My best car of 2025 is the Renault 5. Predictable? Maybe, but it’s so good

Favourite car of the year? Well, of course, it’s the Car of the Year…

My favourite car that I drove in 2025 was the Renault 5. Given that it’s won a host of awards, including the Car of the Year prize, it’s a predictable choice, I know – but when I managed to pilfer our long-term Renault 5 from its custodian, Steve Cropley, I was as impressed as I’d hoped to be.
First, there’s the heritage: there are plenty of companies that are sceptical about looking backwards, but Renault is presently dining out on model names of old.
My best friend had an original 5 as her first car, when we were in those early driving days of heady freedom, and this sort of nostalgia certainly helps the new 5 appeal.
Second, the looks: how good are these proportions? It reminds me a lot of the Honda E, which I was a big fan of at the time.
The 5 is retro yet totally modern, and the best ones are the most brightly coloured.
Third, everything else. I drove it for a week: it had a respectable range for a supermi