Motor Trend says on its blog that they are busily putting 17 new or newly redesigned cars through an "exhaustive evaluation process" that will result in 10 finalists for their Car of the Year award. With cars like the BMW 1 Series, Nissan GT-R, Audi A4, Acura TSX and Pontiac G8, we'd have a hard time choosing five more. Wildcards are the Hyundai Genesis, the Mazda6, the Volkswagen CC and the Dodge Challenger.
They'll be competing with the Acura TL, Honda Fit, Jaguar XF, Lincoln MKS, Nissan Maxima, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Corolla, and the Toyota Matrix.
As a member of the Armchair COTY Comittee, which ones are on your top ten? Is the GT-R a shoe-in or will the Challenger win on pure musclecar charisma? The magazine will announce the winner in its January issue.
[Source: Motor Trend Blog]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
dan spalinger @ Oct 1st 2008 11:04AM
Why put the Matrix AND the Vibe in the mix??? They are the same car!! How dumb is that?
Joe K. @ Oct 1st 2008 11:17AM
There are differences. Mostly cost. Toyota is more expensive, has bigger blind spots and makes you pay extra for VSC, XM radio, and other things that are standard on the Vibe. If one is AWD and the other is FWD it makes a big difference in MPG and performance.
Dude @ Oct 1st 2008 11:19AM
I was thinking the same thing.
Plus, those two cars are just Corolla wagons. So they actually have 3 of the same car in the running.
VP @ Oct 1st 2008 11:25AM
Someone should MT that the Vibe and Matrix are the same cars. You should check out their new car issue. every year the Vibe gets at least one less star compared to the Matrix even though you get the same equipment for less on the Vibe.
Holden Miecranc @ Oct 1st 2008 11:58AM
The suspensions are also tuned differently and most reviewers prefer the slightly sportier ride of the Vibe to the Matrix.
duaneb @ Oct 4th 2008 9:50AM
Matrix and Vibe are NOT the same car. A common misunderstanding, usually perpetuated by Pontiac salesmen hoping to ride on the coat-tails of Toyota reputation.
While Matrix and Vibe are "sister" vehicles, they have many MORE parts different than the same. If you research carefully, you will learn that ONLY the Engine and Drivetrain are shared between them.
This means that all the supporting components on Matrix are the more reliable Toyota parts like: air-conditioner, alternator, fuel pump, power steering/brakes, cd/radio, cruise, body/paint, suspension, interior components and fabric, electrical components, gauges/dash, on-and-on-and-on...
Hike15 @ Oct 1st 2008 11:04AM
I gotta go for a car that actually has an impact on the auto market, the mazda6
i know the gt-r and challenger are great, but the mazda6 does what a good car should for a reasonable price. Its sporty and has lots of space and features for a relatively good price and gets good gas mileage for its class.
John R @ Oct 1st 2008 11:16AM
I dislike the new 6 for the same reasons you like it, it looks like. More space=too big. I liked the old 6 and the fact that it wasn't too big.
Also, no ZR-1?
And GT-R>Challenger w/a genuine (torque converter) auto, that shouldn't even be a contest.
Dude @ Oct 1st 2008 11:21AM
I'm with John R. The new 6 is too big. Mazda blew it.
NOreasonY @ Oct 1st 2008 11:23AM
I agree with the MAzda 6 comments...i think they set out to make it a better competing car and now i think its one of the slickest new midsized sedans out there...and im also not sure why the new vibe and matrix both deserve to be in there...theres nothing revolutionary or wowingabout either of them.
John @ Oct 1st 2008 11:43AM
To the people complaining about the Mazda 6 size: It was too small and uncompetitive in the D segment of the market. Tweeners between C and D segment get lost in the crowd and do not sell well so Mazda made the right move.
akboss @ Oct 1st 2008 1:31PM
I'm glad someone said this, the new car IS too big. Just because it isn't the same size as everything else, who says they can't do something different - unlike some Mazda is willing (or was) to think outside the box. Look at the RX-8, the Mazda5, they thrive on different. The old 6 was based on the Euro-spec midsize platform, and I would much rather nimbly trace around a parking lot in the old car than waddle about in the bulbous new one. Different strokes for different folks, but I hate how every new generation of car gets fatter, heavier and more powerful - mostly to carry the added weight. At this rate in 15 years an Escalade will be a compact.
TimS @ Oct 4th 2008 10:30AM
Hike, I have to agree with you, I'm a loyal Toyota Owner (09' Camry), but was disappointed with the way they redesigned the Corolla and the Matrix, they sacrified Toyota's core value of quality workmanship, the 03's through 08's were much better vehicles.
My neighbor has a late model Mazda 3 and it's well built, like the Mazda 6, will see, but I can Guarantee neither of those Toyota's will be Car of the Year.
Josiah @ Oct 1st 2008 11:06AM
Hyundai Genesis FTW
geo.stewart @ Oct 1st 2008 1:26PM
Genesis and GTR are really the only ones that have the ability/potential to be game changers in their market. Of the 2, Genesis will have the bigger impact on the industry, much as Lexus did when it burst on the scene.
but then, its really about marketing dollars. The last time the civic won, it wasnt really a COTY considering competition because it only maintained status quo, as opposed to changing the industry trends
cheezwiz @ Oct 1st 2008 1:39PM
I seriously doubt motor trend will vote for the 375HP v8 gas guzzler in the world of $4 gas. Large cars with large engines are anything but "game changers" right now.
Don't forget, this is the same magazine that awards the COTY to civics and camrys because these cars actually make an impact on the marketplace.
jsjs @ Oct 1st 2008 2:03PM
cheezwiz - 80% of the Genesis sales are predicted to be the V-6 which is almost as good as the V-8.
I don't know if the Genesis will win, but it will likely beat out the G-8 since the V-6 G8 is nowhere near as good as the V-8 G8.
John R @ Oct 1st 2008 2:07PM
http://autos.yahoo.com/hyundai_genesis_4.6l/
17/25 is gas guzzling? That's pretty good for a V8. Also there is a V6 version that does better. Come on, this takes like 5 minutes of research.
montoym @ Oct 1st 2008 8:33PM
That's my guess as well.
The top 3 I think will win are the Genesis, Mazda 6, and the Honda Fit. Other strong contenders are the Audi A4 and the Jaguar XF.
Why do I think the Genesis will win?
Motortrend bases their COTY award on which vehicle makes the biggest impact. Whether that be on its class, on its brand, on a design/engineering front, etc. The Genesis covers virtually all of those. It's a huge leap forward for Hyundai, it's unique in its class(and a bargain) and it contains many gadgets that its competitors only offer for significantly more money. There's not really any other car in the group that can claim as much.
I also mention the Mazda 6 for similar reasons and there's a possiblity it might win since it's quite a bit cheaper than the Genesis. MT tends not to give the award to vehicles that are more expensive(but the CTS winning last year also gives the Genesis a strong chance).
That's also why I think the GT-R is definitely not going to win. I think they've said that COTY has never gone to a vehicle costing more than $60K, I doubt this will be the year.
I mention the Fit due mostly to its frugality, cost and utility. Those might be important to MT this year with gas prices and all. But, I'm not sure it's different enough from the previous one to put it over the top.
Gungosa @ Oct 1st 2008 11:07AM
My money's on the fit. It's the "socially responsible" and "culturally relevant" choice.