Best Of
Best cars of 2025
It’s been a busy year for new cars – in no particular order here are some of our favourites of 2025!
Words by: Dan Trent
Published on 2 December 2025 | 0 min read
As 2025 draws to a close we thought we’d look back and share some of the cars our Expert Reviews team has enjoyed sharing with you the most. While the temptation is to fixate on the fast and exotic we thought we’d keep it vaguely real-world, and pick out some prevailing trends along the way. So, why no Chinese brands in this line-up, given the huge impact they’ve had in the last 12 months? There were certainly a few contenders, and many offer compelling combinations of value, tech and more. But one of the interesting trends this year has been the reaction of the so-called ‘legacy brands’ to this influx of new manufacturers, and the tools they have used to counter them. Which is good news across the board, for the fact the intense competition means the cars just keep getting better, whoever’s making them. It will be fascinating to see where we’re at this time next year on that score…
Audi A6 Avant e-tron
“It’s been great to see a revival of sorts for the classic estate car, not least from a brand like Audi”
SUVs and crossovers remain the dominant new car format but it’s been great to see a revival of sorts for the classic estate, not least from a brand like Audi which made its name with them back in the day. The A6 Avant e-tron successfully reinvents that legacy in electrified form and combines low-key looks with the latest tech in fine style. Fast, comfortable, practical and – yes – cool it’s proof there is life beyond SUVs. We’ll just have one with proper mirrors and not the cameras, if it’s all the same! Like the idea but not ready for full electrification? There’s a conventional hybrid alternative as well! Read the review Search for an Audi Q6 Avant e-tron on Autotrader
Honda Prelude
“We applaud the effort, and Honda’s typically quirky attempt at combining the appeal of a traditional sporty coupe with modern hybrid power”
True, we only gave the Prelude 3.5 out of 5 overall in our Expert Review but we’re awarding it 10 out of 10 for effort, Honda following its quirky traditions in its attempt to reinvent sporty coupes for our electrified age. Complete with fake gearshifts to keep the petrolheads happy. Or, at least, curious. With its hybrid power it’s not especially fast but it is still fun to drive thanks to its Civic Type-R suspension bits. And in a motoring landscape where coupes have all but disappeared it takes guts to reinvent the format for a new age. Read the review Search for a Honda Prelude on Autotrader
Alpine A290
“With all the style of the 5 but with the sass turned up to 11”
Where the Renault 5 E-Tech has captured hearts and minds the A290 version takes the same themes and run with them, reinventing the hot-hatch for the electrified era and successfully re-writing Alpine’s proud sporting history in the process. With all the style of the 5 but with the sass turned up to 11 and a more premium feel there’s little wonder it’s winning over previously electric-sceptic petrolheads. Read the review Search for an Alpine A290 on Autotrader
Tesla Model Y Performance
“It’s a Tesla you can buy with your heart and your head in full agreement”
Given it’s just a variant of a regular model and an update rather than an all-new car we wondered if the Model Y Performance deserved its place here. But if there were a sub-category for ‘most improved car’ this would clinch it, for the fact the Model Y hasn’t rested on the laurels of being one of Britain’s most popular electric cars. Indeed, the new version is better all-round but this Performance one goes a step further, the clever adaptive suspension both improving the handling and taking some of the rough edges off the ride quality. Add to that a more premium interior and all the practicality of any other Model Y and it’s a Tesla you can buy with your heart and your head in full agreement. Read the review Search for a Tesla Model Y on Autotrader
Kia EV4
“There’s still room in our motoring world for trad hatchbacks reinvented for the electric age”
In theory Kia stands to be one of the brands most threatened by the incoming Chinese manufacturers but, as a relative newcomer itself, it knows the game and has responded – literally – in style. Having launched its distinctive new electric car design language with the giant EV9 it’s now brought that to a more realistic level with the smaller EV3 and now this EV4, a VW ID.3-rivalling hatchback that scored an immediate full five stars in our review for its looks, tech and driving style. In a recurring theme it also proves the dominance of SUVs and crossovers isn’t complete, and there’s still room in our motoring world for trad hatchbacks reinvented for the electric age. Read the review Search for a Kia EV4 on Autotrader
