- The 2025 Frankencar is electric
- It’s a steal at $67,685 in make-believe land
- You’ll never find anything like it on the market
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N bested the competition to be named Motor Authority Best Car To Buy 2025.
Each of the strong, and mostly electric, competitors posed its own argument for winning, but the Ioniq 5’s value and fun factor stood out from the pack.
Nothing’s perfect, and that includes the Ioniq 5 N. Each of this year’s finalists had redeeming qualities we admired. In a perfect, make-believe world the Ioniq 5 N would have some attributes from each of our finalists—more from some than others.
Call it flight of fancy. We call it Frankencar, and it’s damn fun to daydream about.
Join us as we piece together the 2025 Frankencar, a vehicle that grabs the best bits from the Motor Authority Best Car To Buy 2025 finalists.
Powertrain
Every competitor except the Mercedes-Benz AMG CLE 53 had an electric powertrain. The powertrain for the 2025 Frankencar is not so far out of the realm of possibility. It sticks to the EV formula, but it goes beyond the 641 hp of the Ioniq 5 N to the 850-hp triple-motor setup from the Rivian R1S. With one motor on the front axle and two in the rear, our Frankencar has rear torque vectoring. We also want the G 580 with EQ Technology’s G Turn, which is a tank turn feature that allows the vehicle to spin in place. We’ll keep the Ioniq 5 N’s sound generators (… speakers), for those who are into that sort of thing. But the sweet tune of the AMG CLE 53’s turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 is what we’d like to hear if those sound generators are turned on. None of our competitors had a manual transmission this year, so a single-speed automatic transmission it is, but we’ll keep the Ioniq 5 N’s available fake shift points, with appropriate torque curves. Instant power and torque along with smoother operation make for a heck of a drug, no?
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology
2025 Rivian R1S
Styling
We’ll take the overall packaging and design of the Ioniq 5 N, because who doesn’t love an overgrown hot hatch? But we’ll combine it with elements of the iconic and distinctive style of both the electric G-Class and Rivian R1S. Arguably, we just created a larger, overgrown Rivian R3X, didn’t we?
2024 Porsche Macan Electric Turbo
2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology
2025 Rivian R1S
Dynamics
All six finalists have their own ability to shine dynamically, but the Ioniq 5 N was the winner due to its engaging overall feel. However, the Porsche Macan Electric had the best steering of the group, and it was quicker than the Ioniq 5 N around Atlanta Motorsports Park’s long carousel. The suspension also didn’t suffer from any of the bounding motions in the Hyundai exhibited in Sport and Sport+ modes. The Ioniq 5 N could stick and rip, but it was the Porsche’s brakes, composure, and steering that set the bar. We’ll take all those in our Frankencar, please. Oh, and let’s add the Acura ZDX’s lift-off oversteer, because that’s just fun, and we’ll also use the R1S’s McLaren-like hydraulic-linked dampers to better control body lean. While we’re on this flight of fancy, we’ll make it into an off-roader, too, by going with the R1S’s air suspension, which can vary ground clearance from 8.0 to 15.0 inches to clear pretty much all the obstacles. Finally, we’ll add the electric G’s three virtual locking differentials for more traction in all kinds of situations off the beaten path.
2024 Porsche Macan Electric Turbo
2024 Acura ZDX Type S
2025 Rivian R1S
2025 Rivian R1S
Interior
We’ll take the Porsche Macan Electric’s rock-solid fit, finish, and build quality. Everything feels like it was screwed together with care. Nothing wiggles that shouldn’t, jiggles, or feels like it’s going to fall off. We’ll modify it with the Rivian’s simple and clean dashboard, but add buttons, knobs, and toggles from the Ioniq 5 N, ZDX, Electric G-Class, and Macan Electric. We’ll keep the Rivian’s three rows of seats and generous cargo area, along with its terrific sight lines. Somehow we’d like to combine the Rivian’s supportive and comfortable seats with the even more supportive high-back sport buckets found in the Ioniq 5 N.
2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Value
Arguably, every vehicle in this year’s competitive set felt like it was priced fairly, though the electric G-Class at $190,420 as tested is quite the celebrity piece of bling. While anyone would like a car to cost nothing, that’s not reasonable. Given the power and capability of our 2025 Frankencar, the Ioniq 5 N’s $67,685 sticker price seems like a steal.
Welcome to our fantasy. Someone, please, flip the switches, power up the tubes, and get the metal patient on the table to bring this Frankencar to life. I’ll take mine in Rivian Blue, thanks.
