to 288-miles for the awesome 630-horsepower Turbo.

Volkswagen ID. Buzz – Best EV

Without a doubt the vehicle that had the most buzz around it this year was the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. After floating concepts of a new microbus for years, VW has finally delivered. And underneath this spectacular retro minivan’s design, is a big-utility’s worth of practicality, and an all-electric drivetrain good for up to 234-miles.

Chevrolet Equinox – Best Small Utility

Small utilities remain the biggest drivers of this trend and the Chevrolet Equinox has been a popular choice in this segment since it arrived for 2005. But never has it truly set the tone for its class quite like the 4th-gen Equinox that arrived this year.

It surely looks better than ever, but also packs a greater level of tech and functionality too, making it our clear winner for Best Small Utility.

Acura MDX – Best Midsize Utility

The Acura MDX was a 3-row luxury-minded SUV back before that was even a thing, and with a major refresh, there’s more luxury and performance than ever. Yet its high value pricing means it often gets cross-shopped with many mainstream midsize utilities, none of which deliver the experience of the MDX, our Best Midsize Utility.

Toyota Grand Highlander – Best Large Utility

We drove plenty of new big 3-row SUVs this year, but none impressed us as much as last year’s winner, the Toyota Grand Highlander. Toyota took everything we loved about the best-selling Highlander and made it bigger, better, and techier.

One year later, dealers still can’t keep up with demand, while everyone else is now trying to catch up. So, it’s a repeat Best Large Utility win for the Toyota Grand Highlander.

Lincoln Nautilus – Best Luxury Utility

Admittedly, our Best Luxury Utility winner, the Lincoln Nautilus, has some serious wow-factor; namely the 4 feet of display screen that stretches across the entire base of the windshield. But Nautilus has a yacht-load of true luxury substance too, and it’s easily the best-looking Lincoln we’ve seen in years. More of this please, Lincoln.

Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon – Best Small Truck

Small pickup trucks are once again a big part of the American truck market. More than just a more affordable option, trucks like the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon are such great choices because they not only have big truck style, they can get a lot of big truck work done too.

Another repeat winner, as the GM duo of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon take our Best Small Truck award once again.

Best Fullsize Truck – RAM 1500

If you do need a big pickup, then look to our winner for Best Fullsize Truck, the Ram 1500. The reborn Ram 1500 builds on all its unique class features, from smooth ride all-coil spring suspension to Ram Box storage. Yet, something was missing; no HEMI V8. But, the Ram’s new top power choice, the twin-turbo Hurricane inline-6, quickly made us a believer. Ram truck guys willing to buy into the boosted I6 won’t be missing the HEMI for long.