This year’s finalists for Motor Authority Best Car To Buy 2025 proves the electric age is upon us: only one finalist has a tailpipe.
Starting with nearly 25 new or significantly updated luxury and performance vehicles, we whittled down the list of 2025 nominees to just six contenders. We then tested the finalists both on the street and the track back-to-back, discussed, argued, and took a straw poll to hash out the winner.
Last year marked the return of yet another champion with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 earning Motor Authority Best Car To Buy 2024 honors. Which will take home the honors this year? We’ll announce the winner on Jan. 6, 2025, along with the winners from our sister sites, The Car Connection and Motor Authority.
In the coming days we’ll take an in-depth look at each of these nominees.
2024 Acura ZDX Type S
Acura ZDX
The first ZDX was a somewhat impractical fastback four-door crossover SUV that took aim at the BMW X6. The new ZDX is, without any exaggeration, a reskinned Cadillac Lyriq. The ZDX is Acura’s first electric car, and the Lyriq was so good it almost won as a dark horse contender in 2023. The new ZDX reskins the Cadillac basics, adds air suspension along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and affixes an Acura badge to it.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N was an instant contender the second we drove it around Laguna Seca. The electric hot hatch–or a crossover SUV, as it’s classified by the EPA–brings fun to the electric age. Hyundai introduced fake shifting and noise to enhance the Ioniq 5 driving experience—and it works, from its wings down to its attention-grabbing body kit.
2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53
Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53
The fire-breathing CLE 63 that will presumably bear an S E Performance badge and bear a hybrid drivetrain doesn’t exist, yet. But the AMG-badged CLE 53 is quick, makes great sounds from its turbo-6, and is quite fetching to look at. We said it “brings big coupe fun” upon first sliding behind the wheel. Quicker, faster, and more agile, it’s the CLE enthusiasts are going to choose, for now. It also feels special inside thanks to some AMG-specific bits like a flat-bottomed steering wheel, sport seats, and AMG-specific software.
2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology
Mercedes-Benz G-Class Electric
The official name is G 580 with EQ Technology, but just call it the electric G-Class. Whatever the name, it’s an instant icon. Mercedes took its legendary off-roader that buyers rarely take off-road and made it electric. The batteries and electric motors don’t detract from the capabilities—they make it smoother to drive, quieter if you turn off the sound generators, and more precise off-road. The electric G retains the vault-like door locks and sports a few party tricks unique to the SUV game. It’s essentially a tank-turning EV celebrity that can one-up the actual celebrities who can afford one.
2024 Porsche Macan EV
Porsche Macan EV
Porsche’s bestselling nameplate now has an electric variant. The Macan EV sticks to the script that works for the automaker, but while it looks evolutionary, it’s underpinned by the automaker’s next-gen PPE platform. We said it “eases the electric transition” thanks to the evolutionary design. But it also delivers on the Porsche’s signature handling prowess despite weighing over 5,000 pounds. The Turbo model, which in fact does not have turbos, is powerful, instantly familiar, and track-ready.
2025 Rivian R1S
Rivian R1S
Look too quickly and you’d wonder how the Rivian made the cut, again. The R1T won and was named Motor Authority Best Car To Buy 2022. The R1T and R1S duo entered their second generation, known as G2 or Gen 2, despite looking almost no different. It’s what you can’t see that’s been updated. Completely new electrical architectures future-proof these EVs–it’s so good VW just paid Rivian $5.8 billion to use some of it–and hook to new electric motors, revised battery packs, a new heat pump, and dual-, tri-, and quad-motor powertrains. Looks are deceiving, though the lighting elements have been tweaked as a giveaway of what lurks beneath. Retuned and returned to duty, the Rivian R1S looks a lot like the ideal electric SUV many of our editors would put in their garages.