Irish Examiner Car of the Year 2025: Full winners list from EVs to family SUVs
Alpine A290
It is time again, dear readers — thanks again to all three of you for your unremitting support — for Examiner Motoring’s annual Car of the Year extravaganza where, oddly, we pick out the outstanding motors we’ve driven during the last 12 months and, yet again, we have a few surprises for you.
So, let’s not dilly-dally and get into the meat of the subject:
The easy winner here was the Skoda Elroq, a smaller, more efficient version of the fantastic Enyaq iV. Although our tester came in a vile green overcoat — a colour which, strangely, proved to be a hit with female critics — this was another winner from the people in Mladá Boleslav.
With a range of 576km from its 82kWh electric motor, it is more capable than most in the class. It also outputs 282bhp, sprints from 0–100km/h in just 6.6 seconds, and has a top speed of 180km/h. While these performance figures are impressive, this car is more about the entire package than any single characteristic.
It is remarkably practical — very family-oriented — and takes all the good things we saw in the Enyaq and makes them better. It is a car that we said, when reviewing it, does nothing exceptional but everything really well. There are few gimmicks here, simply good engineering and design, top-class ride comfort and handling, and an excellent choice of specifications. Another great car from the Czech arm of the VW Group.
The MG Cyberster came out of the blue. We have been — rightly, more often than not — sceptical about some of the early cars hitting Europe from China and, to be frank, some of the early MG models we tried were awful. Cheap but awful. This, however, was a whole other bag of cats.
Startling design — check those fancy scissor doors — and even more startling performance made the Cyberster a true standout. MG said they made it to show what they can do, and they certainly made a point. This was light years ahead of anything the company has thus far shown us and an indication — if it was needed — that the Chinese are going to scare the life out of every motor manufacturer west of Shanghai.
A fantastic piece of kit that performs beyond any reasonable expectation and handles like a good sports car should. A thrilling thing and another example — if it were needed — that the Chinese have the resources and ability to make great cars for a fraction of the price anyone else is charging.
The winner by a mile was the latest — and most extraordinary — BMW M5. Down the years, we have seen six-, eight- and ten-cylinder engines fitted to the M5 — all of which have been sensational in one form or another. This latest version boasts a 4.4-litre V8 twin-turbocharged petrol engine with various hybrid elements.
Despite a massive kerb weight of 2,435kg, it remains one of the most sensational performers you are ever likely to come across. As we pointed out when we reviewed it, you can look to your Ferraris or Zondas — or whatever other supercars you want — for unbelievable performance, but you will pay a king’s ransom for such a thing.
The Beemer is not cheap, but for a fraction of the cost of something from Maranello, or elsewhere, you get similar performance. This thing boasts 717bhp and a 3.5-second 0–100km/h time. That’s nearly Formula One levels of grunt, and while the top speed might be governed, there is more than enough performance here to please even the most demanding punter.
It handles like a racer too and, with four-wheel drive, is as surefooted as any M5 has ever been. Mid-range acceleration is nothing short of devastating. When asked what particularly stood out about this car, I reasoned that you could do things with it at a time and a place that you would never previously have dared attempt. A completely astonishing thing — and it comes as an estate too. I mean, really.
We had previously thought the Dacia Spring was possibly the top dog — for value and range capability — but then we got into the BYD Dolphin Surf. Now, naff name aside, this was a complete game-changer.
We said when reviewing it that this is a car that’s going to take the city car market by storm and will thrash everything else in the city EV market while it is at it.
Ridiculously cheap and surprisingly well appointed, the Dolphin Surf — where do they come up with these names? — is capable of far more than city driving and will take on longer trips with aplomb, thanks to its claimed 320km range. Of course, like all manufacturer claims, the range is not quite as good as stated, but it comes impressively close.
It handles and rides really well and is kitted out with a jaw-dropping level of equipment. For the money, it is easily the best value car on the market right now. But it’s not just cheap — it’s damned good too.
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If ever a company hit a purple patch, it has to be Dacia right now. With owner Renault finally realising that its Romanian arm is capable of selling huge numbers of cars and making serious profits, Dacia has come on in leaps and bounds.
The Duster was always popular and the latest one is fantastic — so much so it was our Car of the Year last year. Since then, the company has introduced the excellent Jogger and the Spring EV, which is nothing short of credibility on wheels.
To add further to its expanding résumé, it introduced the Bigster this year. Now, while the name might raise an eyebrow — — the product itself is brilliant. Large, well equipped and cheap, it is something that will draw punters to the marque in their droves.
It is really good to drive, hugely comfortable and well kitted out, with the entry-level model coming in under €30,000. There is also a wide selection of variants, including a 4x4 version, which we will be reviewing in the new year.
It oozes functionality, practicality and longevity, and it looks smart enough too. And with the entry-level model nearly €10,000 cheaper than some rivals — Tucson, Sportage, RAV4, Qashqai — it’s ridiculously good value. More importantly, it is a commonsense car from a marque finally being allowed to show what it can do.
The Volkswagen Tayron arrived quietly mid-year. Slotting into the range where the Tiguan Allspace once sat — between the Tiguan and the Touareg — it has all the essential DNA of a proper Volkswagen.
Like many of VW’s best cars over the years, the Tayron is fairly unremarkable but does exactly what is expected of it with ease and simplicity. It is not spectacular in any one area, but it has broad appeal across demographics and offers green credentials too.
Some models come as seven-seaters, adding practicality, but the e-Hybrid we tested is not available in that format due to its electric components. This is a very uncomplicated car — hugely practical, family-oriented and a welcome return to form for the Wolfsburg giant.
If the new Renault 5 tugged at your heartstrings, harking back to a golden era for the marque, then what emerged from Alpine’s HQ in Dieppe shortly afterwards felt like a glimpse into the future.
Alpine — now the performance arm of Renault — was tasked with invoking memories of the fire-breathing R5 Turbos of the 1980s. But the company had never built a hot hatch before, nor an EV, making the brief particularly daunting. They rose to the challenge.
Their version of the R5 — which is an excellent car in its own right — is the Alpine 290 GTS, and what a thing it is. Early EVs dazzled with acceleration but often disappointed dynamically. This is different. It is a benchmark EV and the best-driving electric car we have experienced to date.
Yes, the range is tight — 360km claimed, closer to 250km in real-world driving if you enjoy it — but it more than compensates. Based on the new R5, it has a wider track, flared arches and side skirts, excellent brakes and sublime handling.
Amazingly, you can induce understeer if you try. It bends to the driver’s will like few modern cars — exactly what a proper hot hatch should do. Inside and out, it looks fantastic.
This car brings genuine engagement and excitement to EV driving and, in time, will be seen as a true automotive pioneer. Once enthusiasts experience what it can do, it will achieve mythical status.
