For the 2025 Awards, we’ve had a bit of a reorganisation. When it comes to large family vehicles, the line between ‘car’ and ‘SUV’ has become so blurred that it’s effectively pointless. So we’ve grouped them together.
Instead, we’ve separated large cars into mainstream and premium as that tends to better reflect how real-world car buyers look for their next vehicle. The badge, price tag (or monthly payments) and feature list tend to be more important than the body style, although customers are overwhelmingly choosing SUV-style cars instead of conventional hatchback/saloon/estate models – even if they’re no more practical and no more spacious (and have limited off-roading capabilities).
The eligible cars this year were:
Our awards recognise both the best new models launched over the last 12 months and the best overall cars in each category – because newest doesn’t always mean best.
Best new large car + class champion: Hyundai Santa Fe (84%)
Over the last few years, Hyundai has launched car after car that all do the boring family stuff brilliantly without having to look like boring family cars. The new Santa Fe is no exception.
Inside and out, the Santa Fe’s styling makes a bold statement without compromising practicality. It makes other seven-seat SUVs look underdone, overpriced, or both.
Class champion, electric: Volkswagen ID. Buzz (77%)
Large cars come in all shapes and sizes, as Volkswagen is here to remind us. The ID. Buzz proves that SUVs don’t have to be the default choice for families and that MPVs can be cool.
Now available in a longer seven-seat version, which joined the five-seat models earlier this year, the ID. Buzz has impressed reviewers with its style and practicality. The only thing really working against it is a high price tag, which limits the number that you see on UK roads.