These are the 24 Best Cars in the World, According to Top Journalists: 2025 World Car Awards Finalists

Each year car companies introduce hundreds of cars— new cars, redesigns, new trims and special models. With the move to electric, plus the popularity of hybrid, there are even more cars to see and test drive. 

So for our first round of voting we narrow down this huge, wide world to the World Car Awards Top 10 and Top 5 best cars in the world, and from there, we test drive anything we haven’t yet (there are a lot of cars to test!) and then, we’ll vote again in February. The results of that vote will end with the Top 3 finalists in each category and finally, the World Car of the Year winners, which will be announced on Wednesday, April 16th at the New York Auto Show.

The Top finalists for 2025 reveals more electric cars, as is the trend, more luxury cars and more cars that are fun to look at and fun to drive. Have we reached the point of no boring cars, ever? Possibly! 

Here are the finalists for World Car of the Year and what you need to know if these are on your shopping list.

Audi A5/S5: Redesigned for 2025, the Audi A5 is longer, leaner and more accommodating. Audi has pared down the category, and gone is the convertible model which was also smaller. Now, with new technology and more features, as well as an under $50 starting price, this is the luxury sedan that anchors the Audi lineup.

Toyota Camry: We fell in love with the hybrid-only, AWD-option Camry for its delightful demeanor, lovely color choices and fun to drive spirit. The new interior is lovely and so is its price tag, which starts at about $28K. 

Ford Mustang: Who doesn’t love the Ford Mustang? Completely redesigned in 2024 (but eligible to be considered a World Car Awards candidate in 2025 due to sales opening up overseas) with a new engine, new details and new trims including the Dark Horse, there’s a reason Ford stopped building anything that isn’t an SUV except this one. 

Suzuki Swift: This is a cute little hatchback in the style of classic Euro cars: Seating for 5, decent cargo space and an agile, fuel-efficient drive. We won’t see this on sale in North America, but look for it at the rental car counter on your next trip to Europe. 

BMW X3: BMW has been working through its lineup, redesigning a few each year and this year, it’s the X3. The new design is pretty spectacular, starting with a dynamic new grille and inside, all new tech and a diamond-faceted ambient light treatment, both adapted from the 7 series. 

Toyota Land Cruiser: We can’t get enough of this heritage style, rough and ready SUV that finally came back to North America for the 2024 model year with a classic-inflected style and all the off-road capability Toyota could give it. While it’s not as family-friendly as prior models, with no 3rd row option and a rear seat that is really only built for two, there’s plenty of room for overloading gear and it’ll look fantastic out on the trail. 

VW Tiguan: VW gave this stalwart a stellar makeover for 2025 with an all-new look inside and out: the exterior is more sculpted and inside, a new screen, more standard features and “Hey Ida” voice activated assistance will make the VW Tiguan a must-see for every mid-size SUV shopper.

Hyundai Inster: Who knew a small electric car could be this cute? But Hyundai outdid itself in the cute department with this iconic little EV that is perfect for the tight cities and narrow roads of Europe and Asia. We won’t see it on sale in North America and frankly, that’s a shame; this fun and tech-filled little EV is simply darling. 

Kia EV3: This is for the electric car buyer who loves the design language of the Kia EV9, from the “Star Map” lighting to the clever interior features to the sculpted seats and cheery choice of colors, but doesn’t need the heft or price of a 3-row SUV. The Kia EV3 is a shrunken version of it’s larger sibling and a quite well done one, too, perfect for the single driver who occasionally has rear seat passengers. Expect it to go on sale in North America in 2026.

Mini Cooper Electric: This electric version of this little street-legal go-kart delivers all the Mini promises: A newly-designed but novel interior, a fun drive experience and an electric range of about 212 miles. As with all Minis, it’s a great way to express your own style as you tool around town and in the EV, do it on quick-accelerating electric power.

Lexus GX: This is the SUV so many have waited… and waited and waited… for; Lexus is known for taking its time between redesigns. But it’s finally here and it’s spectacular: Modern, streamlined and yet classic and boxy. The Lexus GX is also offered a streamlined trim lineup, with an Overtrail off-road version that’s more focused on capability than luxuries, with more luxuries in the Premium trim and everything you can imagine in the Luxury model. Each also has a “+” version that adds a few more goodies to truly deliver the Lexus experience. 

Porsche Macan: Fully redesigned for 2024, the Macan takes the best-selling Porsche model up a notch with a new interior, a sharp new look on the outside and two powertrain options: Gas or electric. For the driver who wants the true full-power Porsche experience, the Macan Electric is the way to go; horsepower tops out at 630 HP.  

Porsche Panamera: This is the four-door version of the Porsche 911, taking all the performance and interior details and adding a rear seat for two so owners can share the experience of Porsche driving. For 2024 the Panamera is fully redesigned, though changes are subtle. Why tinker with perfection? 

