The 5 Best EVs You Can Buy In 2025, According To Consumer Reports

Electric vehicles promise a lower cost of ownership, quick acceleration, quiet rides, and the opportunity for a more spacious cabin that isn’t constrained by the limits of a gasoline powertrain. They also offer the opportunity to never visit a gas station ever again. Some enthusiasts may miss having a manual transmission and an actual exhaust note, but for most people, EVs are basically the ideal daily drivers. The only problem is, it can be hard to tell which ones live up to their promises and which ones fall short. 

The good news is, our friends over at Consumer Reports recently put together a list of the EVs that performed the best in its testing, while also offering the safety and reliability that you want out of a new car. This isn’t just a list of the EVs with the highest overall score, either, since that isn’t always super helpful. Instead, they broke the list down into five different categories and made recommendations based on which EV scored the highest in that particular segment. Let’s take a look at which vehicles topped Consumer Reports’ list in each category. 

If you’re on the hunt for a good old electric sedan, Consumer Reports says you should skip the Tesla Model 3 and get the Hyundai Ioniq 6 instead. The styling is a little controversial, but the benefit is better aerodynamics, and a more slippery design means better range. Depending on the size of the battery and the configuration you go for, the Ioniq 6 offers between 240 and 361 miles of range, and when you run out of juice, it also offers seriously fast charging. 

The Ioniq 6 doesn’t have the biggest trunk in the world, and CR didn’t love the window and mirror controls, but it’s still quick, comfortable and probably more spacious than you might expect based on the design. If you want something with more of a hatchback-like shape, though, CR’s second-ranked electric car is the Kia Niro EV. It’s front-wheel drive and doesn’t quite have the range of a higher-end Ioniq 6 or its fast charging, but as far as practical daily drivers go, the electric Niro is still a compelling, relatively affordable EV.

The BMW 3 Series is one of the best-reviewed gas-powered sport sedans, and the BMW i4 is basically an electric 3 Series with a liftback. As it turns out, that’s a recipe for a seriously compelling EV. Some of the controls could take some getting used to, and you may wish the rear seat were larger, but aside from those two, relatively small issues, there really isn’t much to complain about with the i4. 

It’s quick, sporty, offers a nicely put together cabin, the seats are comfortable, and it’s also Consumer Reports’ top-ranked electric luxury sedan. On the low end, an i4 M50 on 20-inch wheels only gets 227 miles of range, but if you’re really concerned about range, there’s always the i4 eDrive 40 on 18-inch wheels that gets 318 miles. Either way, you’ll get a sporty, fun-to-drive EV that’s also incredibly quiet for those times when you aren’t carving canyons and just want to relax. If you want more space, though, CR’s second-ranked electric luxury sedan is the larger i5, which is more or less, you guessed it, the electric version of the 5 Series.

If all you care about is the car itself, the best two-row crossover that Consumer Reports has reviewed is the recently refreshed Tesla Model Y. It’s quick, corners well, offers solid range and can charge on Tesla’s Supercharger network, which road trippers will appreciate. That said, the ride and controls still aren’t great, there’s no support for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and every dollar you spend on a Tesla helps enrich Elon Musk, who made it his personal mission to destroy the federal government from within. 

Those of you who prefer not to enrich a guy who’s responsible for babies being born with HIV, Consumer Reports’ second-ranked two-row electric crossover is the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which is also quick, sporty, and quiet. As far as range is concerned, there’s one Mach-E that offers only 240 miles, but if you don’t need all-wheel drive, Ford offers a version that’s rated at 320 miles.

Most of the categories on this list include more than one option that Consumer Reports recommends. If you’re looking for an electric minivan replacement, though, CR says there’s only one SUV worth considering: the Kia EV9. EPA range can be as low as 230 miles, but frequent road trippers will probably want the long-range version and its 304 miles of range. You probably won’t want to carve canyons in this family hauler, but it’s spacious, comfortable and charges pretty fast, which you’ll appreciate on a road trip. 

In fact, even if you have the budget for a luxury EV, if you want that third row, Consumer Reports says you should still seriously consider the EV9. It might not have the most prestigious badge that you can afford, but in CR’s testing, it outperformed the more expensive Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Tesla Model X and Rivian R1S. Even if it isn’t perfect, that’s some seriously high praise for a Kia.

Sometimes you want something a little fancy, and as long as you can afford it, you know what? That’s okay. If that “something fancy” happens to be an electric crossover, then Consumer Reports says you won’t do better than the Genesis GV60. It looks outstanding, and the cabin is just as nice, if not nicer, than you may have been expecting. The styling means some compromises have to be made when it comes to rearward visibility, but it’s a lot easier to forgive that when the GV60 looks as good as it does. 

The performance version is only rated at 235 miles, but the longest-range version still does a commendable 294 miles. You’ll have to give up all-wheel drive if you want to squeeze every mile out of the GV60 that you can, but it’s the same story with pretty much every other EV, too. Could you buy from brands with more prestigious badges and longer histories? Sure. But in Consumer Reports’ testing, the GV60 beat them all. Plus, you can’t forget it also looks great.