The 2025 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year tournament bracket is under way and the list of competitors has been narrowed to 25.

NACTOY jurors announced their “Best of 2025” list Friday afternoon in three categories: 10 cars, five trucks and 10 SUVs. Electric vehicles dominated the list — making up nearly 50% of the competitors even as EV sales have cooled to just 8% of the vehicle market. Manufacturers are flooding the market with premium-priced EVs to meet onerous government mandates and ambitious internal brand goals.

Ten of the vehicles are from domestic auto brands, with U.S. pickups accounting for four of the five truck entries. Two U.S. brands made the car finalists list, while three domestics will vie for top ute. The jury culled the list of 56 eligible vehicles for the 2025 model year.

Nominees reflect the soaring cost of new vehicles, with average transaction prices this summer nearly $49,000 in the U.S. market. The average, base price of the 25 entries is about $66,000 — some 35% higher than the average transaction price in June. NACTOY nominee stickers range from the compact, gas-powered, $23K Kia K4 to the estimated $340,000 Cadillac Celestiq EV. Just three nominees cost below $30,000, three have a base price north of $100K, and a dozen start at more than $60,000.

The list was revealed Friday in front of newly-renovated Michigan Central at the inaugural “Cars at the Station” sponsored by Hagerty. The venue was appropriate as Michigan Central’s Newlab research facility aims to lead a revolution in EVs. Judged by an independent jury of 50 journalists (including the author of this article) from the United States and Canada, NACTOY is one of the industry’s most prestigious awards. Jurors will test the Final 25 at their annual meeting in October and determine finalists to be announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Winners will be announced at the 2025 Detroit Auto Show in January.

“We have a great variety of vehicles on the list, from the sporty to the family sedan,” said Jeff Gilbert, NACTOY president and reporter for WWJ Newsradio 950. “This list is an example of the great products that the auto industry is producing, from cutting-edge EVs to traditional gas-powered cars and trucks.”

Cars

Expect the Dodge Charger EV, Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Camry to be the favorites for the Car of the Year.

The high-horsepower, electric Charger hopes to recreate the thrills of the V8-powered Hellcat — but with artificial V-8 sounds from its Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust. The Civic is a three-time NACTOY winner and '25 marks the return of its hybrid version after a decade's absence. Despite being the perennially best-selling sedan in the United States, the Camry — now offered exclusively as a hybrid — has never won Car of the Year in NACTOY’s 31-year history.

Other nominees include the BMW 3 Series, BMW M5, wee Fiat 500e, Kia K4, Mercedes-AMG E Class, and Porsche Panamera. The average base price of car entries is $90,000.

Trucks

The truck wars are always engaging, and expect the Ford Ranger, Ram 1500 and Toyota Tacoma to be in a dead heat. All have been significantly upgraded for 2025 with state-of-the-art electronic systems and high-flying off-road variants.

Despite its $70K price, the battery-powered Rivian R1T may be a dark horse as a pioneer of the midsize EV pickup segment. Like the updated Tesla Model 3, the innovative pickup has been updated with mild exterior tweaks. But underneath the skin, the R1T has gained an all-new electrical architecture reducing computer modules from 17 to 7; a new, lithium-iron-phosphate battery shared with the Amazon Van with up to 420 miles of range; and an extensively updated, big-screen user interface.

The average starting price of truck entries is $50,000, ranging from the $34K Tacoma to the $70,000-plus Rivian and Sierra EV.

SUV

Sport utes make up 70% of the non-pickup market and 70% of this year’s finalists are EVs.

Early favorites are the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Hyundai Ioniq 5N, Volvo EX90, Hyundai Santa Fe and Lincoln Nautilus. The Equinox EV — the first battery-powered Equinox — beat out its sibling, gas-powered Equinox ICE on this year’s list. The Hyundai is the EV age’s first hot hatch and offers an explosive 610 horsepower.

Volvos have been a jury favorite in the past (three NACTOY wins) with their Scandinavian good looks and tank-like safety record, and the EX90 throws in electrification as a further lure. The EX90 features one of the cleanest cockpits this side of a Tesla. The gas-powered Santa Fe’s daring exterior and interior design has been a standout in the SUV market.

So too the Lincoln Nautilus, which has gained a powerful hybrid and offers one of the roomiest, most innovative interiors in the league with a 48-inch wraparound screen.

Notable SUVs that did not make the cut are the Cadillac Optiq and Chevy Traverse. Optiq is the Cadillac’ brand’s entry-level EV below the Lyriq SUV. The gas-fired Traverse has flown off dealer shelves with an innovative Google Built-in operating system that matches Caddy’s EVs and a vast interior wrapped in a bold, truck-like exterior.

Other class contenders are the Honda Prologue, Jeep Wagoneer S, Porsche Macan EV, Toyota Land Cruiser and VW ID. Buzz. The average base price of SUV entries is $60,000, ranging from the $35K Equinox EV to the $81,000 Volvo EX90.

In its 32nd year, NACTOY honors vehicles that excel across several criteria, including innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, user experience, driver satisfaction and value.

'Best of 2025' NACTOY list

Cars

BMW 3 Series

BMW M5

Cadillac Celestiq

Dodge Charger EV

Fiat 500e

Honda Civic Hybrid

Kia K4

Mercedes-AMG E Class

Porsche Panamera

Toyota Camry

Trucks

Ford Ranger

GMC Sierra EV

Ram 1500

Rivian R1T

Toyota Tacoma

SUV

Chevrolet Equinox EV

Honda Prologue

Volvo EX90

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

Hyundai Santa Fe

Jeep Wagoneer S

Lincoln Nautilus

Porsche Macan EV

Toyota Land Cruiser

VW ID. Buzz

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