Breaking down the NACTOY long list

Whether or not automotive awards actually mean anything in 2025 is an answer that I’ll leave open to debate. Some automakers still put a value on them, and one of those awards that still carries some weight is the North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards, also known as NACTOY.

Around this time of the year, the organization reveals its long list of vehicles it is considering to win an award in each category. Today was the day that this year’s list was revealed. If you haven’t seen it, here it is.

Since every new vehicle is a “utility vehicle” these days, that list is typically the longest.

To qualify to win, you must have a car sold before the end of the year. For something like the Honda Prelude, Honda will be down to the wire (most likely).

One of the arguments you could make on some of these vehicles — I’m looking at you, Charger — is that an engine option or a trim package justifies a big enough change to be listed separately, but overall this seems to be a quality list.

Now I haven’t driven all of these vehicles (and neither have the jurors yet, to be honest), but I’d predict that the Kia K4 Hatchback and the Nissan Sentra will make it to the final list. The K4 is a solid offering, and the Sentra will likely be priced extremely competitively, making it a no-brainer recommendation.

I drove the new CLA with EQ Technology in Copenhagen earlier this year, and it was excellent. I’d strongly consider giving it the nod if I were a juror. But unless the Prelude is terrible, I can see the jury giving the Charger or Prelude the final nod.

But since I told you I’d give you a prediction, my third prediction on what the jury will choose is the Charger.

Jury prediction: Kia K4 Hatchback, Nissan Sentra, Dodge Charger

Some of the same questions I had about the car section I have about the trucks. However, each year, there are so few totally new trucks that you likely couldn’t even get three consistently, so trims and engine options end up being separate entries.

While it’s not a rule to not choose more than one vehicle from the same manufacturer, it is believed that an OEM submitting more than one vehicle does risk splitting the vote.

My prediction for how the jury will go is the Maverick Lobo, the Ram 1500 Hemi, and the Rivian R1T Quad Motor. I’d argue that the Ram 2500 is newer than adding an engine to the Ram 1500, but people seem to be happy the V8 Hemi is back. As for the two Fords, the Maverick Lobo is a more significant upgrade from a regular Maverick than the F-150 Lobo is from a regular F-150.

Jury prediction: Ford Maverick Lobo, Ram 1500 Hemi, Rivian R1T Quad Motor

There’s a ton of great products in this list, and I think it’ll be difficult for a juror to come up with a top three. There is certainly some product cannibalization going on, with Cadillac submitting three vehicles, Hyundai submitting two, and Toyota submitting two.

Trying to put my mind in the mindset of the jury, I’d have to pick one of the Hyundais. I’ve driven both of them personally, and while I prefer the Ioniq 9 (because it’s even quieter, more refined, and more powerful thanks to the EV powertrain), the new Palisade is very good and very good value.

Assuming the new RAV4 doesn’t stink — I’ll let you know in a few weeks — both Toyotas would make sense. But the RAV is the volume seller, even more affordable, and a quite sensible choice.

While I think you could go any number of ways for the third choice, I’d still think it’d be hard for the jury to deny the value proposition that comes with the Nissan Leaf. It’s likely the least expensive vehicle on the entire list, and I think this year that wins out over some other excellent — though more expensive — utilities on the list.

Jury prediction: Hyundai Palisade, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Leaf

I’ll laugh if none of these predictions are correct, but I’ll be sure to follow up after the short list is announced to see how well I predicted how the jury will go.

If I were on the jury, based on the information that I have right at the time of publication of this piece, I have a reasonably good idea of what I’d choose. This might change in the future, and if I were to be asked to join the jury, I can’t guarantee these would be my final picks, but I have a solid idea of which way I’d go.

My car choices: Nissan Sentra, Kia K4 Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz CLA

I think I’m the right buyer for the Prelude, but it’d be hard to recommend that someone buy a two-door car when most people appreciate the value of having an extra set of doors. I like sports and sporty cars, and I’m happy the Prelude is back (I’d consider buying one if it’s good), but I don’t think I could give it the nod.

As for the truck candidates, I’m going to go with the most significantly changed trucks.

My truck choices: Ford Maverick Lobo, Ram 2500, Rivian R1T Quad Motor

Finally, for the utility options, I think my own choice would mirror some of my predictions for the way the jury will actually go. I like the Ioniq 9 a lot, but I think the Palisade would be more right for more people. I think the new 4Runner is a massive improvement over the outgoing model, but the RAV4 probably makes the most sense. I also can’t get over the pricing of the new Leaf for what you get.

I think the Cadillac Optiq and Vistiq are excellent vehicles and excellent EVs, but there is some cannibalization going on here. Plus, I think the mainstream value sits with something like Leaf over those two.

The Honda and Ford are also likely solid, but the Palisade just checks more boxes for me when you’re looking at the price on the Monroney.

The Cherokee hybrid will be interesting, and could gain some ground in my mind. But overall, this list is big and there’s a ton of stuff on it. Now, if there were a dedicated EV list, it’d make things easier. If there were a dedicated luxury or premium category, it’d also make it easier. But here, today, with what I know right this second, I’m pretty sure this is what I’d go with.

My utility choices: Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Palisade, Toyota RAV4

What do you think? Let me know on BlueSky.

Now for something totally random: