The year is drawing to a close, and after reflecting on the best BMWs we drove in 2025, it felt like the right moment to formalize something we’ve been doing informally for years: naming our BMWBLOG Car of the Year award winners.
This is only the second time we’re officially presenting these awards, but the motivation remains the same. BMW owners and enthusiasts constantly ask us a simple question: Which BMW would you actually buy? After a year spent driving, testing, filming, and living with more than 50 different BMWs across continents and segments, these awards are our clearest answer yet.
The small jury consisted of BMWBLOG editors and contributors, each bringing their own priorities — from daily usability and long-term ownership appeal to emotional connection and technical innovation. While the criteria were intentionally open-ended, patterns quickly emerged. Some cars didn’t just impress once — they kept coming up again and again.
Here are the winners of the BMWBLOG 2025 Car of the Year Awards.
BMW M Car of the Year — BMW M2 CS
Few modern BMWs have united our editorial team the way the M2 CS did.
Yes, it’s expensive. Yes, it’s uncompromising. And no, it’s not pretending to be anything other than a hardcore M car. But that’s precisely why it won. The M2 CS represents BMW M at its most focused: compact proportions, real power, genuine rear-drive attitude, and a sense that the engineers were allowed to still make drivers’ cars.
Multiple editors independently landed on the M2 CS as their M Car of the Year, with some calling it the most complete modern M car BMW currently builds. In a lineup that includes everything from the M3 and M4 Competition to heavyweight performance sedans, the M2 CS stood out by doing less — and doing it better.
Notable mentions: M2 Manual, M3/M4 Competition, M4 CS.
BMW Electric Car of the Year — BMW iX3
The most decisive result in this year’s voting came in the electric category.
The iX3 earned broad support not because it was flashy, but because it quietly reframed expectations. It delivers the clearest picture yet of where BMW’s EV philosophy is heading — one that prioritizes driving balance, intuitive technology, and real-world usability over spec-sheet theatrics.
Several editors noted that while they’ve driven faster EVs, the iX3 feels more BMW than most electric SUVs to date. Others pointed to its technology stack, performance consistency, and overall execution as evidence that BMW’s next generation of EVs is arriving with confidence, not experimentation.
Even editors who hadn’t yet driven the iX3 felt its importance was undeniable. That rarely happens.
Notable mentions: i4, i5, iX
BMW SUV of the Year — BMW iX3
Yes, the iX3 appears twice — and intentionally so.
While BMW’s SUV lineup remains one of the most competitive in the industry, the iX3 stood out as the most complete package in 2025. It blends everyday practicality with EV refinement in a way that feels natural rather than forced, and several editors highlighted how comfortable it is as a daily driver without losing its sense of engagement.
The X5 50e remains a benchmark plug-in hybrid, and the iX continues to divide opinions while excelling technically. But when the votes were counted, the iX3 emerged as the SUV that best represents BMW’s present and future.
Notable mentions: X5 xDrive50e, iX
BMW Best Value Car of the Year — BMW M340i
The BMW M340i quietly reminded us this year that fun doesn’t have to be that expensive.
Performance cars and EVs often grab headlines, but value lives in the intersection of everyday usability, performance, technology, and price — and that’s where the M340i excels. For many of us on the team, it’s the car we’d actually recommend to friends, family, or anyone who wants a well-rounded BMW without the premium sticker of an M Car or EV flagship.
The G20 M340i gets everything right: the B58 engine continues to be one of BMW’s greatest modern powerplants, delivering smooth, linear torque and a sense of effortless urgency in daily driving. The chassis balances comfort with confidence, making the 3 Series as capable on a canyon road as it is on the highway. Interior tech feels current without being gimmicky, and the car’s overall package punches well above its price point.
Several editors called it the best daily BMW of the year — essentially what you should buy if you want the essence of BMW performance without compromising practicality or breaking the bank.
Notable mentions: 330i, i4 eDrive35, X3 xDrive30i
The BMWBLOG 2025 Car of the Year is the BMW M2 CS
When all categories were stripped away and one question remained — Which BMW best defines the brand right now? — the answer circled back to the same car.
Some editors argued passionately for the Z4 M40i manual as the purest expression of traditional BMW values. Others pointed to the iX3 as the most strategically important car BMW makes today. Both arguments are valid. But the M2 CS ultimately won because it captures something increasingly rare: a modern BMW that feels unapologetically built for enthusiasts.
In an era of electrification, automation, and escalating complexity, the M2 CS stands as a reminder that BMW still knows how to make a car that prioritizes feel, feedback, and driver involvement — without compromise.
That matters.
Final Winners at a Glance
- BMW M Car of the Year: BMW M2 CS
- BMW Electric Car of the Year: BMW iX3
- BMW SUV of the Year: BMW iX3
- BMW Car of the Year: BMW M2 CS
