Whaa? Big 3 wins big in Ward's Interior of the Year Awards
When did the day come that interiors designed by our own domestic automakers were being celebrated as the best in the biz? After decades of dull designs, cheap materials and poor fit and finish, that day would be today. Ward's Auto has released the results of its 2007 Interior of the Year Competition, in which both its own editors and members of the auto industry at large choose the best inner sanctums in seven vehicle classes ranging from Economy-Priced Car to Premium-Priced Truck. Shocker: Domestics cleaned up, being awarded 11 out of 14 class awards between the editors' choices and the popular vote (and that's not including the Volvo S80's editor award for Premium-Priced Car). The Saturn Aura and Chevy Silverado, in particular, were singled out for their fine furnishings by both judging bodies in their respective classes, just like they were in the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards last January.
Ward's also awarded prized for Best Brand Expression to the Jeep Wrangler, Best Interior Trim to the Infiniti G35, Best Cup Holder to the Chrysler Sebring and Best Overall Comfort to the Lexus LS 460L. Check out all the award winners after the jump, and pontificate on the state of affairs that led us to this day when domestic interiors are getting props aplenty.
[Source: The Auto Channel]
Award Category Ward's Editorial Staff Industry At-Large Vote
Economy-Priced Car Honda Fit Dodge Caliber
Popular-Priced Car Saturn Aura Saturn Aura
Premium-Priced Car Volvo S80 Lincoln MKZ
Popular-Priced CUV Honda CRV Saturn Outlook
Premium-Priced CUV Cadillac SRX Cadillac SRX
Popular-Priced Truck Chevy Silverado Chevy Silverado
Premium-Priced Truck Lincoln Navigator Cadillac Escalade
Best Brand Expression: Jeep Wrangler
Best Interior Trim: Infiniti G35
Best Cup Holder: Chrysler Sebring
Best Overall Comfort: Lexus LS 460L.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
kyler 3:02PM (6/07/2007)
This award must be a total joke and/or funded by the winning companies... Needless to say, Audi should be on this list. You have got to be kidding me...
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Ugh 3:03PM (6/07/2007)
Best cup holder? Only in America.
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Rocket Punch 4:26PM (6/07/2007)
My thought exactly....LMAO
Emm3tt 5:03PM (6/07/2007)
*sniff* only in america *sniff*
Yes, only im America do we come up with modern conveniences to suit our daily needs.
Andrew Hughes 6:11AM (6/10/2007)
I just laughed - the thought of getting a prize for this - it would be great in teh advertising - Buy the Sebring, America's best cupholders :-)
I have not driven any of these cars but I have never driven a US car that comes close to MB, Porsche, Audi or BMW in terms of quality of interior finish.
seoultrain 3:51PM (6/10/2007)
Right, because 2+ Jumbo-size cup-holders per person is a daily need.
brimg87 3:06PM (6/07/2007)
The Lincoln MKZ, Saturn Aura, Saturn Outlook, and the Chevy Silverado all really do have excellent interiors.
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Dre 3:08PM (6/07/2007)
I always told people Lincoln has some of the best interiors out their.Look at the Navi holdin off those other lame SUVs.Look at my MKZ holdin its ground on them scrubs.
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Viv 3:11PM (6/07/2007)
It's sponsored by the Big 3 'cause they won??? The domestics are now on par or even better than japan and europe. Get used to it.
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Nellydesign 3:14PM (6/07/2007)
Sorry, but the Caliber beat out... anybody? Seriously that is one of the WORST interiors in the automotive world. I got in and opened the top storage bin on the right side of the IP and it didn't even spring up. The door just sat there. I had to lift it up and reach inside with the same hand while it stayed closed on my wrist. Plus it looks like it was designed by some guy with a ruler. Awful, just awful. What a joke of a travesty of an award.
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MIKE 3:20PM (6/07/2007)
#1 why should Audi be on the list?? who ever said Audi had the best interiors this year? or are you going by the past?
anyways good job big 3, poeple do notice, i did when i bought my 05' F150 fx4, had the interior out there for trucks.
jgp 8:00PM (6/07/2007)
Agreed. I'm able to tell that the Caliber's interior is cheap junk from the other side of the parking lot.
bobdobbs 3:18PM (6/07/2007)
Could Roger Smith's cooties finally be washing off the General?
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bmoredlj 3:21PM (6/07/2007)
That any Chrysler product was even considered for an interior award is evidence that this little contest was a travesty run by vapid dopes, and though I won't accuse them of bribery, I will accuse them of not knowing what they're doing.
Whether it's fit and finish or design, Chrysler doesn't care, and it shows. Well, they care about saving money; that's about it.
Chryslers' interior designers have the same answer for any possible question : "just add dinky matte aluminum trim to that."
In addition, the Aura's interior was "cheapened" when it crossed the pond from Europe. This cheapening was a major factor in a C&D midsize comparo in which the Aura was midpack but might've won if they had just kept the Opel's interior quality. Curious, then, that the Aura won (although it's light-years better looking than the Ion interior)
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The Other Bob 5:12PM (6/07/2007)
"In addition, the Aura's interior was "cheapened" when it crossed the pond from Europe."
The Aura's interior wasn't cheapened because that car was never in Europe. It was never an Opel. It is just made to look like one to fit into the brand's transition to Opel designs.
The Opel "version" for lack of a better term wasn't even the same wheel base.
trav 9:51AM (6/08/2007)
yeah the saturn was an opel, they use them as taxis there i've been in one and the quality of the interior was not so good, but the saturn's was upgraded slightly and now doesn't have the rubbermade look the opel had. to the other bob comment: it was an epsilon platform in the aura and the vectra see vectra C to see the info on the aura/vectra
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Vectra
BurningRubber 3:22PM (6/07/2007)
The Caliber getting an award for best interior. What a joke. So many cheap plastics. And some plastics were just about to peel off where they were supposed to be.
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Dennis 3:30PM (6/07/2007)
Please tell me why Mercedes-Benz isn't on there...this has to be a joke. Domestics do not and will not ever beat the Europeans/Japanese when it comes to making cars.
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Dave 3:51PM (6/07/2007)
It's fine to have awards for new interiors, but they should have a similar award for used interiors. I looked at an '04 Toureg the other day. I'm sure the interior looked beautiful when it was new but it looked horrible after 3 years - black paint was peeling off all of the switches, revealing cheap white plastic. Ugh.
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Allan 3:54PM (6/07/2007)
I don't think that would be a fair assessment... it might not be the Touareg's fault... that is, the amount of wear in such little time. But who knows.