Ram 1500 and Ford Ranger Will Battle it Out for 2025 Truck of the Year

The finalists for the North American Car, Truck and Utility were announced at the start of the Los Angeles Auto Show. The winners will be announced on January 10, 2025, at the start of the North American International Auto Show. The 2025 Ram 1500 and the 2025 Ford Ranger will compete with the 2025 Toyota Tacoma for the crown as the top truck of 2025. The field of nine candidates includes two all-electric vehicles and a number of hybrids.

“The competition for these awards will be fierce this year,” said NACTOY President Jeff Gilbert, who is also the automotive reporter for WWJ Radio in Detroit. “We have a well-balanced crop of EVs, hybrids and gasoline-powered vehicles. It will be hard to narrow each category down to just one winner – they’re all great choices.”

The North American Car, Truck and Utility Contenders

North American Truck of the Year Finalists

• Ford Ranger
• Ram 1500
• Toyota Tacoma

North American Car of the Year Finalists

• Honda Civic Hybrid
• Kia K4
• Toyota Camry

North American Utility of the Year Finalists

• Chevrolet Equinox EV
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Volkswagen ID. Buzz

Ram 1500 Versus Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma

The 2025 Ram 1500 has won a number of awards previously typically for value. The new trucks feature a choice of six-cylinder engines: a base V-6 or a twin-turbo inline-six. The new inline-six replaces the old Hemi V-8 but comes in two variations. The turbo-charged RHO version gets up to 540 horsepower. The Ram 155 was recently voted by Cars.com as the Top Pick for a Family Pickup Truck.

The 2025 Ford Ranger is a big pickup in a midsize body. Ford’s popular Ranger includes a Raptor version that can be upgraded to 455 horsepower and 536 lb.-ft. of torque.

The 2025 Toyota Tacoma is the best-selling midsize truck in America. It offers great handling and is known for its off-road versions.

How the Finalists are Chosen

The vehicles were voted on by 50 respected automotive journalists who produce content for a variety of print, broadcast and digital media in the U.S. and Canada. Vehicles are evaluated on innovation, design, performance, driver satisfaction and value. Each juror has their own method for assessing vehicles, but the NACTOY awards are considered some of the most important and trusted.

Jurors will continue evaluating the finalists  over the coming weeks and cast their ballots for the winners before the end of the year. Award recipients will be announced as part of the kickoff for the media days of the Detroit Auto Show.

Ram Photo

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

Follow Mary Conway at @MaryConwayMedia and send her car news tips for future stories.