Driven Car Reviews Jan 2, 2026

Best Vehicles of 2025! The Driven Top 11 List!

Annotations will appear as you listen

0:00

13:33

Car

Ford F-150

The Ford F-150 is a big truck that many people use for work and everyday driving. It's known for being tough and reliable.

Car

Chevy Silverado

The Chevy Silverado is another big truck similar to the Ford F-150, popular for its power and ability to carry heavy loads.

Car

Honda Accord

The Honda Accord is a car that many people like because it's reliable and good on gas. It's comfortable for families and everyday driving.

Car

Honda Civic

The Honda Civic is a smaller car that many people enjoy driving because it's fun and saves on gas. It's a great choice for new drivers.

Car

Toyota Camry

The Toyota Camry is a popular car that many people choose because it's dependable and good on gas. It's comfortable for driving around town or long trips.

Term

ICE

ICE means Internal Combustion Engine, which is the kind of engine that uses gas or diesel to run cars. It's the usual engine found in most vehicles.

Term

EV

EV means Electric Vehicle, which is a car that runs only on electricity. It doesn't use gas and is better for the environment because it doesn't pollute the air.

Car

Chevrolet Trax

The Chevy Trax is a small SUV that is easy to drive around the city and is usually affordable. It's a good choice for people looking for a compact vehicle.

Term

powertrain

The powertrain is what makes a car go. It includes the engine that creates power and the parts that send that power to the wheels.

Term

front drive

Front drive means that the front wheels of the car are the ones that get the power from the engine. This setup helps with handling and can make the inside of the car roomier.

Car

Cadillac Lyric

The Cadillac Lyric is a new electric SUV from Cadillac that focuses on being stylish and comfortable.

Car

Cadillac Optiq

The Cadillac OPTIQ is an affordable electric car from Cadillac that can travel over 300 miles on a single charge.

Car

Cadillac Vista

The Cadillac Vista is an electric SUV that has a third row of seats, which is great for families needing more space.

Term

phone mirroring

Phone mirroring lets you see your phone's screen on your car's display, so you can use apps and maps more easily.

Term

DC charge speed

DC charge speed is how quickly you can charge an electric car using a special fast charger, which is faster than regular chargers.

Car

Ford Maverick

The Ford Maverick is a small pickup truck that is known for being practical and fuel-efficient. It comes in different versions to suit different preferences and needs.

Car

The Ford Ranger is a smaller pickup truck that can handle tough jobs and off-road adventures. It's popular because it's strong enough for work but also easy to drive around town. Many people like it for its mix of power and comfort.

Car

Ford Lobo

The Ford Lobo is a big pickup truck that's popular in Mexico and is similar to the Ford F-150. It's strong and can be used for work or fun activities. People like it because it has a lot of power and features that make it easy to drive.

Term

EcoBoost engine

The EcoBoost engine is a type of engine made by Ford that uses a turbocharger to help it use less gas while still providing good power. It's designed to be efficient and strong.

Car

Gmc Sierra

The GMC Sierra EV is an electric truck that can do heavy work like towing and hauling, just like regular trucks. It runs on electricity, which is better for the planet. Many people are interested in it because it shows how trucks are changing to be more eco-friendly.

Car

Chevrolet Silverado EV

The Chevrolet Silverado EV is an electric truck that doesn't use gas, which is better for the environment. It can still do tough jobs like a regular truck and has a lot of space inside. People are excited about it because it's part of the move towards electric vehicles.

Car

Cadillac Escalade

The Cadillac Escalade is a really fancy SUV that's big and comfortable, perfect for people who want luxury. It has a lot of high-tech features and a lot of space inside. Many people talk about it because it's a symbol of wealth and style.

Car

Kia Sportage

The Kia Sportage is a small SUV that got some new updates in 2025. It comes in different versions, including one that uses gas and another that is a hybrid, which means it uses both gas and electricity.

Term

plug-in hybrid

A plug-in hybrid is a car that can use both electricity and gas. You can charge it up like an electric car, but it also has a gas engine for when you need to drive further.

Car

Honda Crv

Car

Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 is a small SUV that's great for families because it has a lot of space and is very reliable. It's also good on gas, especially the hybrid version, which means you can drive it longer without needing to fill up. Many people choose it for its comfort and practicality.

