The Best Riding Lawn Mowers Of 2025, According To Consumers Reports Data

Mowing your lawn is essential, but it isn't always easy or fun. You can try growing one of these clever alternatives to grass for a no-mow lawn, but many people love the look of a classic lawn. Choosing the best mower for your grass type and needs can be tricky. Riding lawn mowers — best for those with large lawns or who benefit from the ease of operation — often come with a hefty price tag, so it's important to find a reliable brand that's easy to use and maintain, and can handle your yard's topography. One guide many people depend on is Consumer Reports, and the publication has compiled a list of what it considers the best riding lawn mowers on the market.

Consumer Reports' best overall riding mower for 2025 was the John Deere X354, with an overall score of 84 out of 100. It features 4-wheel steering, cruise control, and a 42-inch deck. According to Consumer Reports, "It aced every performance test we could throw at it: bagging, cutting evenness, handling, mulching, and side-discharging." At a $5,000 price point, you wouldn't want to see anything less. CR found the machine quite loud, garnering only 1 out of 5 stars on both noise close-up and at a distance. The relatively narrow deck could also mean more passes to finish a large lawn.

Reviews from the John Deere site also trend positive, with 86% of reviewers giving 4 stars or above. Reviewer Hill Guy writes, "I have quite a hill on my property it handles it well. The 4 wheel steer is worth the money." Reviewer EdLee agrees, comparing the X354's all-wheel steer against a previous mower that struggled with hills and tight turns. The handful of 1- and 2-star reviews focus on the mower breaking down or otherwise being damaged. However, the included 4-year warranty could help here.

The John Deere S240 is another one of Consumer Report's recommended lawn mowers — also boasting an overall score of 84 out of 100 — and the customer reviews back CR's assessment up. Of the nearly 600 reviews on John Deere's site, over 400 of them were 5-stars, with nearly 90 more 4-star reviews. The mower is available with both a 42- and 48-inch deck, although it's the 48 inch model that CR tested. The price is pretty average for a riding lawn mower, sitting at $3,700 before taxes and shipping. Consumer Reports found "It aced our tests across all three cutting modes—as well as our evenness test—and it has a pleasing rating for handling." The review notes that most customers were satisfied with it. The only issue, as far as CR was concerned, was that it was a bit loud, though not quite as loud as the John Deere X354.

Among the high-star reviews at John Deere's site, customers loved the Kawasaki engine, with reviewer Mows A Lot reporting that "The 21hp Kawasaki and heavy duty k46 transmission will move you along at a good clip and come uphill without slowing down much." On the con side, they found the gauge wheel slips on hills, crushing grass as it slips. "Pivoting gauge wheels would take care of that," they write. They also found challenges with both bagging and mulching when the grass is long. In Davis Orchards and Farms's YouTube review of this model after one year of owning it, he mentions being pleased with how easy it is to maintain and use. One potential downside for this mower is that it comes with a shorter warranty: 3 years compared with the X354's 4-year warranty.

To construct this guide, we started by looking at the Consumer Reports Best Riding Lawn Mowers of 2025 buyer's guide to see which scored the highest overall. From there, we branched out into other reviews for those specific products, including reviews on the product listing and video reviews on YouTube. We read both positive and negative reviews, paying close attention to details that were repeated across multiple reviews, and cons that were outlined, even in 5-star reviews.

The entire CR list includes 5 tractor-style riding mowers, along with several zero-turn riding mower options (gas and electric). We focused on the two top-scored tractor riding mowers, which both received near-perfect reviews, but represent a significant cost difference for various budgets. Of course, individual experiences and needs will vary.