Top Car Reviews For 2025

Each year at this time, I put out a list of the vehicles I reviewed that were the most enjoyable to me or left a major impression on me.  I take into consideration all the things I talk about on the radio show:  Value, driving impressions, overall appeal of the vehicle and either the WOW factor, or maybe just an outstanding value.

All said and done, it was a very successful review year for both Amy Plemons and me, we had a huge variety of vehicles and many vehicles that were affordable for most.  Of course, we had our share of electrics and some nice luxury vehicles, too.

So, without further ado, as I look back on 2025, these were my favorite reviews:

• 2-Row SUVs:  I recently really enjoyed the 2026 Mazda CX-70 Turbo with a six cylinder, the 2026 Buick Envista Sport is an outstanding SUV for the money, one of the most talked about was the 2025 Ford Bronco Stroppe Edition, and a game-changer for Honda and a really enjoyable review for me was the 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport.
  
  
• 3-Row SUVs:  Oh, so many great choices in this category.  Top of list is the 2026 Hyundai Palisade hybrid.  The Lincoln Aviator Black Label was outstanding.  I loved the 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander, I had the 2026 Lexus TX 550h plug-in hybrid, and the 2025 Ford Explorer ST-Line is a great choice in a 3-row SUV.
  
  
• Large SUVs:  This is a hot segment and there were some excellent SUVs I had the honor to spend time with.  From Nissan, the 2025 Armada was a huge surprise, and the 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport really raised the bar.  The 2025 Lincoln Navigator L is breathtaking, and changes to the 2025 Ford Expedition Tremor made it must-see.  I loved the 2025 Mercedes Benz GLS 580.  The 2025 Toyota Sequoia 1794 was outstanding and quite luxurious.
  
  
• Electrics:   Another category that is hard to choose from. Some standouts for me were the 2026 Chevy Equinox RS, the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ was mind-blowing.  The 2025 Chevy Blazer SS was great, and I finally got the 2025 Hummer SUV from GMC and didn’t want to give it back. (Yes, GM has it going on in the EV world).  The 2026 Mercedes EQE 320 was outstanding, and a contender for most fun was the 2025 Audi RS e-tron GT.
  
  
• Pickups:  I had some awesome trucks this year, some topping out over $100,000. Ram sent me several to look over and I was thrilled with the 2026 1500 Limited Longhorn with the Hemi.  I also had the 2025 Ram 2500 Limited Longhorn with the Cummins diesel.  Also a diesel, I had the 2025 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax.  One of my most recommended trucks, the 2025 Ford F-150 King Ranch Powerboost hybrid.
  
  
• Cars:  I didn’t get many in this world of trucks and SUVs, but the 2025 Audi S5 Edition One sedan was outstanding.  Value-wise, the 2026 Toyota Crown Nightshade is a real winner, and for fun, the 2025 Nissan NISMO Z was a blast.
  
  

MY REVIEW CAR OF THE YEAR: 
 2025 McLaren 750S Spider

It wasn’t much of a contest, and I feel really blessed to have been offered for a full week the 740-horse, 205-mile per hour top speed, $444,000 2025 McLaren 750S Spider. No, it’s not practical and I was a nervous wreck that somebody was going to run into it, but boy oh boy what a wonderful week it was.  If you missed that review, take a fast trip with me down memory lane.  Some review cars you never forget and this is one of those.

AMY’S FAVORITE REVIEW CAR OF THE YEAR:
2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata 35th Anniversary Edition  

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