Car and Driver Names Year's 10 Best Cars

December 01, 2008

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Car and Driver has released its 27th annual 10 Best cars list, which was dominated again this year by import brands, as foreign models made up eight of the 10 spots.

The Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CTS were the only domestic units to make the list, marking the second straight year that General Motors was the only Big 3 manufacturer to be represented.

Moreover, eight of the 10 spots were repeats from a year ago, with the only newcomers being the Infiniti G37 and the Jaguar XF. Editors praised the XF for its "modern styling and beautiful lines," while the G37 was lauded for its enhanced performance and handling.

"The industry may be in a state of upheaval but, when selecting the world's most coveted automobiles, some things have managed to stay the same," officials commented.

The most "veteran" car on the list is the Honda Accord, which made the rankings for the 23rd time. The BMW 3-Series, meanwhile, earned a spot for the 18th consecutive year.

"The industry is evolving, but some things stay the same, including the intense competition between domestic and foreign manufacturers, making this contest tougher to judge every year," stated Csaba Csere, editor-in-chief of Car and Driver.

The winners were determined by a panel of 19 Car and Driver editors who rated candidates on a scale of 1-100. They focused on functional performance, driving satisfaction and value.

To qualify for consideration, vehicles must be available in the United States by January 2009 and have a price tag of less than $71,000, or 2.5 times the average transaction price as of summer 2008. If a model is a winner from the the previous year, it is automatically re-nominated if still available under the price cap.

The following is the complete list of winners, in alphabetical order, with the number of years on the list in parentheses.

—BMW 3-Series/M3 (18)

—Cadillac CTS (2)

—Chevrolet Corvette (15)

—Honda Accord (23)

—Honda Fit (3)

—Infiniti G37

—Jaguar XF

—Mazda MX-5 (10)

—Porsche Boxster/Cayman (10)

—Volkswagen GTI (4)

For more information, visit www.caranddriver.com.

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