Car of the Year Awards 2025: Best family electric SUV for long journeys

If you do long journeys regularly, three words give the Tesla Model Y the edge over other family electric SUVs: 'Tesla Supercharger network’. True, these fast, dependable and plentiful public rapid chargers are increasingly being opened up to non-Tesla owners, but if you don’t drive a Tesla, you pay more to use them. 

In addition, the Model Y puts the electricity you fill it with to good use, being nearly as efficient as its Model 3 saloon sibling. Our favourite Long Range AWD (all-wheel-drive) version can officially travel for 331 miles between charges, and it gets closer to matching its official figure in real-world use than most electric cars; we managed 304 miles on a warm day, while a 250kW peak charging rate means stops to ‘refuel’ won’t take long. 

But why don’t we recommend the Long Range RWD (rear-wheel-drive) model, which bins one of the electric motors to save weight and has an official range of up to 373 miles? Well, while no Model Y is as quiet or comfortable as a Skoda Elroq, the AWD rides noticeably better than the RWD, with the latter jostling you around in your seat even on roads that appear smooth.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

See all of our Car of the Year 2025 winners >>