Jeep, Dodge, and Subaru EVs top 2025 Best of the Bay awards

 

PETALUMA, Calif. – Oct. 20, 2025: The 2025 JEEP WAGONEER S, an electric SUV, has been named 2025’s Best Overall Vehicle in the annual Best of the Bay awards, handed out this week by Northern California’s top automotive journalists. 

BEST OF THE BAY: OVERALL WINNER – 2025 JEEP WAGONEER S The judges, all members of Western Automotive Journalists (WAJ), heaped praise on the Jeep, calling it “a top-notch vehicle, with comfort, upscale appointments, and a 300-mile range. Road trip? Let’s go!” Jurors appreciated the Jeep’s quiet and comfortable ride, capabilities, and how it moves the Jeep brand into the future. One juror said the Wagoneer “carries on the great Jeep tradition. Except this is an EV. Supremely quiet, very classy, and great value for money.” The competition for the top honor was fierce, and the Jeep fought off a strong showing by the all-new 2026 SUBARU SOLTERRA XT, an EV crossover. Said one judge, “the power of the new electric drivetrain, the all-wheel-drive, Subaru’s safety features, decent range for adventure, and the in-cabin technology make this car a winner.” The judges also issued awards today for best vehicles in various price categories, and an award for best technology.

BEST OF THE BAY: BEST VEHICLE UNDER $50,000 (as tested) – 2026 SUBARU SOLTERRA XT With the average price of a new car now exceeding $50,000, the 2025 Best of the Bay in the under $50,000 category is the 2026 SUBARU SOLTERRA XT, an all-new, electric crossover. Jurors praised the Solterra XT for its comfortable driving experience, thoughtful technology, and value. “With the new electric motors, increased power, comfortable ride, and other improvements, the Solterra feels like a bargain at $48,000,” JEEP, DODGE, and SUBARU EVs top 2025 Best of the Bay awards said one juror. Added another, “Subaru has substantially upped its EV game with the Solterra. Everything from the dual, wireless phone chargers to the snazzy steering wheel make this the best bargain in the bunch.” The runner up in this value category is the KIA SPORTAGE HYBRID. Said one juror: “Kia continues to amaze. Solid platform, beautiful interior. Very close to perfect.”

BEST OF THE BAY: BEST VEHICLE UNDER $75,000 (as tested) – 2025 JEEP WAGONEER S Judges were taken with the 2025 JEEP WAGONEER S, an all-electric, midsized SUV. Said one, “Outstanding road manners. Powerful powertrain. Quick, solid, quiet, and handsome. Great sound system. Excellent value.” Added another voter, “The Wagoneer S gets a big WOW due to its size, style, and range of nearly 300 miles.” The runners up in this category (with judge’s comments) are the 2026 HONDA PASSPORT TRAILSPORT (“Handsome styling, outstanding comfort, roominess, and perfect ergonomics. Rugged off-road capability with excellent on road discipline. Sweet free revving V6 engine.”), the 2026 GENESIS GV60 (“The GV60 is one of those rare cars where everything just feels right.”), and the 2025 KIA EV6 GT AWD (“the Kia EV6 GT boosts performance without taking away any of the value it delivers as a sharp-looking, highly functional EV.”)

BEST OF THE BAY: BEST VEHICLE OVER $75,000 – 2026 DODGE CHARGER DAYTONA EV The winner in the highest priced category is a reinvented, electric muscle car. Judges praised 2026 DODGE CHARGER DAYTONA EV for using a modern, electric drivetrain while making the Charger fun to drive. Said one judge, “They’ve made the Charger look, feel, and sound as much like an old school muscle car as possible --while making it non-polluting, faster, smoother, and better handling.” Proclaimed another judge, “If this car had been the first electric vehicle sold in America, we’d all be driving EVs by now.” Judges praised the unique, “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust,” a synthetic sound system that amps up the fun. The runner up is the brand-new 2026 HYUNDAI IONIQ 9, a 7-passenger, electric luxury SUV. The judges were impressed with both the serene driving experience and the relative value of the Hyundai. “As the EV complement to the new Hyundai Palisade, it conveys luxury at a price well below what one might expect. It’s smooth, quiet, and the interior space is remarkable.” Said another judge, simply, “Way ahead of the curve! Outstanding!” 

BEST OF THE BAY: BEST TECHNOLOGY – SYNTHESIZED SOUNDS FOR EVS The judges named synthetic sounds for EVs as their favorite innovation in 2025. They cited the systems in the DODGE CHARGER DAYTONA EV (Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust) and the KIA EV6 GT (Active Sound Design). 

By boosting the emotional connection and entertainment value of EVs, the judges were surprised by how much these systems boosted the appeal of electric propulsion systems. “I thought synthesized sounds would be too gimmicky, but the way Dodge and Kia/Hyundai have implemented them really add to the entertainment value of their vehicles,” said one judge. Said another, “aside from the fun-factor, they do provide audio feedback during sporty driving about what the drivetrain is doing. I wouldn’t use it a lot, but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.” The judges also praised the SUBARU SOLTERRA XT EV for it’s perfectly placed, dual wireless phone chargers. Said one judge, “They put a passenger seat in the car. That means you’ll have a passenger. And guess what that passenger’s going to have? A phone! Subaru is saving marriages here.” Also receiving praise from the judges were several vehicles that are bucking the “every control in a screen menu” trend, by using hard, permanent knobs and buttons for commonly used controls – like climate and entertainment. Judges cited switchgear in the 2025 LEXUS LX700h, the 2026 HONDA PASSPORT, the 2026 HYUNDAI IONIQ 9, the 2026 GENESIS GV60 and 2026 GENESIS GV70. Judges also praised attention monitoring systems, that track the driver’s eyes and sound an audible alert when the driver’s eyes are away from the road for too long. 

BEST OF THE BAY JURORS: WHAT WOULD YOU BUY? Finally, WAJ asked all jurors, after they evaluated all contending vehicles, which they would buy “with their own money.” Not surprisingly, when spending their own funds, personal taste led to the jurors in vastly different directions. But the variety of their choices does tell you just how many excellent vehicles were considered this year. All told, 8 different Best of the Bay contenders were coveted by jurors (editor’s note: All vehicles were duly returned to the manufacturers after evaluation!). 

GENESIS GV60 

GENESIS GV70 

HONDA PASSPORT TRAILSPORT 

HYUNDAI IONIQ 9 

KIA SPORTAGE HYBRID AWD 

LUCID AIR 

SUBARU SOLTERRA 

TOYOTA 4RUNNER 

Best of the Bay is an annual awards event. Jurors are working automotive journalists and content creators, members of WAJ, a non-profit professional association of automotive journalists in the Bay Area.