The EV of the Year is an electric vehicle that is fun to drive, recharges quickly, and even makes the same sounds as a gas-powered car that many drivers are used to.
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is this year’s top EV according to Car and Driver’s annual comparison of new or significantly updated electric vehicle models on the market. At $67,495, it’s pricier than some of the other models Car and Driver tested.
Car and Driver editors evaluated 18 different EVs, judging them based on their value, driving experience, use of cutting-edge technology and other features prized by consumers. It was essential that the wining automobile use technology in a new or novel way in order to “advance the species,” Car and Driver editors said in a statement.
This is the third time in a row the publication has named a Hyundai EV the best on the market. Last year, the Ioniq 6 earned the accolade. The Ioniq 5 was last named EV of the year in 2022. In 2021, the first year Car and Driver compared EV models, the Ford Mustang Mach-E received the top honor.
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Car and Driver Editor in Chief Tony Quiroga said part of what makes the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N so desirable is the driving experience it delivers, which is similar to that of a gas-powered vehicle.
“It has a bunch of features that allow it to mimic a gas car. It has a shift mode that imitates having 8-speed transmission, when most EVs have one speed and you accelerate endlessly,” Quiroga told CBS MoneyWatch.
He said the car even makes the same sounds that gas-powered vehicles do. “I think people are looking for some familiarity when they move into an EV. Everyone is pretty much a first-time EV buyer, and having that anchor of familiarity is something people want,” Quiroga said.
Another virtue of the Ioniq 5 N is fast charging — its charge can go from 10% to 90% in about 35 minutes, according to Quiroga. When driving at a speed of 75 miles per hour on a highway, its range was 190 miles fully charged on a standard battery, according to Car and Driver’s test, landing it on the lower end of ranges, compared with other electric vehicles.
In addition to Hyundai, Car and Driver evaluated electric vehicles from Acura, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Fiat, Fisker, Honda, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Polestar, Tesla and Volkswagen. Notably, the Tesla Cyber Truck, which was a contender for EV of the year, did not fare well.
Its drive shaft, which conducts power from the motor to the wheel, pulled out of its housing after one day of testing, rendering it undrivable, according to Quiroga. “It broke after Day 1 and did not finish, which means you can’t win the big award,” he said. DO NOT PUB
