For the sixth time in eight years, Ford has claimed the North American Car of the Year award in the truck category, this time with the mid-size Ranger. Volkswagen’s long-awaited ID. Buzz made a splash with the honors for top utility vehicle. We had quite a bit of time behind the wheel of Rangers of all stripes last year, and Mercedes Lilienthal wrote a thorough first-drive review of the ID. Buzz for Expedition Portal in October. From the perspective of the overland traveler, neither of these laurels should be particularly surprising.
As a global platform, the Ranger has had a solid presence in the adventure travel community for some time now, and it has quietly become a favorite in the American market as well. In baby Raptor trim, the Ranger delivers on the performance promises it makes, and is a more liveable truck for day-to-day duties than its big brother, the F-150 Raptor. But the less hair-on-fire-spec Rangers are also impressive off-road and base camp options. I drove a 2022 XLT Ranger for 10 days across the more remote parts of Eastern Oregon in very challenging conditions and it never missed a step, despite returning somewhat disappointing fuel mileage, often dipping into the single digits.
The VW ID. Buzz is probably the most anticipated new vehicle in many years in any category, be it EV, van, or overland. While it will have to confront the same hurdles that all electric cars do (whether real or perceived) for widespread adoption as an adventure platform, we are excited to see what both travelers and the aftermarket can do with this retro-styled people’s van. What’s not plebian about the ID. Buzz is its asking price, which theoretically starts at just under $60,000, but early examples are reportedly going for much closer to six figures than anyone would like to see. There’s no doubt it is an innovative and compelling vehicle and the ID. Buzz certainly will find its niche as a darling in the #vanlife community, but its legitimacy for long-term global travel remains to be seen.
The VW ID. Buzz proved to be an excellent rally competitor in European events. (Image: Mercedes Lilienthal)
The NACTOY awards are chosen by a jury of 50 professional automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. The independent jurors honor “excellence in innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, user experience, driver satisfaction, and value.”
Read more:
The Ford Ranger Raptor is Legit :: Video
The 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz EV :: Is It the Next Best Overland Campervan?
Images: Ford, VW, Nick Jaynes, Mercedes Lilienthal
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