VW ID. Buzz: This is the EV that the world has been waiting for, the electric micro bus version of the classic Volkswagen van. It’s sort of a surprise that it landed in the luxury category; it’s not really a luxury car, but because of the electric powertrain it carries a starting price of $60K, putting it in this category. However, VW’s product planners must have agreed that with a price starting at $12K over the average sale price, it should have some goodies, so it comes with some nice luxuries standard, like leatherette upholstery, massaging front seats and heated second row seats.

Volvo EX90: Volvo really upped its luxury offer in the EX90, priced from $80,000 to about $90,000 once you’ve added in all the goodies. It has standard all wheel drive, 300 miles of range and two power trains that produce either 402 Hp or 510 HP. Buyers will also get a view of the future in Volvo’s beautifully designed interior finished in novel translucent woods, ambient lighting and leatherette sourced from the Nordic woods (really!).

Bentley Continental GT: Bentley turned a corner with the 2025 Continental GT (and, GT convertible): Redesigned for 2025, it’s the most powerful Continental ever delivering 771 HP and a thrill of a ride. And while you might think all that power might gurgle and growl, that’s not the point of this car; it delivers a powerful drive with elegance and style. New headlights, even more beautiful tail lights and a new interior make this performance car also one of the most pleasant to drive. 

BMW M5: Last year saw the redesign of the BMW 5 series, a redesign that netted the model the 2024 World Luxury Car award. But the company held back a bit, waiting a year to release the M version, a 717 HP powered by a  twin turbo V8 plug-in hybrid electric powertrain, the only power option. And it was worth the wait; this is one of the best-received cars by enthusiast car reviewers who all seem quite enamored of the BMW M5’s performance. 

Ford Mustang: Probably the most delightful thing about the Mustang is that even in base engine delivers 315 HP, more than enough power for a car this size. But upgrade to the Dark Horse for 500 HP and the Mustang is a literal blast.

Porsche 911 Carrera GTS: The Porsche 911 is the ultimate car guy’s car, a track-born, perfectly balanced, light weight sports car designed to thrill at every turn. Porsche offers a number of power options and in the 911 alone there are 20 trims to choose from, five of them Carreras. The 911 base model delivers 388 HP and the Carrera GTS produces 532 HP thanks to a hybrid system that boosts the power by 52 HP.  

Porsche Taycan Turbo GT: Porsche’s first all-electric sports sedan, the Taycan was introduced five years ago to much fanfare, winning both  World Performance Car and World Luxury car for 2020. For 2025 Porsche as updated the Taycan, essentially an electrified Panamera and driving dynamics inspired by the 911, giving it new user technology, faster charging and a longer range of up to 340 miles. It’s still lightning fast and for electric sports car fans, the pinnacle of the pack. 

There are so many electric cars nominated among the best cars in the world that pulling them aside to determine which is the best is a must. And, it’s a wide field, from the cute-as-a-button Hyundai Inster to the plush-but-sporty Porsche Macan Electric to the heritage dream come to life VW ID. Buzz. The Volvo EX90 (above), which is a 3-row take on the EX30 which last year took home the trophy for World Urban Car.  

Many of the cars that are considered in this category are not available or seen in North America, where buyers prefer larger cars and drive more miles on average. But in tight cities with roundabouts, narrow streets and highways with lower speed limits than we have in the US, smaller cars make more sense.

That doesn’t mean they have to be basic or boring. And, as we are starting to see in cities around the globe, there are more cars from China showing up in driveways and on roads, including top 5 finalist BYD Dolphin. The other finalists include Hyundai Inster, Mini Cooper, Mini Cooper Electric and the Suzuki Swift (above). 

Did I mention no boring cars? It’s not just my opinion, or that of the 100 journalists who vote on the best cars of the year, but also, of a panel of car designers who nominate their favorites and settle on the top 5 World Car Designs of the year. 

For 2025 this category spans the spectrum, from the heritage inflected yet completely modern Chinese built but UK designed MG Windsor, also known as the Baojun Yunduo or Cloud; the Korean built and designed Kia EV3; the UK designed and built Mini Cooper; the Japan-designed and built Toyota Land Cruiser; and the German-designed and built VW ID. Buzz. All but the MG are sold in the US so it’s likely that whichever wins, you’ll see it tooling about on a road near you this year. 

Stay tuned to see which of these make it to the Top 3 for each category, which will be announced in March. And then on April 16th, 2025 at a red carpet ceremony at the New York Auto Show the winners will be crowned. And it’s a tough competition. Each finalists brings design, style, innovation, performance and character to the stage, making it even more difficult to pick a winner in a world where there are no boring cars.