LOS ANGELES — And then there were nine.

Finalists for 2025 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) were announced Thursday to kick off the Los Angeles Auto Show. In a variety pack of nominees, Detroit brands scored four nominations.

Car of the Year finalists are the $29,845 Honda Civic Hybrid, $23,145 Kia K4 and $29,535 Toyota Camry. The truck category will be a showdown between the $34,575 Ford Ranger, $42,270 Ram 1500 and $32,995 Toyota Tacoma. And the 34,995 Chevrolet Equinox EV, $35,615 Hyundai Santa Fe and $61,545 Volkswagen ID.Buzz will vie for Best SUV.

“The competition for these awards will be fierce this year,” said NACTOY president and WWJ Radio-Detroit automotive reporter Jeff Gilbert, standing in front of the LA Convention Center. “We have a well-balanced crop of EVs, hybrids and gasoline-powered vehicles. It will be hard to narrow each category down to just one winner — they’re all great choices.”

The winners will be announced on Jan. 10, ahead of the media days at the Detroit Auto Show, which is returning to its traditional winter slot.

The vehicle choices reflected the jurors’ practical streak as the three nominees offer affordable transportation in a market saturated by high-priced EVs, SUVs and an average transaction price approaching $50,000.

Though electric vehicles made up nearly 50% of the 25 semifinalists that jurors considered, only two EVs made the last round. Manufacturers are flooding the market with pricey EVs to meet onerous government mandates but the market has cooled with 8% EV sales.

The average, base price of the 25 semifinalist entries was about $66,000 — some 35% higher than the average U.S. transaction price. NACTOY finalists' average price, by contrast, is nearly half that at $36,057. Not surprisingly, the costliest entry on the list is a $61k EV — surprisingly, it is a Volkswagen, once one of the industry’s most affordable brands. The cheapest finalist is the Kia at $23,145.

Cars

An early favorite for Car of the Year was another $61k EV, the Dodge Charger Daytona, complete with artificial V-8 sounds from its Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust. The Dodge EV, however, has not been available for testing and so it dropped down the jurors' list of choices.

The Civic is a three-time NACTOY winner and the current lineup marks the first time the compact has offered a hybrid model. The Civic's first hybrid effort starts about the same price as the bigger Camry, which is only offered with hybrid drivetrains. A Camry win would be a first for the badge. Though perennially the best-selling sedan in the U.S., Camry has never won in NACTOY’s 31-year history.

The Kia is a Civic competitor — and the brand’s replacement for the Forte compact sedan. The K4 is not offered as a hybrid and significantly undercuts the Civic Hybrid’s price.

Trucks

Odds are the truck wars will come down to battle between the Ranger and Taco. The midsize segment competitors have been significantly upgraded for ‘25 with state-of-the-art electronic systems and high-flying off-road variants like the Tacoma TRD Pro and Ranger Raptor.

The Ram 1500 is remade and continue to lead in style and ride quality. The range-topping, $71k RHO super truck replaces the $100k TRX and is aimed squarely the the F-150 Raptor. EV semifinalists Rivian (the $70k R1T) and GMC ($90k Sierra EV) did not make the cut.

SUV

Compact SUVs are the biggest segment in the market and the $35k Chevy Equinox EV aims to make a mark. The Equinox EV beat out the also-new, gas-powered Equinox SUV this year. Though 5k more expensive than its ICE sibling, the EV undercuts it when a $7,500 federal subsidy is applied.

The three-row Hyundai Santa Fe is the favorite here with its attractive pricing (it starts at the same price as the compact Equinox EV) and premium exterior and interior design. Despite its high price, the three-row ID.Buzz wowed jurors with its update of an icon for the EV age. Few vehicles get more looks on the road and the V-dub beat out formidable three-row competitors like the screentastic Lincoln Nautilus and stylish Volvo EX90.

The finalist trio also beat out contenders Honda Prologue, Jeep Wagoneer S, Porsche Macan EV and Toyota Land Cruiser.

In its 32nd year, NACTOY honors vehicles that excel across several criteria, including innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, user experience, driver satisfaction and value. Judged by an independent jury of 50 journalists (including the author of this article) from the U.S. and Canada, NACTOY is one of the industry’s most prestigious trophies. Jurors test new vehicles all year long and gather for a semifinalist test in Ann Arbor each fall to winnow the field.

Spanish and French versions of this release are available on NACTOY’s website. For more information about NACTOY and its history: http://northamericancaroftheyear.org.

NACTOY finalist list

Cars:

Honda Civic Hybrid

Kia K4

Toyota Camry

Trucks:

Ford Ranger

Ram 1500

Toyota Tacoma

SUV:

Chevrolet Equinox EV

Hyundai Santa Fe

VW ID. Buzz

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