December 28, 2025 by Jamie Edkins
The Carwow team has tested hundreds of cars in 2025, but some shine more than others. Here are the ones which found a place in our hearts.
At Carwow, our expert reviews team spends countless hours driving the latest cars so we can write our in-depth reviews. In 2025, we’ve reviewed in excess of 250 cars. Some were excellent, such as the Chery Tiggo 8 which we awarded Car Of The Year, others are worth avoiding. See Skywell BE11.
Every car we drive gets a comprehensive test and a score out of 10, but some just get under your skin more than others. Here’s each of our favourite cars driven in 2025. They aren’t necessarily the best on paper, but we just fell in love with them.
Finding a used EV for £25,000 with a 300-mile range is hard enough; finding one that fits a 77cm dog crate in the boot is the real challenge. Yet, that was the “Chez Reid” criteria this year, and the Kia EV6 is the only car that actually fitted the bill.
During the test drive earlier this year, that elusive “this is the one” feeling finally clicked. While most people are eyeing the turkey this Christmas, I’ll be scouring Carwow for the perfect spec – I’m hunting for a rear-wheel-drive GT-Line with under 30,000 miles. It’s the best thing I’ve driven all year and soon, hopefully, one will be on my driveway.
My favourite car I’ve driven this year is a bit of a curveball. Proper car enthusiasts aren’t supposed to love the Emeya. Lotus is an iconic brand best known for building lightweight sports cars that are the purest form of driving, so the idea of it building big, heavy electric cars like the Emeya saloon and Eletre SUV are supposedly sacrilege.
I don’t care. Forget the badge and this is a wonderful machine. It’s fast, incredibly good to drive and looks like a spaceship. I’d also go so far as to say it’s the most luxurious car you can buy this side of truly exotic stuff like a Rolls-Royce, making its sub-£100k starting price almost a bargain. It also has an infotainment system that’s light-years ahead of anything else. It feels like the future, now. It’s a real shame no one is buying them…
New cars are great and all, but 2025 is the year I fell in love with a car from 1987. This Mk1 Toyota MR2 had me straight on the online auction sites looking for one to call my own, but rising prices mean it’s slightly out of reach.
The fizzy little 1.6-litre engine sounds fantastic revving away behind you, and all the controls feel so tactile and involving. The interior is also brilliantly retro, as is the angular exterior. I enjoy driving new cars, but every time I drive something like this I’m reminded that I have to own a classic one day.
There are tons of cars I could choose for this. The absolutely dreadful Skywell BE11 was the most entertaining to write about, various hot hatchbacks were the most fun to drive, and the sublime Rolls-Royce Ghost was undoubtedly my ‘wow-factor’ car of the year. But the one I could most see myself owning is the Subaru Outback.
As someone who tends to prefer small, fizzy cars, the Outback is a bit of a departure for me – but its absolutely superb long-range comfort, go-anywhere off-road ability and feeling of bulletproof solidity really charmed the pants off me. Slow? Yes. Thirsty? Yes. Will outlive the pyramids? Also yes.
Subaru’s a company that doesn’t really cave to what the rest of the market’s doing, and while that means its cars don’t sell in huge numbers it also means they’re unparalleled in their fitness for purpose. There simply isn’t another estate car that can do what the Outback does, or do it in such fantastic comfort. So while I couldn’t recommend one, I’d definitely have one on my driveway – which is the real test, isn’t it?
As a life-long, die-hard BMW, performance and modified car enthusiast I’ve had a pretty good year for cars. I’m a little torn, but where the stunning Alpine A110 R is the icing on the 2025 cake, but the E46-generation BMW M3 CSL is the cherry on top.
I drove the very car I saw on Top Gear as a young lad, which was special in itself, but nothing could prepare me for how good the CSL is to drive. The 3.2-litre straight-six engine howls its way to the rev limiter, the steering does exactly what you want it to do at any given moment and the Cobra bucket seats are perfectly supportive. It’s a sensory delight.
The CSL really gives you the confidence to grab it by the scruff of its neck and enjoy a good road, where its modern equivalents are just too powerful, heavy and refined. The Alpine A110 R is an exception to the rule, but it’s lacking the emotional connection of the BMW for me.
I only had a short time with the CSL, but the impression it left on me will stay forever. Never meet your heroes? What a load of nonsense…
The Toyota Aygo X is a fantastic little car that’s an utter delight to drive. As someone who’s average height for a woman, I find this car to be the perfect size for me – a bit like Goldilocks: not too big, not too small, just right. And as someone who had a Toyota Yaris as their first car, it’s great to see the Aygo X carry over that familiar Toyota feel with its 1.5-litre hybrid.
It’s nippy around town and fun to chuck into corners down country lanes. I really love the look of it too. A hatchback with the styling of a baby SUV? I find it very charming!
Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.
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