Car

Lucid Gravity

Car

Lucid Air

The Lucid Gravity is a new electric SUV that is designed to be luxurious and high-performing, similar to Lucid's other electric cars.

Car

Honda Passport

The Honda Passport is a type of vehicle called an SUV, which is designed for both on-road and off-road driving, and it has a lot of space inside for passengers and cargo.

Term

V6 engine

A V6 engine is a kind of car engine that has six cylinders, which helps it produce more power than smaller engines while still being efficient.

Car

Holden Utes

The Holden Ute is a special kind of vehicle that looks like a car but has a truck bed in the back. It's popular in Australia because it's easy to drive and can carry things like a truck. Many people like it for its flexibility and fun driving experience.

Term

body-on-frame

Body-on-frame is a way to build vehicles where the main part of the car (the body) is attached to a strong frame underneath, making it good for tough driving conditions.

Car

Hyundai Palisade

The Hyundai Palisade is a big SUV that's perfect for families because it has lots of room and comfortable seats. It also comes with a hybrid option that helps save on gas. People like it for its nice features and good value for the price.

Term

mpg

MPG stands for miles per gallon, which tells you how far a car can go on one gallon of gas. The higher the number, the better the car is at saving fuel.

Car

Toyotas Grand

The Toyota Grand Highlander is a big SUV that's great for families because it has lots of room for people and their stuff. It also gets good gas mileage for a vehicle this size, which is helpful for long drives. People like it for its comfort and usefulness.

Car

Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf is an electric car that doesn't use gas, making it better for the environment. It can drive up to 303 miles on a full charge, which is pretty good for an electric vehicle. Many people like it because it's affordable and helps save on fuel costs.

Car

Dodge Charger

The Dodge Charger is a big car that looks sporty and can go really fast. It's popular because it has a lot of power and also enough space for passengers. Many people enjoy it for its fun driving experience and comfortable interior.

Term

iSight ADAS Safety Tech

iSight is a safety system in Subaru cars that helps drivers by warning them about potential dangers and can even help stop the car if needed.

Car

Volkswagen Tiguan

The Volkswagen Tiguan is a small SUV that's good for families because it has a lot of space inside. It's known for being comfortable to drive and has nice safety features. Many people like it for its quality and how it handles on the road.

Concept

driving fun

Driving fun means how enjoyable it is to drive a car. Some cars are more exciting to drive than others because of how they handle and perform.

Term

MSRP

MSRP is the price that the car company suggests you should pay for a car. It helps you know how much the car is worth when you're shopping.

Term

horsepower

Horsepower is a way to measure how powerful a car's engine is. More horsepower usually means the car can go faster.

LIVE

2025 is in the rearview mirror, which should make automakers happy.

What a brutal year, like Lucy pulling the football away at the last second, the government

took away all sorts of support, and then tariffs.

That's like Snoopy coming along and kicking the industry in the head while it lay there.

But it sure made some great vehicles, and that's why I'm here.

This is my year in review.

A lot of outlets do a top 10 list.

I turn it up to 11.

Thank you, Rob Reiner, for everything that you did.

Let's get to it.

My list is a little bit different.

For example, I don't include low hanging fruit because I assume people are going to be looking

at the popular vehicles like Ford F-150, Chevy Silverado, Honda Accord, Civic CR-V, and Toyota

RAV4 and Camry.

That's just a given.

I'm about discovery, which is why I keep telling people to test drive, test drive, test drive.

The industry is always in flux.

My list has many different powertrains, ICE, HEV, and EV.

I'm going alphabetically, starting with something that happens to be affordable, which is important.

Buchan Vista and Chevy Trax.

Two different brands, yes, but since both are built on the same architecture, use identical

powertrains and are aimed at the same audience, I'm treating them as one.

These vehicles are for people that want style, practicality, a decent amount of room, and

most important, affordable pricing.

Both can be had well equipped for under 30 grand, and yeah, that's including shipping.

The real difference is exterior design.

The Buick gets a sleeker profile, the Chevy looks more rugged.

Both have surprisingly nice cabins.

The downside is neither of them ooze power, and they're front drive only.

