# Our Favorite Cars of 2025! Auto Focus Awards Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eten26XKTv4 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/Eten26XKTv4 Generated: 2025-12-18T23:08:01.448+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The Autofocus Awards 2025 named the Hyundai Ioniq 9 as the overall Vehicle of the Year due to its exceptional value proposition, offering 80% of the capability of more expensive competitors like the Rivian and Lucid for tens of thousands of dollars less, while the Porsche 911 992.2 T hybrid earned Engine of the Year and Performance of the Year awards. **Key Points:** - The Hyundai Ioniq 9 won Vehicle of the Year because it provides a complete package, including space, solid drivetrain, good range, and NACS port, starting at around $59,000, offering immense value compared to $100K+ competitors. - The Porsche 911 992.2 T hybrid, featuring a 3.6L electrified turbocharged motor, won Engine of the Year and Performance of the Year, achieving a 0-60 mph time of 2.34 seconds, making it second place on the host's leaderboard. - EV of the Year went to the Lucid Gravity, which the hosts called the best EV available to buy, praising its range, performance, space, packaging, and quiet ride, despite initial software faults like missing CarPlay. - The Toyota Camry hybrid secured both Hybrid of the Year and Most Efficient Car awards, with one host noting they never once thought about visiting a gas station during an entire week of testing. - The Dodge Charger Daytona EV Scat Pack received the Bust of the Year award, criticized for being a disappointing successor that failed to deliver on the muscle car formula, lacking tire spin despite its power and weight. - The Xiaomi SU7 was named EV Runner-Up but disqualified from winning because it is currently a theoretical value for US consumers as it is unavailable for regular purchase. - The Marquez Award (a personal favorite) went to the Volvo EX30 for being a fun, solid, small EV commuter, while the Miles Award (fun factor) went to the Lamborghini Urus SE hybrid SUV for its enjoyable, casual driving experience and loud exhaust. **Context:** The video presents the second annual Autofocus Awards for 2025, where the hosts Miles and Marquez review and distribute accolades to the best, most notable, and worst vehicles they tested throughout the year, noting that their testing heavily featured hybrids and fully electric vehicles, with almost no pure internal combustion engine cars tested besides a Sherp. ## Detailed Analysis The Autofocus Awards 2025 recognized several standout vehicles across different segments. The Porsche 911 992.2 T hybrid earned the Engine of the Year and Performance of the Year awards due to its innovative 3.6L electrified motor and blistering 2.34-second 0-60 mph time, proving Porsche successfully integrated hybridization. For electric vehicles, the Lucid Gravity took EV of the Year, lauded for its superior packaging and premium features that legacy OEMs are struggling to match, though the Xiaomi SU7 was acknowledged as an impressive runner-up whose theoretical value is hampered by its current unavailability in the US market. In the hybrid category, the Bentley Continental GT received an honorable mention for luxury flexibility, but the Toyota Camry hybrid won both Hybrid of the Year and Most Efficient Car, praised for its reliability and exceptional fuel economy. The Best Luxury award went to the Volvo EX90, whose sound isolation and speaker quality rivaled vehicles like the Rolls-Royce Spectre, despite potential software issues. Conversely, the Stellantis products dominated the negative awards: the Jeep Wagoneer S was an honorable mention for 'Bust of the Year,' but the Dodge Charger Daytona EV Scat Pack was the official winner for being a poor successor and a bad EV for the money. The Most Improved award recognized the McLaren Artura Spider as the most refined and complete McLaren they had ever driven, marking a massive year-over-year jump. Ultimately, the overall Vehicle of the Year was the Hyundai Ioniq 9, selected because it delivers nearly all the capability of high-end electric SUVs like the Lucid Gravity and Rivian R1S for significantly less cost, making it the clear choice based on value. ### Overall Winner and Top Honors - Hyundai Ioniq 9 named Vehicle of the Year for value and completeness - Porsche 911 992.2 T hybrid won Performance and Engine of the Year with 2.34s 0-60 mph time - Lucid Gravity secured EV of the Year for its premium packaging. ### Hybrid and Efficiency Awards - Toyota Camry hybrid won Hybrid of the Year and Most Efficient Car, achieving near 50 MPG and extreme reliability - Bentley Continental GT earned an honorable mention for luxury hybrid flexibility. ### Luxury and Personal Picks - Volvo EX90 won Best Luxury for its ride quality and top-tier sound isolation, despite known software issues - Marquez Award went to the fun Volvo EX30 EV commuter - Miles Award went to the Lamborghini Urus SE for its high fun factor and enjoyable casual use. ### Biggest Disappointments - Dodge Charger Daytona EV Scat Pack was named Bust of the Year for failing as both a successor and an EV - Jeep Wagoneer S received an honorable mention for being 'bad all around' with low range and poor design. ### Most Improved Category - McLaren Artura Spider earned Most Improved, deemed the most solid and complete McLaren capable of daily driving, showing a huge jump from prior models - The 992.2 hybrid platform GTS was also recognized for significant improvement over previous 911s.