In partnership with
The Kirchner Report is 100% independent automotive journalism. If you want to support our coverage, subscribe for free, become a paid member, or leave a tip.
Earlier this year, the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year (NACTOY) released its long list of eligible vehicles to win its car, truck, or utility vehicle prize. I made some predictions and made a few statements about what I’d pick.
So how did I do? Do I have the “finger on the pulse” of my colleagues? Or am I just an idiot? Let’s find out by taking a look at the short list that just came out at the LA auto show.
Tech moves fast, but you're still playing catch-up?
That's exactly why 100K+ engineers working at Google, Meta, and Apple read The Code twice a week.
Here's what you get:
Curated tech news that shapes your career - Filtered from thousands of sources so you know what's coming 6 months early.
Practical resources you can use immediately - Real tutorials and tools that solve actual engineering problems.
Research papers and insights decoded - We break down complex tech so you understand what matters.
All delivered twice a week in just 2 short emails.
Cars: What automakers used to make
For the car award, I predicted that the jurors would select the Kia K4 Hatchback, the Nissan Sentra, and the Dodge Charger.
The jury selected the Dodge Charger, the Honda Prelude, and the Nissan Sentra. So I was able to select two out of three successfully.
💡Do you have information that you’d like to share? I would love to hear from you. Using a non-work device, you can message me on Signal at chadkirchner.1701, or with another secure communication method.
Trucks: The few and the few
There weren’t many truck contenders this year, and I’d argue there should be even fewer because a trim package isn’t a new or updated model. But I digress. I predicted that the jury would select the Ford Maverick Lobo, the Ram 1500 Hemi, and the Rivian R1T Quad Motor.
The jury selected the Ford Maverick Lobo, the Ram 1500 Hemi, and the Ram 2500. Again, I’m two for three, which is starting to feel like a trend. Even though I said they’d pick the Ram 1500 Hemi, I’m still not convinced I’d consider a V8 option and a silly badge enough to justify an entry, but the F-150 Lobo is also just a sticker package fundamentally.
Utilities: Everything else lives here now
There were a ton of options in the utility category, and this is where I could potentially make the most inaccurate predictions. I said that the jury would select the Hyundai Palisade, the RAV4, and the Nissan Leaf.
The jury went with the Hyundai Palisade, the Lucid Gravity, and the Nissan Leaf. So, I rounded out my guesses at being right two for three, bringing my overall guessing average to 0.667. Julian Sayin is a more accurate passer than I am a NACTOY predictor.
Taking stock
The Lucid on the Utility list isn’t surprising, as their products tend to be pretty good, albeit expensive. The new RAV4 is really good, though, and a popular vehicle. In 2025 and 2026, a really good RAV4 is more likely to move the needle and make waves than an all-electric luxury vehicle.
Looking ahead
I’m going to go ahead and make a prediction for the winners, just so I have a story idea already in the can for January.
For the car of the year, I expect the jury to select the Honda Prelude. For the truck of the year, I expect the jury to select the Ford Maverick Lobo. For the utility of the year, I expect the jury to go with the Lucid Gravity.
Personally, I’d probably go Sentra, Maverick Lobo, and Leaf, because I think for 2026, affordability is going to be more important than ever. We’ll find out in a few weeks.
Updates
11/20/25 13:00 EST: Updated to remove the part about Prelude availability to drive.