Here Are The Best (And Weirdest) Things The Autopian Staff Drove In 2025

Year-end lists are always fun at car websites because they allow writers like me to look back on the year and reminisce on all the stuff I did in this wonderful dream job of mine. Yesterday, my colleague David highlighted all of the awesome stories we wrote in 2025, and now, I’m here to tell you about all of the coolest (and weirdest) things we drove (and flew) over the past 365 days.

Of course, because this is The Autopian, our favorite cars of the year are a bit different from every other car site on the internet, simply because our interests vary wildly from the average car writer (which is the whole reason why you, the reader, likely come to this website at all).

This year, I asked around in The Autopian’s Slack channel to find out which vehicle left the biggest mark in each writer’s brain, and I got a lot of great answers. In a couple of cases, the answers I got weren’t even cars. Let’s get into it.

Two Weirdly Similar American Legends

This year, I drove two cars that felt far more similar than I could possibly have expected. The first was the Ford Mustang GTD, which, with over 800 horsepower, you’d think would be a deathtrap to sling around Thermal Raceway. But no, it was downright EASY for me — an average track driver, at best — to just hammer into and out of those tight corners. It was awesome.

More recently, I had a chance to drive one of the best cars I’ve ever experienced: Carroll Shelby’s own, Chrysler-powered Detomaso Pantera. How the hell that old 1980s engine felt as powerful and responsive as it did remains beyond me. It felt similar to the GTD in certain ways — with silky-smooth ridiculous power located just aft of the driver. It was awesome, and maybe the most surprising driving experience of my lifetime, because that 40-year-old car made power almost like a new car. More on this special machine next year.

– David Tracy, Editor-In-Chief, Co-Founder

A Forlorn Nissan Taxi With A Whole Lot Of Miles

This year, the best car I drove is actually pretty easy to pick, and it’s definitely not one I would have predicted. It’s not a new car, it’s not something exotic, it’s not even my preferred automotive category of small, weird, old crapboxes. It’s a car that I’d not thought about that much, a category I didn’t interact with all that often, but one I got to know well, really, really well, over the summer, and came away with a deep affection and respect for this humble workhorse.

The car is the old, battered, hard-worked, 370,000+ mile Nissan NV200 Ex-New York City taxi.

That little cab had already seen a shocking number of hard miles of driving as an NYC taxi for over a decade of use, among the hardest sort of use a passenger car can get: thousands and thousands of trips in a traffic-clogged city, people tramping in and out, no one being careful of anything, the cruel realities of city life being flung at it nonstop. When we got it for dirt cheap at a Copart auction, it was broken and beaten, longing for the sweet release of death.

We denied it that release.

We fixed that little taxi up – not as much as you’d think, even, cleaned out all the mold, but only after it rolled off a tow truck and smacked into a tree. We patched that up, jankily, but less jankily than I fixed the A/C, which had wires running outside the car and a toggle switch on the hood.

But it was good enough to take it across the entire continent, me driving and my kid enjoying the full taxi comfort in back, and it didn’t break down in any serious way even once. Even that infamous CVT did just fine! Mile after mile, across plains and over mountains and through deserts, that taxi kept going, so far away from its original purpose.

I respect the hell out of that little taxi – it’s a fantastic design for a cab, just overall, and it has proven to be one of the most durable and hard-working cars I’ve ever encountered, of any kind. It’s the perfect example of a humble yet unstoppable workhorse. You have my eternal respect, NV200 Taxi.

– Jason Torchinsky, Creative Director, Co-Founder

The CrossCabriolet, Of Course

I might have pulled Publisher prerogative to do this one, since most of us have driven the CrossCabriolet this year. It’s an utterly stupid car. We bought it because our partners at XPEL agreed that it was a car that would draw a lot of attention, while–and this is important–not being loved by anyone who would get mad if we, say, did a bunch of cop slides on its hood.

So far, no one has gotten upset at us for damaging the paint on 50% of the car, but it turns out almost everyone loves it. I’ve never driven a car that’s gotten so much attention. It was the talk of Monterey Car Week, it was the toast of the Texas Lemons Rally, and every minute in it is an adventure.

While an old Nissan CVT might not be everyone’s ideal transmission choice (with one obvious exception), somehow the VQ V6 underhood gives it just enough grunt to be completely drivable. Granted, the handling is so slow and incoherent, it’s a shock to me that it hasn’t been nominated by either of the major parties to run for president.