Along the same lines as in Vista and Trax, my next choice is a family of vehicles, the

Cadillac IQ series, because people want a choice of small, medium, large, and extra large.

Starting with OPTIQ, that's surprisingly affordable for a premium EV with over 300 miles of range.

It has a really cool interior too.

Next up is Lyric, that's more roomy, stylish, and supremely comfortable.

Vista adds a third row that's actually usable, and its styling is escalated adjacent.

Check out my very detailed reviews on these three, each with their own character.

My digs, OPTIQ and Vista don't support phone mirroring, and the max DC charge speed on

these three is below 200 kilowatts, though for those that don't travel much, that's

a nothing burger.

I'm less inclined to include escalate IQ since realistically it goes for $150,000, but tech-wise

it's as deep as the Grand Canyon, plus it easily travels 400 miles in the real world

and juices up extremely fast.

Going electric has been very good for Cadillac, sales are up, and the average age of buyers

is down.

America loves its pickups, and one of my picks is Ford Maverick.

Small but mighty, it somewhat matches the larger Ranger in capability, and if we're

being honest with ourselves, most owners won't really test the limits of either.

It covers all bases, from basic to elevated Lariat, off-road Tremor, and even a smidge

of sport with this Lobo.

The fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain can now be had with all-wheel drive.

Maverick is perfect for tight urban conditions and drives much like a compact SUV.

It is less of a value now, five years ago the hybrid started at around $21,500, now the

base price, with the less expensive 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, begins at $29,000, and top

trims should get nicer cabin materials.

Compact trucks aren't for everyone, but Maverick has a character all of its own.

My next choice may not just be the best EV pickup, it might be the best pickup, period.

The GMC Sierra EV.

No other pickup has its combination of Swiss Army knife versatility, a foldable mid-gate,

large front storage, and even a trick tailgate.

I've chosen this over Chevy Silverado EV for the upgraded interior alone, hey, if you're

paying nearly $100,000 for a truck, owners deserve as much pampering as possible.

Unpopular opinion, I don't see that pricing overly excessive, since there are plenty of

gas pickups that go for even more, and have been for years.

Performance car powerful, Sierra EV has super cruise, and drives like a luxury SUV, since

it shares an architecture with Escalade IQ.

With up to 400 miles of range and super fast charge speed, it's the rare EV that can actually

be used for towing.

Kia Sportage got a freshening in 2025.

I vote for the hybrid powertrain, though it can be had as a plug-in hybrid and plain

old internal combustion engine.

Smoother than the ICE powertrain, and more affordable than the P-EV, the standard hybrid

has solid performance, and its traditional six-speed transmission offers a familiar feel,

no rubbery CVT here.

This top trim SX prestige with every option stickers for $42,000.

There's high quality cockpit material, so Sportage looks more expensive than it is.

On the road, despite its name, the driving dynamics are about comfort.

It's less efficient than CR-V and RAV4 hybrids, but more soul-satisfying, at least to my emotions.

You want choice?

Cousin Hyundai Tucson is similar, but different.

A Lucid Gravity SUV is more than just an air sedan with a new top.

The re-engineered SUV platform excels at SUV things like hauling people and stuff with

the raised driving position so popular nowadays.

At the North American utility car and truck of the year judging event, I found gravity

to be supremely comfortable with athletic driving dynamics.

At Lucid's segment-leading charge speed and epic range that's as high as 450 miles, it's

a luxury family hauler to be reckoned with.

Gripes?

Well, some paint color combinations give it a van-like look.

It's new, so there have been some software hiccups, and the price is a bit dear.

A grand touring can easily go for 110,000 bucks, but Lucid now offers a touring model

for under 90K if you don't want to dip into your investment portfolio too deeply.

Honda Passport is a unibody SUV that nails the formula, starting with rugged design.

There's room for the family with a spacious back seat.

It can be quite capable too, especially when ordered in trail sport trim.

One reason why it's satisfying?

It's powered by a V6 engine.

Instead of a turbocharged four-cylinder, that's becoming common in this segment.

It also has a more car-like driving dynamic than body-on-frame sport utes,

so day-to-day it's a more docile driver.

