The Best SUVs of 2025: What the Rankings Don’t Tell You

The 2025 model year is peak SUV saturation. Everyone has a list, every brand has a “best-in-class” claim, and most buyers just see noise. This week’s wave of rankings and early drives finally gives a clearer picture of which SUVs actually deserve attention—and which ones are just loud in the brochure.

Below, we break down the recurring winners across U.S. News, MotorTrend, Road & Track, Edmunds, Motor1 and more, then layer in what they mean in the real world: family use, luxury feel, EV usability and long-term reliability.

Midsize Main Event: Kia Telluride vs The Luxury Crowd

Kia Telluride: The People’s Champ

U.S. News crowns the 2025 Kia Telluride as the best midsize SUV with a massive 9.5/10 overall score.¹ That’s a number usually reserved for luxury badges, and it’s no accident.

Why it keeps winning:

Three-row space that actually fits adults in row three
Upscale cabin and tech that feel a price bracket higher
Smooth V6 and comfortable tuning ideal for family duty
Strong value retention and resale for a non-luxury badge

If you want one SUV to do everything—school runs, long road trips, light towing—the Telluride remains the safest all-round bet in 2025. This is the new Camry of family SUVs, in the best possible way.

Luxury Midsize: Mercedes GLE & BMW X5

U.S. News puts the 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class and 2025 BMW X5 on equal footing with 9.1/10 scores.¹ Both justify their ratings—but for very different types of buyers.

Mercedes GLE (including GLE 450e):

Comfort-first tuning and quieter cabin
Polished MBUX infotainment and high-end materials
The GLE 450e plug‑in hybrid stands out: useful EV-only range for daily commutes with long-haul gas backup²

BMW X5:

More athletic, “car-like” handling
Strong powertrains and rewarding steering
Interior doesn’t scream as loud as Mercedes, but feels better behind the wheel

Who should buy what:

Daily luxury cruiser, lots of highway time, you like silence and comfort → GLE
You still enjoy driving, want something that feels like a big 5‑Series → X5
You want most of the space and comfort for far less money → Telluride

Compact & Subcompact: BMW X1 Steals the Spotlight

Across multiple outlets, one name keeps bubbling up: 2025 BMW X1.

MotorTrend ranks it the #1 SUV on its tested list with an 8.6/10 score.³
Edmunds calls it out in its best luxury SUVs video as a benchmark in the small‑lux class.²

What makes the X1 such a standout:

Genuinely premium cabin in a small footprint
BMW’s sharp steering and surprisingly playful chassis
Strong fuel economy (up to 24 city / 33 highway mpg) for a luxury SUV³
Space efficiency: more usable than many “bigger” rivals

If you don’t need three rows and want a small SUV that feels expensive without moving into X3/X5 money, the X1 is the 2025 sweet spot.

Value Play: Chevrolet Trax

Road & Track names the 2025 Chevrolet Trax its top subcompact SUV pick, with a base price around $21,495.⁴ It isn’t chasing luxury; it’s chasing honesty.

Budget pricing and simple, clean design
Reasonable space and modern tech for first-time buyers
Not quick, not flashy—just solid

The Trax proves you don’t need to spend luxury money to get an SUV that works for daily life.

Big-Rig Luxury: Escalade, Wagoneer & GLS

Cadillac Escalade / Escalade ESV

MotorTrend puts the 2025 Cadillac Escalade / Escalade ESV at the top of its large SUV rankings with an 8.2/10 rating.³ It’s the textbook definition of excess:

Massive interior space—especially in ESV form
Tech-heavy cabin with big OLED screens
Old-school consumption: up to 14 city / 19 highway mpg³

For buyers who want rolling presence more than efficiency, the Escalade is still the icon.

Jeep Wagoneer: The Utility Take on Mega-SUVs

U.S. News, meanwhile, dubs the 2025 Jeep Wagoneer the best large SUV overall.¹ It trades some Cadillac polish for:

Strong towing and 4x4 credibility
A more upright, practical interior feel
American road‑trip vibes with a Jeep badge

If you plan to actually use your three rows and tow regularly, the Wagoneer can make more sense than an Escalade.

Mercedes GLS & Lexus GX: Luxury in Different Flavors

In Edmunds’ luxury SUV rundown, the Mercedes GLS and new‑generation Lexus GX both feature prominently.²

GLS: S‑Class attitude in SUV form—quiet, plush, three-row comfort
GX: Boxy, body‑on‑frame, and adventure‑ready; more Land Cruiser than mall crawler

If your weekends involve off‑road trails more than valet stands, the GX will feel more authentic than a GLS or Escalade.

EV & Plug‑In SUVs: Mustang Mach‑E, iX, GV70 EV & Friends

The electric SUV field is maturing fast, and 2025’s lists reflect that.

Ford Mustang Mach‑E: Still the Benchmark EV SUV

MotorTrend ranks the 2025 Ford Mustang Mach‑E as its top EV SUV with a 9.2/10 score.³ Despite fiercely increased competition, it remains the electric SUV to beat for many shoppers.

Why it still matters:

Engaging driving dynamics, especially in higher trims
Competitive range and charging curves
Pricing that undercuts many premium EV rivals

If you want an EV that feels like a proper driver’s car without Porsche money, the Mach‑E is still the safe pick.

