Honda CR-V: Car and Driver 2025 10Best Trucks
This compact SUV puts the fun in functional.
The Honda CR-V takes much of what we love about the 39-time 10Best-winning Accord and combines those characteristics with the versatility of an SUV’s rear liftgate and elevated seating position. Both functional and fun to drive, the CR-V is a compact SUV that meets the moment by catering to today’s SUV-obsessed buying public while maintaining a dynamic prowess that rivals that of its lighter and lower mid-size sedan stablemate.
Need a vehicle to haul people or cargo ably? With a low step-in height, the square-bodied CR-V is easy to get into and out of and offers plenty of headroom and legroom for those seated in the front or rear. Meanwhile, a low lift-over height makes it easy to load up to 12 carry-on suitcases in the cargo hold. Fold down the reclining backs of the 60/40 split-folding rear bench, and the CR-V practically becomes a miniature cargo van with its ability to swallow 28 carry-ons.Car and Driver
No less impressive is the CR-V’s interior ergonomics. Generous glass area and a low dashboard afford great sightlines, and the intuitive three-dial HVAC panel avoids overly complicating simple tasks such as adjusting fan speed or turning on and off the available heated front seats. Befitting its family-friendly status, the CR-V also includes a massive storage cubby under the center armrest and an easy-to-access well just ahead of the shift lever.
Motivation comes courtesy of a 190-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder or an available 204-hp hybrid setup. Both offer a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, with the hybrid option giving a big boost to fuel economy (a gain of 9 mpg EPA combined for the front-drive model and 10 mpg for the AWD variant).
At $31,450, the gas-only CR-V undercuts the gas-electric CR-V Hybrid by $4550. Both powertrains net class-competitive acceleration and fuel economy; however, the CR-V Hybrid’s trick direct-drive transmission brings an extra measure of refinement over the turbo four and its continuously variable automatic transmission.ROEPHOTO|Car and Driver
No matter the powertrain, all CR-Vs benefit from a near-perfect ride and handling balance that maintains passenger comfort and keeps body motions at bay, communicative and direct steering, and a firm brake pedal. The result? This SUV packs the dynamic prowess of a lower, lighter vehicle.
With its well-thought-out and roomy interior, efficient and polished powertrains, and engaging dynamics, the CR-V—much like the Accord—proves practicality and driving enjoyment are not mutually exclusive concepts. It’s why Honda’s compact SUV once again earns a spot on our 10Best Trucks list.
Specifications
Honda CR-V
Base: $31,450–$37,500
Power: 190–204 hp
PERFORMANCE
60 mph: 7.9–8.1 sec
EPA Combined: 28–40 mpg
Senior Editor
Despite their shared last name, Greg Fink is not related to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s infamous Rat Fink. Both Finks, however, are known for their love of cars, car culture, and—strangely—monogrammed one-piece bathing suits. Greg’s career in the media industry goes back more than a decade. His previous experience includes stints as an editor at publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Huffington Post, Motor1.com, and MotorTrend.
Genesis GV70: Car and Driver 2025 10Best Trucks
A repeat winner from a brand whose story is still only beginning.By Jonathon RamseyPublished: Dec 3, 2024
Save Article
John Roe|Car and Driver
The biblical book of Genesis is usually broached when discussing beginnings—you know, light and dark, land and sea, cattle and cuttlefish in seven days or so. But this opening chapter covers a mighty span, extending to Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and his menagerie, the tower of Babel, Abraham and Sarah and Isaac, and the 12 tribes of Israel.
That’s a surprisingly meaty opening act, a slow burn from formlessness to a cast of star players subtly resetting the landscape. Turns out the Genesis brand has mimicked that story arc. It started with the Hyundai Concept Genesis in 2003; it culminates in today’s lineup of seriously impressive sedans and SUVs.
The range now includes the brand’s first three-time 10Best winner, the GV70, a compact luxury SUV. (The G70 sports sedan won in 2019, the GV80 in 2020.) Checking it out from any angle, especially the driver’s seat, reveals why.Car and Driver
Not long ago, many feared fuel-economy restrictions and EV efficiency would turn cars into super-smooth lozenges. That hasn’t happened. Yet, while there are no ugly ducklings among a competitive set that includes the Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, BMW X3, and Volvo XC60, none of them come close to the GV70’s panache.