Trail sport adds a little more truckiness to the steering feel,

and this can be fairly thirsty when it comes to Philips,

but Passport has definitely grown up to become more than just a shorter version of Pilot.

My choice for three-year-old family SUV?

The Hyundai Palisade, and specifically the hybrid powertrain that adds extra oomph.

The top calligraphy trim that I drove at the press event wasn't inexpensive at around $62,000,

but the value is there.

Refinement, features, technology, and design are on par with vehicles 20 grand more.

Spacious and sumptuous, the cabin is stuffed with premium features and materials.

With gas mileage as high as 34mpg average, it's impressive for a large family truckster.

Now, it does lack the efficiency of Toyota's Grand Highlander Hybrid,

but Palisade's driving dynamics and panache bump up against Lexus TX.

Don't care for the styling, Kia's all-new Telluride is coming in early 2026,

and it uses the same platform and hybrid system.

Until the next generation Chevy Bolt arrives in early 2026,

the best affordable electric vehicle money can buy is the third generation Nissan Leaf,

a base S Plus with 303 miles of range retails for just $31,500 with destination.

I think the best buy is the SV Plus trim, that's an extra 5 grand.

It's good for 288 miles.

This is a much better car than the outgoing Leaf, with a more inviting interior,

a significantly improved user interface, and styling that looses the tree frog vibe.

Front drive only, it's quick and comfortable, my gripes, there's a bit of bounce and bound

over large bumps, and the improved charge speed is only average at 150 kilowatts.

For DC fast charging, Nissan has switched to Nax, while those that already have a J1772

level 2 charger won't need to change things up at home.

Also affordable and practical because it's a hatchback is Subaru's Crosstrak.

The new hybrid begins at $35,400, I say skip that and go with the gas-only premium trim

that MSRP is for $29,400, spend the money saved on better food for your dog.

You know the drill, Subaru's are safe, with iSight ADAS Safety Tech standard,

symmetrical all-wheel drive is standard too, and they drive well with the flat boxer engine that

provides a lower center of gravity. Like most inexpensive cars, it doesn't pin drivers into

the seat back at launch, and most Crosstrak's get this large iPad-like screen that looks great,

but can be glacially slow to respond at times.

And finally, because this is alphabetical, the third generation Volkswagen Tiguan,

and not just because there's Volk in the name, now I've never owned a Volkswagen actually.

It offers up a rare blend of style, practicality, value, and here's a concept, driving fun.

Did someone say far-fetched nougat? Similar in size to Sportage, RAV4, and CR-V,

a nicely optioned all-wheel drive Tiguan SE MSRPs for $36,600.

It's a crossover that mainstream buyers will enjoy driving.

Enthusiasts will want more grunt from the engine bay though, and VW bumps horsepower

significantly from 201 to 268 when stepping up to the top-rung SEL R-Line turbo. It also adds

real wood trim, heated vented and massaging leather seats, plus a punchy sound system for

those willing to hand over 45 grand, plus tax and licensing, of course. What Tiguan needs

is a hybrid system since fuel economy is good, but not great.

That's what I enjoyed driving in 2025, plus a whole lot of other stuff.

It was tough to whittle this list down. Now, because I've recommended something,

does that mean you should just go out and buy one? Of course not. We all have different needs

and budgets. The perfect vehicle doesn't really exist. It's like the perfect spouse.

I mean, mine is perfect, dear. But the perfect vehicle really doesn't exist.

You need to get out there and do your research and test drive. Maybe go for something that's

off your radar screen just to make sure you're not leaving something off the table.

You know, the vehicle that you love is the one that you're going to keep longer and you're going

to be satisfied with. Thanks for watching. Hey, this video is quite different from the reviews

that I do. Check those out. People seem to like them. Subscribe to the channel so you don't miss a

video. You can follow me on social media. I'm on all the major platforms. Plus, if you have a question,

leave it in the comments. If I can't get back to you, one of my followers will because this has

become a great community. All the people here are smarter than the average bear. You'll see.

Check it out. Join. Be one of the smart bears. Happy 2026. That's Driven. I'm Tom Volk.

0:00

13:33

Best Vehicles of 2025! The Driven Top 11 List!

Cadillac Lyric

Cadillac Vista

About this episode

Original notes