Selecting the top-10 cars and trucks helps revisit and celebrate another year of reviewing new wheels and visiting auto shows. While the vehicles are sometimes interesting, talking with car owners and industry experts is far more appealing.
There are always great and not-so-great moments driving new vehicles. The industry is always abuzz with changes, oddball statistics, recalls and new models and makes.
In mid-December, a stunningly attractive convertible SL680 Mercedes-Maybach, with a Garnet Red exterior adorned in chrome trim and a black hood and top, was the week’s review car. It looked and drove every penny’s worth of its $234,000 price. Many passersby took photos.
But last April at the Pacific Coast Dream Machines festival in Half Moon Bay, I met and wrote about Jim Horvath. He was displaying his 1967 Jaguar E Type 4.2-liter.
A retired mechanical engineer from San Jose, Horvath spent several decades restoring the vehicle, one of approximately 5,800 made. With its British Racing Green exterior and black ragtop, the nearly 60-year-old Jaguar is often cited as the most beautiful car ever made.
The Mercedes-Maybach has nothing on the Jaguar. Horvath’s enthusiasm for his vintage car can’t be outdone by any new car owner.
Still, the industry moves on. Approximately 16.3 million new vehicles were sold in the United States in 2025, a two percent increase from the previous year.
Questions abound. What will Elon Musk do next? Will autonomous driving and EVs ever make a significant difference? Will low-profile tires stop blowing while negotiating small divots in the road? When will manufacturers realize front grilles don’t have to look like pouting fish?
Many automotive publications select the best vehicles of the year at the start of the calendar year. Waiting until the end of the year makes more sense. It provides perspective. The selection criteria have remained the same, subjectivity. A car just feels right. The craftsmanship or logic of a car overshadows poor gas mileage.
For my 19th annual list, I fully reviewed about 40 vehicles and I briefly drove maybe a dozen other cars and trucks.
Best-of-the-year choices are reserved only for vehicles reviewed, so Bentley, Ferrari and Pagani are not on the list. The vehicles range from economy sedans to top-line sport utility vehicles and sports cars to family vans.
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 was the most impressive vehicle I reviewed this year.
As the fourth model year of the compact crossover sport utility, the Ioniq 5 combines overall inside and outside handsomeness, simplistic and innovative retro-futuristic styling and fast recharging.
Most importantly, for still-concerned EV skeptics, the driving range has increased to 318 miles.
With its rear-wheel-drive configuration, the Ioniq 5 generates 225 horsepower and accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.7 seconds. It’s the first non-Tesla configured with a factory-installed Tesla charging port. A CCS adapter is also standard and is stored in the small frunk. It attaches easily and gives the EV the full range of public charging options and fast charging with the NACS option.
The Ioniq 5 advances quietly and absorbs road imperfections. The exterior design and interior craftsmanship complement the ride quality.
The interior has new, higher-grade seating materials. The phone-charging pad is no longer “hidden.” It’s positioned on the top of the center platform between the front seats. The interior door handles aren’t handles but door “canals.” The doors can be closed by grabbing anywhere in the channel.
Additional changes include a new bank of buttons that provide quicker and easier access to engage the heated seats and heated steering wheel. The infotainment system also has several new features, including a more advanced lane-keeping assist system and a side-impact collision avoidance feature.
Overall, the interior is a minimalist’s delight. The openness is refreshing, the lack of complication inviting.
The two-row Ioniq 5, which as reviewed costs about $57,000, seats five. Standard amenities include cloth upholstery, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and heated front seats.
Options include synthetic leather upholstery, driver’s seat memory settings, ventilated front seats, an eight-way power-adjustable passenger seat, a heated steering wheel, a front sliding center console and a rear center armrest.
Here alphabetically is the rest of the year’s best, with prices as reviewed in parentheses:
Aston Martin Coupe ($325,000): The renowned sports car of James Bond fame defines “grand tourer.” It’s perfect for driving at high speeds while combining luxury and performance. It’s powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 with an eight-speed automatic transmission and electronic rear differential. The ride is powerful and balanced; the brand’s legacy intact.
Cadillac Lyriq ($81,085): Now in its third year, the Lyriq’s greatest attraction may be an unofficial title. It’s worthy of changing the buying habits of those who have never considered the American status symbol of yesteryear or an electric vehicle.
It has the cruising comfort of the carmaker’s legendary harem, the Eldorado to Fleetwood, Coupe DeVille to Seville. The big sedans are quiet and confident. But the Lyriq is medium-sized, a Cadillac reimagined with a 319-mile range.
Genesis G80 ($81,495): The outlier luxury sedan provides a new, equally luxurious challenge for traditional, more well-known competitors. It’s a break from status and perceived status. It has the industry’s best warranty. Change is good.
Honda Civic Hybrid ($32,950): With its top-line Sport Touring trim, the hatchback and sedan have no equal in the industry. They combine value, comfort, versatility and a carmaker-wide strong resale.
Jeep Wagoneer ($82,525): Custom fabrics, seating dynamics and forward-thinking motifs in a Jeep? Who knew? Elegant and equipped with a symphonic-level McIntosh sound system, the old, rugged SUV is now a luxury family hauler.
Kia Carnival ($57,525): New styling, a hybrid option and comfort also help make the van ideal for a family of one who needs a spacious, efficient vehicle or with one to seven more occupants along for the ride.
Kia K4 ($31,445): The new compact replaced the Kia Forte and expanded to two the number of non-sport utility vehicles in the carmaker’s lineup. With its angular headlights and other modernized features, the sedan looks and drives well beyond its entry-level designation and price range.
Lexus TX 350 ($64,410): Not every Lexus in the upscale Toyota lineup defines its purported status. The second-year, three-row SUV could have been lost in the hard-to-differentiate mix of family haulers. It’s not. It’s powerful, refined and efficiently designed.
Mercedes-Benz S 580e ($144,560): The plug-in hybrid combines the S 500’s 3.0-liter turbocharged engine with an electric motor to make a powerful, versatile cruising sedan. With its nine-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive, the ride is quiet, the handling superior, and the brand’s iconic smoothness prevalent.
James Raia, a syndicated automotive columnist in Sacramento, also contributes business, lifestyle and sports content to several print and online publications. E-mail: james@jamesraia.com.
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