Car and Driver reveals its 2012 10Best cars [w/video]

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Hatchback, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Porsche, Volkswagen

Each year, the scribes at Car and Driver go through every new vehicle on sale and pick the ten best cars available here in the United States. And while some major automotive awards are only shelled out to vehicles that are all-new or significantly updated for a certain model year, C/D's approach is to look at the full scope of cars currently on sale. After all, there are some cars that are simply perennial favorites, even if they haven't changed year over year.

For 2012, the Chevrolet Volt and Hyundai Sonata have fallen off the list to make room for the Audi A6/A7 and Ford Focus. The other eight vehicles that round out the 10Best list have carried over from the 2011 winners, but we can't say we're surprised. These ten cars indeed represent some of the best vehicles on sale today.

The 2012 Car and Driver 10Best winners are:

Head over to Car and Driver to read the full 10Best roundup, and follow the jump to see a video of this year's winning fleet, then check in to Comments to share your thoughts on C/D's list.

Continue reading Car and Driver reveals its 2012 10Best cars [w/video]

Car and Driver reveals its 2012 10Best cars [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ward's Auto declares Ten Best Engines of 2009

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:33:00 EST

Filed under: Green, I.C.E.

Ward's Auto has released its annual list of Ten Best Engines for the new year, and our first assessment is that it's just as interesting for what isn't present as for what is. First of all, let's get the official list out of the way:

Audi AG: 2.0L TFSI turbocharged DOHC I-4 (A4 Avant)
BMW AG: 3.0L turbocharged DOHC I-6 (135i Coupe)
BMW AG: 3.0L DOHC I-6 Turbodiesel (335d)
Chrysler LLC: 5.7L Hemi OHV V-8 (Dodge Ram/Challenger R/T)
Ford Motor Co.: 2.5L DOHC I-4 HEV (Escape Hybrid)
General Motors Corp.: 3.6L DOHC V-6 (Cadillac CTS)
Honda Motor Co. Ltd.: 3.5L SOHC V-6 (Accord Coupe)
Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.: 4.6L DOHC V-8 (Genesis)
Toyota Motor Corp.: 3.5L DOHC V-6 (Lexus IS 350)
Volkswagen AG: 2.0L SOHC I-4 Turbodiesel (Jetta TDI)

Take a good look. Nissan's ubiquitous VQ, which up to this point, was the only engine series that had made Ward's Ten Best ever since the list's inception in 1995, is conspicuously absent. That's a big deal. We also note a couple of turbodiesel engines, one in BMW's favored inline-six configuration and one that powers VW's Jetta TDI. Ford's updated 2.5L hybrid four cylinder is also recognized, rounding out this year's trio of green powerplants. We also note that there's only one American V8 engine, the redesigned HEMI from Chrysler. More snubs? How'd they miss the amazing powerplants that sit under the hoods of the Corvette ZR1 and the Nissan GT-R? Update: Thanks goes to our commentators, who point out that the ZR1 and GT-R are too expensive to make the list.

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Continue reading Ward's Auto declares Ten Best Engines of 2009

Ward's Auto declares Ten Best Engines of 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments