These Are the Best Cars We've Tested In 2025 ... So Far

• We've been behind the wheel of over 200 vehicles this year, and now it's time to tell you which ones have been the best.
• We'll cover everything from luxury sedans, to EV SUVs, to sports cars.
• The final vehicle on our list has the highest rating of anything we've evaluated so far this year.

We should note this isn't a list of our absolute favorites. For those, you should check out our rankings pages and our awards from earlier this year. Our Edmunds Top Rated awards for 2026 are still a few months away, and that's because we bring back old winners to give them a once-over and make sure their scores still line up. That way, you can trust our rankings and ratings are always up to date.

Volkswagen Golf R

This thing came in to visit at the same time as the Toyota GR Corolla, a special hot hatch in its own right. Everyone on staff who got their hands on the Golf R came away impressed. It is the epitome of what a hot hatch should be: quick (4.5 seconds from 0 to 60 mph), practical enough for a trip to Ikea, and most importantly, a lot of fun from behind the wheel. Plus, the cabin feels top-notch (like VWs of old), and it has great technology packed inside. 

The only things we'd change are the annoying climate controls, the touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel, and the limited available colors (three). Small gripes aside, this is a car that's just as adept on the day-to-day as it is on an autocross, and that duality is what makes the Golf R one of our favorites of the year thus far.

Volkswagen ID. Buzz

Next up we have another Volkswagen, but it couldn't be more different than the Golf R. We waited years for the ID. Buzz, VW's reimagining of the old-school bus as a new-school three-row electric vehicle — but, boy, was it worth the wait. It's the only mainstream EV with sliding doors (no, the Mercedes-Benz E-Sprinter doesn't count), and that makes it super convenient for families.

Its family-friendly cred is bolstered by an absolutely cavernous interior, and it's got the perfect amount of retro styling to look like a proper homage without being stuck in the past, all at the same time. The only drawbacks are range (262 miles in the Edmunds EV Range Test) and, in a strange oversight, a lack of second-row cupholders. But who cares? Just admire that two-tone paint job.

Porsche 911 Carrera

It isn't a big surprise to see the Porsche 911 make an appearance on any of these lists. But Porsche's consistency should be celebrated, and what's notable now about the 911 lineup is just how good it is from top to bottom. So far in 2025, we've driven several variants from the GT3 in Spain, to the Carrera Cabriolet (seen above), to the GTS with the new T-Hybrid powertrain.

All of them made an impression in their own right, but it was the Carrera Cabriolet, built on the base version of the 911, that stuck out to us. You don't need to upgrade the engine to get an incredible experience from behind the wheel of one of these things. From base Carrera to Turbo, when one of these shows up at our track, you can be sure we're forming a line to take it for a spin.

BMW X3

One of the newest additions to our One-Year Road Test fleet, the BMW X3 makes this list on the back of its all-around execution. It's not the flashiest of the compact luxury SUVs, but don't let that be a distraction from its impressive overall competency. It starts with its efficient turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood, which provides an impressive mix of efficiency (29 mpg combined) and performance. 

It's also more than comfortable enough for the day-to-day and has more cargo space than most of its competitors. Downsides include an interior that's a bit too plasticky for what you're paying, and some of the weirdest air vent controls ever put into a car (with a touch-sensitive panel that opens and shuts the vents). Since this thing will be with us for the next year and 20,000 miles, be sure to check back with us as I'm sure we will find more things to love (and hate) about the BMW.

Bentley Flying Spur Speed

Part of our "we test everything" ethos has its benefits from time to time. Sometimes everything means an econobox, and other times it's a bright orange Bentley Flying Spur Speed that turned out to be a collective favorite. With its new 771-hp plug-in hybrid powertrain, the Flying Spur shoots all 6,060 of its pounds from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.1 seconds. The big Bentley launches so hard that when it pushes you back into the driver's seat, you actually have trouble clinging onto the steering wheel.

On top of that, you're getting an incredible interior that can be customized in millions of ways (not kidding), from materials to different color combinations. The seats are more like cushy thrones, and they combine with a beautifully supple ride and quiet cabin to give the Flying Spur a Rolls-Royce-rivaling level of comfort. It's hard to justify spending a house's worth on a car, but when you get out of one of these, you end up understanding exactly why someone might be tempted to.

Genesis GV70

When a crossover is as good as the Genesis GV70, how could we leave it off? It was styled by some former Bentley designers, and its interior material choice and quality give it an almost palatial feel. It's one of the best interiors you can get for under $100,000, with easy-to-use technology and great ride comfort.

The Genesis falls a bit short on fuel economy, with its 24 mpg combined well behind the X3. That and the upgraded V6 engine option doesn't deliver enough performance to justify its added cost. But when you remember that Genesis has only existed for a decade, the fact that it's putting out vehicles like this one is really impressive.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

This is one of the easiest recommendations we can make, and for 2025 the Ioniq 5 returned with some new additions that made an already great SUV even better. There's now a standard NACS port so it can charge at Tesla Supercharger stations, more buttons on the interior in response to customer feedback, and better technology with an updated infotainment system.

If you want an off-road or a high-performance version of the Ioniq 5, it offers both. This is a vehicle with a long list of strengths and very few weaknesses, and its styling has also held up so well over the years, it still draws looks in a great way.

Lexus ES

There were no big updates for the Lexus ES, but you know what? This old dog still sets the bar in many ways for a luxury sedan. The ES is quiet and comfortable, with an interior that doesn't skimp on materials or build quality. The ES isn't as showy as some of the other cars on this list (looking at you, Flying Spur), but a car doesn't have to be ostentatious to make a statement. The ES is happy to just go about its business under the radar and serve as your personal cocoon as you waft from place to place.

BMW M2

This performance coupe serves as a reminder that when it wants to, BMW can still make a brilliant driver's car. The M2 nails the man-machine interface portion of a sports car, with direct steering and a straight-six cylinder engine that is happy to rev its heart out. It's even better with a six-speed manual transmission, something that's slowly fading from every corner of today's new car market. Whether you're ripping around on a back road or on a track, there are few better companions.

There are some compromises. The back seat is tiny, the ride is a little too stiff for day-to-day driving, and as you might expect, the fuel economy is awful for a small car. But those things ultimately don't matter. On a good road on a good day, you'll reach for these keys and be very happy that you did. Who'd have thought the smallest M car would turn out to be the best one?

Tesla Model Y

We're capping things off with the vehicle that would win an imaginary "Most Improved Car" award from us: the Tesla Model Y. Like the X3, we added the Model Y to our One-Year Road Test fleet earlier this year, and we quickly realized that it solved many of the issues the last-generation Model Y suffered from. The ride quality has gone from insufferable to perhaps the best among its competitors. And those interior build-quality issues? They're entirely gone. The cabin took a much-needed leap forward in both fit and finish and materials alike.

Its other positives still remain. There's an incredible amount of cargo room between the large trunk and frunk, acceleration is plenty quick enough for the everyday haul, and you'll net well over 300 miles of range (as long as you don't drive like an absolute loon all of the time). We get that its minimalistic interior won't be for everyone, but hey, at least you get a turn signal stalk (unlike the Cybertruck and Model 3).