Announcement on WardsAuto Podcast: Honorees for the 2025 Wards 10 Best Interiors and User Experiences Revealed
In the world of automotive accolades, 2025 has proven to be a significant year, with mass-market vehicles and battery-electric vehicles taking centre stage. Senior Editor David Kiley and Lead Editor Christie Schweinberg have been discussing the winners of the 2025 crop of vehicles, highlighting the factors that made them stand out.
The 2025 winning crop consists of a greater number of battery-electric vehicles compared to the previous year, with more mass-market vehicles than luxury vehicles. Repeat automakers and brands from the previous year, such as Kia, Honda, Porsche, and Nissan, have secured multiple awards or consistent recognition in recent automotive accolades.
Kia continued its success with the Kia EV3, winning both ‘Car of the Year’ and ‘Best Mainstream Electric Car’ at the 2025 Autotrader Drivers’ Choice Awards. The brand's success is heavily attributed to real-world consumer satisfaction, multi-criteria evaluation (reliability, performance, cost, appearance), and growing electric vehicle innovation.
Honda was named the ‘Best Car Brand’ by U.S. News & World Report for the fourth consecutive year, thanks to a strong lineup including the Civic, Accord, and SUVs. Their reputation is solidified by decades of producing vehicles readily built in the U.S. and praised for quality and performance.
Porsche maintained its position as the most appealing premium brand in the J.D. Power 2025 APEAL Study for the second year in a row, with models like the Taycan and 911 earning best-in-class awards for emotional appeal and performance.
Nissan stood out with several segment honors in 2025, including the Rogue’s third straight win in the Cars.com Compact SUV Challenge and top spots in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study.
The discussions focus on the factors that made the winning vehicles stand out, emphasizing the importance of innovation and technology, consumer satisfaction and loyalty, reliability and quality, emotional appeal and design, and manufacturing presence and economic impact.
Moreover, two models in the 2025 winning crop are priced below $35,000, indicating a shift towards more affordable electric vehicles. The discussions highlight the increasing popularity of mass-market vehicles and battery-electric vehicles in the winning crop.
These patterns indicate a blend of technical excellence, customer-centric design, and strategic manufacturing underpin repeat wins in the 2024-2025 automotive awards cycle. As we move forward, it will be interesting to see how these trends continue to shape the automotive industry.
[1] Source: https://www.kia.com/us/en/news/pressrelease/2025-kia-ev3-wins-car-of-the-year-and-best-mainstream-electric-car-at-autotrader-drivers-choice-awards/ [2] Source: https://www.hondanews.com/honda-named-best-car-brand-for-fourth-consecutive-year-by-us-news-world-report [3] Source: https://www.jdpower.com/corporate/press-releases/2025-jd-power-awards-porsche-tops-appeal-study-for-second-consecutive-year [4] Source: https://www.nissanusa.com/news/press-releases/nissan-nissan-rogue-wins-third-straight-compact-suv-challenge-from-carscom/
- The latest automotive accolades of 2025 have showcased an increased focus on battery-electric vehicles, with mainstream models claiming more awards than luxury vehicles, such as the Kia EV3, which won both 'Car of the Year' and 'Best Mainstream Electric Car' at the Autotrader Drivers’ Choice Awards.
- The automotive industry is witnessing a change in the finance sector as well, with Porsche maintaining its position as the most appealing premium brand in the J.D. Power 2025 APEAL Study, emphasizing the role of technology and design in creating emotional appeal.
- Affordability is another key factor shaping the future of the transportation industry. This is evident with two models in the 2025 winning crop being priced below $35,000, signaling a shift towards more affordable electric vehicles like the Kia EV3.