There are only three certainties in life: Death, taxes, and the failure of a Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet’s top. Every time you stow the brittle cover is, statistically, the last time it’ll ever work, but it’s always worth it. Crusing around town in a giant purple roadster SUV with the roof open is one of the best driving experiences imaginable, if only for the mix of joy and confusion you’ll see on the faces of people passing by.

– Matt Hardigree, Publisher, Co-Owner

Wait, This Isn’t A Car At All

The best car I drove this year was the original, realistic flying car, a plane. I am blessed with the privilege of driving some of the greatest new vehicles in the world, and I will forever be thankful for that. This year was very truck-heavy for me, with a diesel Ford F-350, a diesel Ford F-250, and then a Ford F-150 Raptor R. It’s insane that anyone can just buy a truck that makes over 700 horsepower right off the dealership lot.

I also get to test fun motorcycles, like Indian’s high-tech cruisers and weird trikes like Can-Ams and Polaris Slingshot Rs. Normally, I would nominate something like the Ford F-150 Raptor R or the Ford F-350 Super Duty Platinum Plus dually as the coolest thing I drove this year. But instead, this year’s pick is a 1973 Cessna 172M.

This classic aircraft has largely been my steed in my rebooted dream to become a pilot. I love everything about this old bird, from its brown graphics and matching interior to how its seat seems to fit me better than the other C172s in the flight school fleet. I’ve also noticed some interesting quirks about this aircraft, like how there’s basically no play in its controls. One of the other Cessnas I’m training in isn’t that tight!

I feel like the aircraft, and I have built a great rapport. I’m sometimes the first person to fly it on a given day, and some of my best landings thus far have been at the controls of ol’ N12661. Honestly, seeing that plane’s glistening paint after a good wash is a highlight of my week.

I now have the privilege of flying a very different plane, an Extra 330LC, so I finally have a point of comparison. The Extra handles like a sports car, while the Cessna might as well be like a pickup truck or an old body-on-frame sedan. Flying the Extra made me appreciate the Cessna even more. It’s a brilliant piece of engineering, so easy to fly, and forgiving of beginner mistakes. A C172 is like what enthusiasts love about classic cars, but with wings. It’s no wonder that flight schools around the world still have old Cessna 172s as their trainers.

Sure, these planes aren’t exactly thrilling; you aren’t going to be doing barrel rolls, loops, or breaking any speed records. You don’t even get a retractable landing gear. A C172 is also about as common as a garden-variety Toyota, but they just work, regardless of your skill level.

– Mercedes Streeter, Senior Writer

The Highest-Mileage Press Car I’ve Ever Seen Or Driven

If you get in enough press cars, you start to notice patterns. Some manufacturers like to pre-set radio stations for each loan, while others provide charging cables for your phone. One thing consistent across the board is mileage. Most press cars never eclipse 8,000 miles, simply because most journalists treat them like rentals that have the most expensive insurance paid for.

To celebrate 10 years of modern Long Tails, McLaren decided to loan out the 765LT from its heritage fleet to a handful of journalists earlier this year, including me. Being a 2019 model year car, not only was this the oldest press car I’ve ever been loaned, but it was also the highest-mileage by a lot. This car had over 12,000 miles on the clock when it was given to me.

That might sound essentially new to some of you (especially those who exclusively buy high-mileage, used cars on the cheap, like me). But trust me, 12,000 miles on a press car, much less a supercar like the 765LT, is an insane amount of miles for a loaner.

While the car was still incredibly fast and capable, it was definitely showing its age. Pieces of the interior were starting to peel away, and there were more rattles inside than any mid-2000s GM vehicle I’ve driven (which is saying something). If I had to guess, it’s probably still one of the highest-mileage 765LTs in the world. That being said, I’d give up a finger or two just to get a few more hours of seat time.

– Brian Silvestro, News Editor

Sometimes, The Best Moments Involve No Driving At All

When Brian asked for a few paragraphs on our best automotive moves of ‘25, I immediately started going through the 13 cars that I rescued/fixed this year in my head, thinking of which would be the best to write about. I realized that the answer was none of them. None of the cars that I briefly owned and resuscitated were as important, impactful, and brought as much satisfaction and joy as did one overheating Dakota that I didn’t own, nor ever drive.