Mercedes-Benz CLA
“Official range just shy of 500 miles should be enough to head off any anxiety on that score”
Yet another brand launching new tech in a non-SUV shaped car, Mercedes has struggled a little getting its electric range off the ground. But the CLA could be the car to finally do the numbers. It certainly does on the important stuff like tech and range, the all-new operating system through which you interact with the car impressive for its scope while official range just shy of 500 miles should be enough to head off any anxiety on that score. Well-made and with some of the slickest tech integration of any modern car it’s a hit in our books and another example of a legacy brand successfully reinventing its heritage. Read the review Search for a Mercedes-Benz CLA Autotrader
Nissan Micra
“It’s a welcome return to a model name that always stood for accessibility, reliability and no-fuss mobility”
Sure, it’s effectively a Renault 5 E-Tech with a cute, googly-eyed disguise. A thin one, at that. But, hey, if you’re going to base your new model on any electric hatchback it may as well be the coolest one on the block. And it’s a welcome return to a model name that always stood for accessibility, reliability and no-fuss mobility. Nissan has also crunched the specs against its French cousin and quietly added a bit more equipment for the same price, including important safety kit like blind-spot alerts. Neat. Read the review Search for a Nissan Micra on Autotrader
Fiat Grande Panda
“This revival of the classic Panda name is pure nostalgia, but done with such style and in celebration of the original’s cheeky charm”
It’s interesting to see traditional brands leaning into heritage to set them apart from the new kids on the block. And this revival of the classic Panda name is pure nostalgia, but done with such style and in celebration of the original’s cheeky charm, affordability and knockabout toughness. Toughness that sees many still surviving decades on in small Italian towns, dusty and dented but still doing sterling service. Available in both pure electric and hybrid versions, the Grande Panda taps into that spirit and is impressively affordable in both guises. We love it for proving Italian style doesn’t have to come with a huge pricetag. Meanwhile its French rival the Renault 4 pulls a similar trick of nostalgia repackaged for the electric age. Read the review Search for a Fiat Grande Panda on Autotrader
Skoda Elroq
“As an everyday runabout the Elroq combines big-car refinement with small-car convenience”
The Skoda Enyaq is one of our favourite electric SUVs and the revised version launched this year is also a five-star car. What could be better? Well, how about a smaller version of the same built on the proven electric foundations but at a more affordable price? Enter the Elroq, a compact electric SUV benefitting from being built with the same bits as a bigger, flasher one. And feeling more substantial than many of the more budget cars it competes with. Sure, if you need the space the Enyaq remains the more practical proposition. But as an everyday runabout the Elroq combines big-car refinement with small-car convenience. There’s even a sporty vRS version if you fancy it! Read the review Search for a Skoda Elroq on Autotrader
Vauxhall Mokka GSE
“It’s taken a moment to have some fun as well, the Mokka GSE brilliantly reviving memories of cheap and cheerful Vauxhall hot hatches of the past”
With traditional rival Ford basically having left the field Vauxhall is making the most of its traditions as a British mainstream motoring institution while also doing lots of worthy stuff to bring electrification to the masses through competitive pricing and initiatives like the Electric Streets campaign to improve access to charging for those without off street parking to install their own wallbox. But it’s taken a moment to have some fun as well, the Mokka GSE brilliantly reviving memories of cheap and cheerful Vauxhall hot hatches of the past … in a small electric crossover. Which it launched at a racetrack, the better to show off the motorsport engineering devoted to making it carve corners and put a big smile on your face. Which it does, in fine style. An unexpected delight, and part of a new wave of affordable performance electric cars hitting the market. Read the review Search for a Vauxhall Mokka Electric on Autotrader