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Éric Descarries
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AJAC’s Car of the Year
Éric Descarries
Hits: 791
For over 35 years, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) has crowned what its members consider the Car of the Year—and, more recently, the Utility Vehicle of the Year. The tradition began in 1987 with the Pontiac Bonneville as the inaugural winner. Now, in 2025, about 60 active AJAC members gathered in October to test over 30 new market arrivals during a three-day event in Mono, north of Toronto.
It’s not just those 30 vehicles competing; near y every car and truck produced for the Canadian market is eligible. AJAC journalists delve into their notes, voting on vehicles they’ve tested in the past 12 months.
This year’s categories include:
- Car of the Year
- Electric Car of the Year
- Utility Vehicle of the Year
- Electric Utility Vehicle of the Year
Each member evaluates five vehicles per category in a process involving multiple elimination rounds. The final winners will be revealed at the Toronto Auto Show in February, where the top picks for Car of the Year and Utility Vehicle of the Year will receive their awards.
The TestFest Experience
While the pandemic briefly interrupted AJAC’s TestFest events, the tradition has continued. This year’s festival moved away from race tracks and toward environments better suited to everyday use. Held at the Hockley Valley Resort, the event included country roads for real-world testing, a dynamic track for assessing acceleration, handling, and braking, and a short off-road course to test all-terrain capabilities.
Despite some dreary weather, the 60 accredited journalists made the most of their time, testing over 15 vehicles each. Notes and impressions were meticulously recorded, and voting was conducted electronically.
The goal of these evaluations is to help consumers make informed decisions about the vehicles on the market. It’s not a competition between automakers (though their representatives were on hand to answer questions) or journalists. Still, expect to see the AJAC logo featured in advertisements for the winning vehicles!
With the first phase complete, the voting process begins. The results will be announced in February at the Toronto Auto Show. Stay tuned!
Éric Descarries
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