The rakish shape that aces the eye test comes with two minor compromises. The sloped roof shaves some rear headroom and cargo room. And because designers didn’t make noticeable aero concessions for the Electrified GV70, not even downsizing it from 20-inch wheels, the EV’s EPA-estimated range comes in at 236 miles. That’s about 40 miles below claimed EPA range for the Audi SQ6 e-tron and 50 miles below that of the Porsche Macan 4S Electric.
The rewards are more elegance, refined detailing inside, and a bouquet of tech, for prices thousands less than equivalently equipped competition. Even the entry-level model comes with contrasting cross-stitching and piping, a 14.5-inch infotainment display, a full slate of driver-assistance systems, and intricate wheels that don’t scream “base trim.” All this starts under $48,000. Our pick of the lineup, the 2.5T Advanced trim, adds enough luxuries to elevate every aspect of the experience and still rings in under $54,000. Climb further up the ladder, and the GV70 gets downright indulgent.John Roe|Car and Driver
We’re fans of every powertrain too. The 300-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder whisks the GV70 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. The twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 adds 75 horses and abbreviates the sprint to 4.6 seconds. Both engines are exceptionally polished. The Electrified GV70 maxes out both power and poise, its dual motors delivering 483 horsepower, a 3.8-second blast to 60 mph, and exceptional quiet. Each variant offers crisp dynamics, although they’re tuned for excellent comfort as opposed to ultimate handling. The 3.5-liter gives fan service to enthusiasts, with its standard adaptive dampers and launch-control programming and an optional limited-slip rear differential.
Checking the boxes for great looks, room for four adults, a healthy feature set, sparkling powertrains, splendid luxury, and remarkable value, the GV70 made an easy first-ballot case for 10Best inclusion. And we have a feeling this chapter of Genesis is still just getting started.
Volkswagen ID.Buzz: Car and Driver 2025 10Best Trucks
The minivan, larger than life.By Ezra DyerPublished: Dec 3, 2024Save Article
Greg Pajo|Car and Driver
Minivans aren’t supposed to make a statement. A minivan is supposed to blend in and go unnoticed. When minivans try to be cool, the effect is like a dad co-opting teen slang—specifically, the word “cringe.” That’s because a van’s pragmatic mission is fundamentally at odds with the fantasies of adventure that lend a pretext of cool to the minivan’s outdoorsy rival, the three-row SUV.
Extolling the virtues of a minivan is an exercise in proving a negative—you didn’t get annoyed while driving five kids to a birthday party. And while there is luxury in competence, there’s not much romance. We would have said this was an unsolvable problem until we drove the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz, a rolling transgression against minivan dogma.Car and Driver
Every other company seems to figure that since minivans are prima-facie uncool, they may as well be ruthlessly efficient in every way possible. With the ID.Buzz, Volkswagen trades some convenience in the name of style and performance, and why not? If you need third-row seats that fold into the floor, you’ve got other options. If you want a minivan that hits 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and looks like a cartoon doodle made real, this is it. The Buzz is the most whimsical van that doesn’t have a wizard airbrushed on the side of it. Style may be subjective, but it seems that most everybody loves the Buzz’s retro one-box shape, especially when it’s wearing one of the two-tone paint schemes. If you don’t think this is a fun design, well, you know, that’s just like, uh, your opinion, man.
Oftentimes, a car company presents a concept car to rave reviews, decides to build it, and then delivers a production version that’s like a bad wax-museum facsimile of the original. That didn’t happen here because Volkswagen committed to engineering its way past the challenges presented by the Buzz’s slick shape. For example, the flush side glass dictated rear side windows that slide sideways rather than roll down. The huge expanse of roof meant that a conventional sunroof would turn the interior into an oven on a summer day, so VW used electrochromic glass—more than 15 square feet of it—that can switch between clear and opaque with the swipe of a finger. And the Buzz’s tow hitch swings out from behind the bumper and is completely hidden when not in use, another example of VW’s commitment to the concept-sleek aesthetic.Greg Pajo|Car and Driver
And beneath the razzle-dazzle exterior, this is still a van—power-sliding doors, seating for six or seven, cubbies and cupholders galore. The view out is expansive, the ride is luxury-car smooth, and the cabin is hushed at highway speeds. The ID.Buzz makes good on its hefty promises, fusing nostalgia and futurism in an imminently useful package. The novelty is fun, but once it wears off, what’s left is a machine we’re always glad to celebrate: an excellent van.
Specifications
Volkswagen ID.Buzz
Base: $61,545–$69,545
Power: 282–335 hp
PERFORMANCE
60 mph (C/D est): 5.5–6.5 sec
EPA Combined: 80–83 MPGe
Senior Editor
Ezra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive.
