New cars in 2025 the Drive team would buy

Being across all new-model launches in Australia means Drive gets to sample the bevy of fresh metal in local showrooms, but our reviews are all through the lens of what a prospective buyer would look for in market.

However, with each of our own personal circumstances taken into consideration, there are a few new cars we've thought long and hard about buying ourselves.

Here are the cars launched in 2025 that the Drive team would actually buy.

BYD Atto 1 for sure, it reminds me so much of my little kei cars without the stench of 30-year-old soggy carpet, busted window seals and unreliability from being old.

I have visions of this car dumped as low as possible with cool little wheels on it and maybe even a little body kit, but even without all that, it’s still a cool-looking car.

Plus, it’s so cheap it can’t possibly depreciate as much as every other higher-priced new electric car on the market, so it’s a financially okay decision to make.

Call this cheating, but Honda updated the Civic Type R this year with a new blue colour... which adds some more visual spice to one of the most engaging performance cars money can buy.

Let's be clear, I'm not about to spend - checks notes - $239,837.36 on my perfect G-Wagen, but oooh boy, I would if I could.

It's about time we had a G-Wagen for proper G-Waggening, and by ditching the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 for a 270kW 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo diesel, Mercedes-Benz has given us a much better car for all-terrain adventuring, rather than simply High Street posturing. The breadth of personalisation options means that, for your $240k-ish spend, you can have a pitch-perfect G to travel from one end of the country to the other - and ideally, never park next to another one the same.

As much as I wanted to avoid the cliche, I really couldn't go past the Audi S5 Avant. Sleek wagon styling, genuine practicality, and a punchy turbocharged V6 sending power to all four wheels.

In saying all that, my real-world budget doesn't quite stretch to the $118K price of entry – which is still pretty sharp next to competitors – so it might be a purchase best saved for a few years of depreciation.

Ford Ranger Super Duty, without a doubt. Big payloads, excellent upgrades and serious standard equipment arguably makes this the most fit-for-purpose vehicle on the Australian market. 

I'm a wagon tragic, so the fact that Audi decided to bring the new A5 Avant to Australia excites me at a time when SUVs remain so popular with consumers. It looks awesome, it's luxurious inside, and the plethora of powertrains means that I can get one with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, or a S5 Avant that'll keep up with sports cars. 

The Nissan Qashqai e-Power looks nicer, and drives better, and the CX-30 is appealing as a current Mazda 3 owner, but the Corolla Cross is a safe, efficient and practical choice that would sway me into a Toyota showroom.

Those of you who know me well know that I’ve a particular soft spot for two things in a vehicle: build quality and ride comfort. During 2025, nothing I drove impressed me more with a combination of those two factors than the Lexus RX450h+. 

Throw in low ongoing fuel bills thanks to its plug-in capability, sleek styling and the ability to negotiate a corner crisply and you have a vehicle that wields a beguiling blend of qualities. I’d be quite happy with one of these in my garage for 2026.

It's big, its brash, and it's totally baller - what more could I ask for to ferry the family around in?

Hyundai's new Palisade certainly has presence, and coupled with its new 2.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid system, promises to also be frugal between trips to the bowser as well.

With plenty of space for the kids, plush appointments, and the latest in-cabin technology Hyundai has to offer, the Palisade ticks all the boxes for me in what I need from a new set of wheels.

Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.

Read more about Tung Nguyen