BMW iX & Genesis GV70 EV: Quietly Brilliant

Edmunds’ 2025/2026 luxury list highlights two EVs that don’t shout, but absolutely deliver:²

BMW iX: Odd-looking but incredibly refined and smooth, with a top-tier premium EV cabin
Genesis Electrified GV70: Underdog luxury EV SUV with punchy performance and an interior that rivals European stalwarts

These are the EVs for buyers who want luxury first, electric second.

Plug‑In Hybrids: GLE 450e & Volvo XC60 PHEV

Not everyone is ready for full EVs. Plug‑in hybrids like the Mercedes GLE 450e and Volvo XC60 Recharge PHEV offer a compromise:²

Daily commuting on electricity alone in many cases
Gas engine ready for long trips
Lower running costs without charge‑anxiety on road trips

For suburban families with home charging but frequent long drives, these PHEVs may be the smartest 2025 SUV choice.

What’s Coming Next: BMW X3 & Genesis GV70 Refresh

2025 isn’t just about what’s in showrooms now; several future models are already shaping the conversation.

All‑New 2025 BMW X3

TractionLife highlights the 2025 BMW X3 as one of the key SUVs worth waiting for:⁵

Completely new fourth‑gen platform
Renamed trims: X3 30 xDrive and X3 M50 xDrive
The “i” suffix is now reserved only for EVs moving forward, signaling BMW’s naming rethink

Expect the X3 to push closer to X5 levels of refinement, tightening the gap in BMW’s lineup and putting pressure on rivals like the GLC and Q5.

2026 Genesis GV70

Car and Driver calls the Genesis GV70 a “luxury‑SUV superstardom” case, with the 2026 model getting design and interior tweaks.⁶

Genesis is already on many lists (including Edmunds’) as a top luxury SUV choice; a refreshed GV70 will only sharpen that edge—and continue to undercut German rivals on price.

Reliability: The Silent Deal‑Breaker

Amid all the performance and tech talk, a recurring theme in this week’s coverage is reliability and long‑term cost of ownership. A popular YouTube breakdown of “9 SUVs So Reliable You’ll Never Regret Buying” leans into familiar heroes:⁷

Strong reliability histories
High resale values
Sensible running costs

Names like Toyota and Honda inevitably dominate those lists, and while they’re not always the most exciting choices, they’re often the ones owners come back to… repeatedly.

When you cross‑shop the “best of 2025” with the “most reliable” lists, the real winners are the models that appear on both—SUVs like the Kia Telluride and several Toyota crossovers.

The 2025 SUV Shortlist: Who Should Buy What

If you boil this week’s rankings, road tests and future previews down to actual buyer needs, the 2025 SUV landscape looks like this:

Best all‑round family SUV:
Kia Telluride – space, comfort, value and owner satisfaction are tough to beat.¹
Best small luxury SUV:
BMW X1 – premium feel and fun-to-drive character packed into a compact footprint.³²
Best big luxury bruiser:
Cadillac Escalade / Jeep Wagoneer – Escalade for glam and tech, Wagoneer for towing and road‑trip utility.³¹
Best EV SUV for drivers:
Ford Mustang Mach‑E – still the most engaging mainstream electric SUV.³
Best value subcompact SUV:
Chevrolet Trax – honest pricing and practicality from a trusted badge.⁴
Best plug‑in luxury SUV combo:
Mercedes GLE 450e / Volvo XC60 PHEV – smooth transitions into electrified ownership.²
Most important upcoming SUV to watch:
2025 BMW X3 – all‑new model that will set the tone in the competitive premium compact class.⁵

In a market this crowded, “best” really depends on what you need. The 2025 lists finally give buyers a sharper filter: buy for your use‑case first, the badge second, and the spec sheet last.

References & Links

U.S. News – Best SUVs for 2025 (Kia Telluride, Mercedes GLE, BMW X5, Jeep Wagoneer rankings): https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/rankings/suvs ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵
Edmunds on YouTube – These Are the Best Luxury SUVs of 2025 and 2026 (BMW X1, Mercedes GLB/GLS/GLE 450e, Genesis GV70, BMW iX, Volvo XC60 PHEV, Genesis EV GV70, Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLXC_7LkDpA ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷
MotorTrend – Best SUVs for 2025 – Tested Top Picks (BMW X1, Cadillac Escalade, Ford Mustang Mach‑E): https://www.motortrend.com/rankings/suvs ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸
Road & Track – Best SUVs for 2025 (Subcompact pick: Chevrolet Trax, plus broader SUV segment insights): https://www.roadandtrack.com/rankings/g44466458/best-suvs/ ↩ ↩²
TractionLife – 2025 SUVs Worth Waiting For (all‑new BMW X3 details and other upcoming models): https://tractionlife.com/2025-suvs-worth-waiting-for-new-and-redesigned-models-only/ ↩ ↩²
Car and Driver – Future Cars: What We Know So Far (Genesis GV70 updates and other future models): https://www.caranddriver.com/future-cars/ ↩
YouTube – 9 SUVs So Reliable You’ll Never Regret Buying Them (ownership, reliability and resale focus): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D4jB4saHFQ ↩