Semifinalists for Best North Amercian Car, Truck & Utility Vehicle of Year

Twenty-five vehicles have been named the “Best of 2025” by the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year™ (NACTOY) Awards organization and will move on to the second round of judging. The semifinalist vehicles were revealed  at “Cars at the Station,” an event developed by automotive enthusiast brand Hagerty in partnership with Michigan Central Station, Newlab and the City of Detroit.

NACTOY honors vehicles that excel across several criteria: innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, user experience, driver satisfaction and value. Vehicles are evaluated by a jury of 50 veteran automotive journalists who write for a wide variety of print, online and broadcast media across the U.S. and Canada; the awards are highly coveted in the automotive industry because of their lack of association with any single publication.

“We have a great variety of vehicles on the list, from the sporty to the family sedan,” said Jeff Gilbert, NACTOY president and the automotive reporter for WWJ Newsradio 950. “This list is an example of the great products that the auto industry is producing, from cutting edge electric vehicles to traditional gasoline powered cars and trucks, but also hybrids, which are a growing share of the market.”

NACTOY’s greatest strength is the ideological diversity of its jury; each juror has their own perspective on what makes a vehicle award-worthy and their own comprehensive method for evaluating vehicles. The group will convene in October for an annual meeting and comparison drive. After jurors complete their individual and collective evaluations, they will cast votes to determine the three finalist vehicles in each category. These finalists will be announced in Los Angeles on November 21, and winners will be announced at the Detroit Auto Show on January 10, 2025.

* Indicates electric vehicle

ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN CAR, TRUCK, AND UTILITY VEHICLE OF THE YEAR™

The awards are intended to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. These vehicles are benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, user experience and value. The organization gives out three awards. They are: “North American Car of the Year™,” “North American Truck of the Year™” and “North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™.” The awards are unique because they are given by an independent jury of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada instead of by a single publication, website, radio or television station.