2025 North American Car, Truck & Utility Vehicle of the Year Unveiled

Drivers stuck on what vehicle to buy can turn to the winners of the 2025 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) awards.

Over the course of the last year, NACTOY jurors have dedicated hundreds of hours to test driving, researching and evaluating vehicles on criteria including automotive innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction, user experience and value, officials noted in a press release announcing the winners.

The organization announced its Best of 2025 semifinalists in September during “Cars at the Station,” an inaugural event hosted by automotive enthusiast brand Hagerty at Michigan Central Station. The list was narrowed further to nine finalists that were unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.

The winners are:

• North American Car of the Year: Honda Civic Hybrid
• North American Truck of the Year: Ford Ranger
• North American Utility Vehicle of the Year: Volkswagen ID. Buzz

“With such a tremendous crop of vehicles to review, our jurors worked overtime to decide the ‘best of the best,’” said NACTOY President Jeff Gilbert. “This year’s winners are on the cutting edge when it comes to technology, styling and value.”

Founded in 1994, the NACTOY awards are the longest-running new-vehicle awards not associated with a single publication. Vehicles are judged by 50 professional automotive journalists from a wide variety of print, online, radio and television media outlets in the United States and Canada.

The votes are confidentially tallied by Deloitte LLP, ensuring each stage of the award cycle is the collective decision of all jurors. Ballots cast for the 2025 NACTOY winners remained secret until envelopes were opened onstage at the Detroit Auto Show.

NORTH AMERICAN CAR OF THE YEAR – HONDA CIVIC HYBRID

Total votes: 205
“The Honda Civic has won awards for half a century now, and the Civic Hybrid brings Honda’s superb and fuel-efficient hybrid system into one of the market’s best compact sedans. Fun, fuel-efficient and more elegant than its predecessors, it’s a hands-down winner.”
John Voelcker, contributing editor, Car and Driver, Green Car Reports, Inside EVs

NORTH AMERICAN TRUCK OF THE YEAR – FORD RANGER

Total votes: 183
“The Ford Ranger starts at $34,575 and the well-equipped SuperCrew 4×4 XLT has a base price of $39,646. It’s a midsize truck that looks like a full-size F-150, has combined fuel economy of 20 mpg and can tow 7,500 pounds. It has a solid and refined chassis, a nice interior and is a good choice for budget-conscious buyers.”
Drew Winter, contributing editor, WardsAuto

NORTH AMERICAN UTILITY VEHICLE OF THE YEAR – VOLKSWAGEN ID. BUZZ

Total votes: 187
“No vehicle in the last 10 years has captured the imagination, while also bringing the past into the future, better than the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. It is an inspired Volkswagen design for the ages… again.”
John Davis, host/creator, MotorWeek