My mother had some chipped polish on one of her fingernails early last May and headed to her favorite local nail salon. Whilst there, she couldn’t get an appointment and was told by the owner that his ‘02 Dakota was overheating and that it was messing up appointments and operations at his nail shop.

“My son Steve fixes old junky cars; you should call him.” -my Ma (who is an active Commenter here on the site!)

Later that afternoon, while at my desk job, I received a call from that gentleman, asking me how much I’d charge to put a radiator in his truck. I told him that my mom speaks very highly of the quality job his nail techs provide and that seeing her happy is the greatest payment possible. We negotiated a labor trade: 2 nail jobs for one radiator job.

A couple of days later, I was in the local pick & pull yard, combing through the Dodge Truck aisle, which is always filled with Dakotas that lived long, hard, beaten-up lives. Pretty much the opposite life that a Range Rover lives.

Luckily for me, I found a white truck that had nearly everything on its front-end removed except for the radiator and AC condenser! This meant wicked easy access to the hose connections, condenser lines, and mounting bolts. I’m a pretty lucky guy; big thanks to the random dudes before me that pulled everything else off the front of that truck and out of my way in the previous weeks that it was in the yard!

Fun & Grim Fact: In my local yard, you have 30 days from when each vehicle hits the yard to when it becomes a steel pancake. The titles are branded, and no car can leave the gates once it passes them; there’s a slaughterhouse, a dark tone present there felt by anyone who loves cars. Yeesh.

With the condenser removed, the radiator was super easy to follow. I think I had both out in under 15 minutes!

I think the radiator was about $35 used and appeared to be in great shape. I headed out of the parts yard, reminded as I am every time that I visit that it is such a huge resource for anyone in this hobby/field and is a total lifesaver. Without the cheap, available parts it provides, I’d constantly be stuck paying retail for Chinese parts at the local chain stores, or waiting 7 days for online orders, or worse yet: draining my 401K to buy stealership parts.

The nail shop owner was over the moon that he got his truck fixed for $0 out of pocket, and the smile on my mother’s face and look of pride in her eyes towards her son when I handed her the gift certificates made my heart swell. No number of bashed, bloody knuckles, sore muscles, and oil-stained skin matters whatsoever when you can be there, stand tall, and come through for your loved ones.

Going into ‘26, I think we can all be there for others. The car enthusiast community is exactly that: a community. Whether it’s with online advice in a forum, or by teaching someone a new wrenching trick/skill, or a full-on weekend spent under the hood with someone in need, let’s all show each other how it’s done and really share success, positivity, friendship, and happiness. That’s what this Autopian community has always been about. That’s what I’m about.

Fixing a truck that wasn’t mine, and that I never even drove, brought me the best feeling of happiness in ‘25. I’m excited to learn new, valuable wrenching skills this year and to continue to grow and better myself to the best of my ability. I pledge to continue to use my wrenching and automotive skills to the best that I can to help others this New Year. I hope you each do the same. Since you’re the type of person who is reading this, I know that you will.

– S. W. Gossin, Contributor

Who Says You Have To Be In The Car To Have Driven It?

I literally only drove our own three vehicles in 2025, and while I’m quite fond of them, they’re not all that special or interesting. But who said I had to write about a car I could actually ride in? I have several dozen RC models, most of them old classics, and I spent a great deal of time with them.

I’ve always wanted my own RC car track, ever since I first got involved in the hobby in 1986. I’ve tried a few times over the years to build one, and in 2025, I built my best effort yet – just in time to find out we were moving again, and I had to fill it all in.

But for a while, in the summer, I was having a ball. I scraped off the top layer of grass, weeds, and dirt, laid down some fallen branches and scraps of lumber for track barriers, and went to town. The first car to see action on my new track was a Tamiya Frog, a classic if there ever was one. The Frog, along with its cheaper stablemates the Grasshopper and Hornet, brought smiles to the faces of a million kids in the 1980s, and they’re still cherished today. This one was rebuilt from a wreck I bought on eBay for cheap. Some RC hobbyists restore old cars and set them on a shelf to remain pristine and untouched forever. That’s not my style.

We’re moving out of this house, and this track is no more. But our new property has an even better, bigger space for a track, and I can’t wait to break ground on it. I’ll probably pull out this old Frog for the first run on that track as well. It’s tradition now.

– Mark Tucker, Contributor

Here’s to many more fun times behind the wheel in 2026.

Top graphic images: The Autopian; Tamiya