2024 Kia K5
Kia has done some work over the past few years to make its lineup sportier—and more distinct from its corporate cousin, Hyundai—and the midsize K5 sedan has been something of a case study for those changes. With its striking modern and angular appearance and a new base powertrain for the 2025 model year, can it keep up that momentum or even build on it? Gaining 11 hp and new dashboard displays is a good start; losing last year’s turbocharger and some torque? Less so. Head here for the full 2024 Kia K5 COTY review.
When Kia introduced the Carnival as the Sedona’s replacement in 2021, it was with the schtick that this sliding-door vehicle was an “MPV,” not a minivan. It was a three-row … thing, a vehicle more stylish and versatile than your average three-row midsize SUV, but a category-defying thing nonetheless.
Kia remains adamant that the Carnival is not a minivan, and to back up that assertion, it’s given the already butch un-van even more SUV-like touches for 2025—mainly, the upside-down-L-shaped headlight motif common to its latest Telluride, Sorento, and EV9 SUVs—and added a new hybrid powertrain option. Head here for the full 2025 Kia Carnival COTY review.
2025 MotorTrend Car of the Year: The Contenders
The worthy cars that didn’t make the finalist cut for the Golden Calipers trophy.
MotorTrend StaffWriter, PhotographerAlan MuirIllustrator
Nov 19, 2024
Our 2025 Car of the Year field is small, but unusually stacked. Need proof? Few if any of the vehicles on our contenders list—those that competed but failed to reach our finalist round—could be described negatively. These aren’t bad cars, if anything, they’re quite good, which should tell you how strong our finalists are this year. Several of these 2025 COTY contenders came extremely close to the finalist round, delivering strongly but not quite strongly enough on our six Car of the Year criteria: Advancement in Design, Engineering Excellence, Performance of Intended Function, Efficiency, Safety, and Value.
The contenders group includes a former COTY winner (the G70, which won in 2019 and received a new base engine this year to qualify for a chance at the golden calipers once more), the first all-electric BMW 5 Series (the i5), and the latest-generation Porsche Panamera, among others. Read on for the full list:
More Of The Year:
- 2025 COTY Finalists
- 2025 SUVOTY Contenders | Finalists | Winner
- 2024 COTY Contenders | Finalists | Winner
2024 BMW i5
A couple of years ago, the BMW i4 silently rolled up and almost stole the Car of the Year calipers. Then during last year’s competition, the brawny i7 and its baller back seat entertainment system had the judges jotting down similarly positive sentiments. Now, it was the 2024 BMW i5’s turn to show off its electrified bona fides. But after evaluating the new 5 Series EV, there simply wasn’t the same enthusiasm for this i in the eyes of most judges. Head here for the full 2024 BMW i5 COTY review.
2025 Fiat 500e
MotorTrend’s Car of the Year competition is many things—a peek at evolving automotive tastes and technologies and a review of an entire model lineup on its own merits, for instance—but it is not a judgement about business cases. We don’t care if an automaker makes or loses money on a new car, so long as that car faithfully lives up to our six criteria and is a vehicle we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to our readers. Although almost certainly destined to be a loss leader for Stellantis, the 2024 Fiat 500e is nevertheless a vehicle that still somehow makes a strong case for itself as Car of the Year. Head here for the full 2025 Fiat 500e COTY review.
2024 Genesis G70
Genesis has run headlong into the proverbial rock-and-a hard-place scenario when it comes to its G70 compact sedan. What to do about the former MotorTrend Car of the Year winner? Like so many sedans in general, it’s becoming an endangered species. Then add uncertainty about what should power it in the future, and it’s a formula for the G70 not being long for this world—at least not in its present form. Head here for the full 2024 Genesis G70 COTY review.
2024 Hyundai Sonata
For as good and diverse as it is, the Hyundai Sonata lineup has been missing one key element that many of its competitors have offered for some time: all-wheel drive. Hyundai has finally remedied that by adding the brand’s HTRAC all-wheel-drive system to the Sonata’s SEL trim. While it doesn’t revolutionize the sedan’s driving experience, it does what it needs to do—provide prospective Sonata buyers in cold-weather states with an AWD option.
The Sonata was updated in the styling department, as well, and it proved to be a hit or miss proposition with the judging crowd. Some found it to be a striking and refreshing upgrade to the old catfish look of the prior model, with guest judge and design expert Chris Theodore calling it “a significant improvement that looks fresh and futuristic.” Others disagreed and thought it to be more than a tad overwrought, with one editor going so far as to call it “utterly ridiculous.” Ouch. Head here for the full 2024 Hyundai Sonata COTY review.
2024 Kia K5
Kia has done some work over the past few years to make its lineup sportier—and more distinct from its corporate cousin, Hyundai—and the midsize K5 sedan has been something of a case study for those changes. With its striking modern and angular appearance and a new base powertrain for the 2025 model year, can it keep up that momentum or even build on it? Gaining 11 hp and new dashboard displays is a good start; losing last year’s turbocharger and some torque? Less so. Head here for the full 2024 Kia K5 COTY review.
2025 Kia Carnival
When Kia introduced the Carnival as the Sedona’s replacement in 2021, it was with the schtick that this sliding-door vehicle was an “MPV,” not a minivan. It was a three-row … thing, a vehicle more stylish and versatile than your average three-row midsize SUV, but a category-defying thing nonetheless.
Kia remains adamant that the Carnival is not a minivan, and to back up that assertion, it’s given the already butch un-van even more SUV-like touches for 2025—mainly, the upside-down-L-shaped headlight motif common to its latest Telluride, Sorento, and EV9 SUVs—and added a new hybrid powertrain option. Head here for the full 2025 Kia Carnival COTY review.
2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE coupe is brand new yet still represents a significant compromise. The German automaker recently took a step back and reconsidered its massive collection of coupes and convertibles, axing several models but finding room to amalgamate the former C- and E-Class coupes into the luxurious new CLE, which offers an interesting mix of both cars it attempts to replace. Did the gamble pay off? Head here for the full 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLE COTY review.
2024 Porsche Panamera
The 2024 Porsche Panamera four-door GT has hit the market in updated form. It follows the usual formula of taking an excellent vehicle and making it about 3 percent better with a new front end and beautiful new taillights integrated into a mini ducktail.
There are many Panameras in the model lineup; for COTY, we were only able to evaluate the rear-drive base Panamera with the updated 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 and an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Head here for the full 2024 Porsche Panamera COTY review.
