2010 North American Car of the Year nominees announced
Posted Oct 2nd 2009 10:28AM by Sam Abuelsamid
Here in the car journalism biz, this is that time of year when everyone is evaluating all the recently introduced cars to determine which ones truly stand out. Here in town, the crew from Car and Driver are doing their 10 Best testing this week. Elsewhere other magazines are doing their own evaluations.
The organizers of the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards have just released the short list of vehicles that they have deemed worthy of consideration for this year's awards. The winning vehicles will be announced in January at the North American International Auto Show. For now, the jury has to evaluate a list of 15 cars that includes the new MK VI Volkswagen Golf, Ford's Fusion and Taurus, and a dozen others. The list includes three cars with hybrid powertrains, two that offer diesels and everything from the Kia Soul to the Porsche Panamera.
On the truck side –which also includes crossovers and tall wagons like the new Honda Accord Crosstour, Acura ZDX and Subaru Outback – there are only 10 nominees. Check out the nominees in our galleries below – who will pick up the mantle after 2009's Ford F-150 and Hyundai Genesis?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
odens 10:38AM (10/02/2009)
How is the Crosstour a truck, and why is on the list of best vehicles?
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Ripper 10:40AM (10/02/2009)
how are any of those trucks, save maybe the land rover and the equinox
Derek 10:43AM (10/02/2009)
Honda has classed it as a "truck" for the same reason that Chrysler classed the PT Cruiser as a "truck," even though it was just a tall Neon: mileage claims. With the Crosstour's MPG factored in with the various Ridgeline models they can try to make claims like "Honda trucks have the best mileage of any company" (not saying that's the case).
Avinash machado 10:44AM (10/02/2009)
I think by best, they mean the best vehicle to make you puke or something like that.
Yaroukh 10:49AM (10/02/2009)
the same way 4/5-door car is a coupe these days
some1 10:59AM (10/02/2009)
this is a total joke. I dont care if honda says its a truck, i cant wait for BMW to classify mini as a truck, so it can enter this segment.
Hey while were at it, why dont we just classify a Jeep and Ford Bronco as a hybrid.
Where is the common sense? Theres a point where the failure of logic becomes epic, and these idiots have deff hit that point.
Cmicasa the GREAT 11:46AM (10/02/2009)
My hope is that for COTY the Lacrosse or Camaro,
TOYT... I would go for the Eqinox or SRX. The bourgeois in me says definitely the SRX. Drove an awd 3.0L version and was absolutely impressed. The handling was so much better than the old one, altho I will admit that the 2.8L turbo will probably make it a bit more stellar.
The person who loves to see a vehicle improve 100% would go for the Nox. It is decidedly better than anything in its class. I would compare it to the Acura RDX before I would the Honda CRV just to be fair to Honda
Not THAT Matt 10:42PM (10/02/2009)
The Fusion and Taurus are really nice re-designs - the Taurus the more dramatic of the two.
The Soul is actually a really nice car, too. It might find a place in our garage in a year or two.
thritter 1:54PM (10/06/2009)
Get it classified as a "light truck" (all you need is extra ride height and a flat loading floor for one) and your inefficient large vehicle (e.g., Crosstour) can meet a lower mpg standard and doesn't drive down the mpg results of your "passenger car" line. That's why Honda/Acura/BMW are so much more excited about the Crosstour/ZDX/X6 than their customers.
Avinash machado 10:43AM (10/02/2009)
If there was a ugly truck of the year award the Crosstour would be the default winner.
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Farmboy 12:54PM (10/02/2009)
If there were an ugly anything award, crosstour would be hard to beat.
JDC 10:44AM (10/02/2009)
Gotta go with the Ford Fusion Hybrid.
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Derek 10:44AM (10/02/2009)
Prediction: Ford Taurus and Cadillac SRX
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Tomac 10:58AM (10/02/2009)
I certainly hope the SRX doesn't get the vote. The old one was actually pretty fun to drive, with the RWD platform lending it solid handling. The new one feels slow and minivan-like, and the chunky looks remind me of the other bloated GM crossovers. After all the good Cadillac has done with the CTS, this SRX really feels like a step backwards.
I think the Taurus is a definite improvement over its former self in looks, but it's still pretty much the same car underneath. The SHO version gives impressive power, but it's a bit large and heavy to be a graceful dancer. Truly, a pumped-up Fusion should have been the recipient of that moniker.
jeff 10:44AM (10/02/2009)
My vote would definitely be for the Fusion in that lot. The Kizashi looks promising, but I just haven't heard much feedback on it yet. The CTS Wagon is obviously pretty hot, but as cool as the resurgence of wagons is, its not as big a deal as the solid all-round performance from the Fusion lineup.
On the truck front, boy they definitely didn't have many actual trucks to pick from. The Transit Connect is definitely stirring things up and opening up a new promising market segment, but I'd say the Equinox deserves this prize.
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rxallan 10:46AM (10/02/2009)
I really hope the Prius doesn't win, such a gay car.
oooo I sometimes get 50mpg. But first I need nickel mined half way around the world, then I need it shipped to my assembly plant, then I need to be shipped back to where the nickel was minded from. All the pollution from shipping doesn't count. Oh and then I need my government to manipulate my currency so I can be cheep.
But I can make up for this with clever flower displays across LA freeways and other flower themed marketing materials.
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Typesbad 1:30PM (10/02/2009)
I'm sorry, RX, but that was just plain dumb. All cars have materials that come from various parts of the world. In my opinion the Prius has a good shot at this as it is a major advancement in an important area of technology. Personally, I'd rather see the Ford Fusion Hybrid get the honor, and there is a soft spot in me rooting for the LaCrosse, though it represents an advancement for a brand rather than the industry as a whole.
For trucks, my choice and prediction go to the Transit Connect. Not only is it arguably more of a truck that all those tall wagons, but it opens up a new and vital truck category for North America.
l.i.dave 10:49AM (10/02/2009)
Either the "Ford Taurus" or the "Buick Lacrosse" for car.
And the "Ford Transit" or the "Cadillac Srx" for truck.
A lot of those vehicles don't even belong on the list.
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turbo-quattro 10:48AM (10/02/2009)
im surprised the kia forte isnt on there.
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Avinash machado 10:49AM (10/02/2009)
Where is the Jaguar XJ?
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